There is just two months to go until the launch of the highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake, and with the original 1998 title widely regarded as one of the greatest games of all time, it is no wonder that this Nintendo Switch 2 release has left fans feeling hyped.

Although this marks the second official remake of the Nintendo classic, following the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3DS, back in 2011, this project is something that fans have been taking upon themselves for the past two decades.

After all, as Nintendo-only titles, they are (officially) inaccessible anywhere else, but thanks to dedicated fans, Ocarina of Time has received multiple PC ports over the years. Now, on this occasion, one fan has made it their mission to bring Ocarina of Time to Unreal Engine 5, and the results are truly stunning.

Courtesy of CryZENx over on YouTube, Zelda fans can now see the beloved Nintendo classic in all of its modern-day glory thanks to this fan project.

Before the announcement of the official The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake, CryZENx was working on a fan-made remake, bringing the game to Unreal Engine 5, and sharing their progress as they went. However, upon hearing the news, the creator announced that it would be scrapping the project, and instead turning their attention to other Zelda titles that have yet to receive the remake treatment.

That being said, the progress videos and showcases are still available to watch, and over on r/ItsAllAboutGames, one fan shared their amazement over the project, saying, “Developer CryZENx has unveiled a fresh demo for his ambitious fan remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, now running on Unreal Engine 5.7.4.

“The new tech demo focuses on the “Inside Jabu-Jabu’s Belly” quest. Following the original plot, Link enters the massive fish-like deity to explore its organic interior, battle enemies, and eventually face off against the dungeon’s boss.

“What sets this remake apart from many similar “visual showcases” is the inclusion of fully functional gameplay mechanics, rather than just being a static environment. While the specific art direction may not be to everyone’s taste, the sheer scale of the work CryZENx has put in over the years remains incredibly impressive.”

As you can imagine, other Zelda fans who had been keeping up with this project soon took to the comments to share their own thoughts on the now-scrapped project.

“So sad, the top comment reads. “A man announcing his premature death by Nintendo.” Another comment, posted four months ago, reads, “Remember hearing about this a couple of years ago. Meant to check it out but never got around to it. Just saw a video on Facebook of the new update and made me shocked Nintendo didn’t shut it down yet with their rumored remake. Might be coming soon once they officially announce it.”

It is sad to see all of CryZENx’s work amount of nothing following Nintendo’s official announcement, but it just goes to show what is possible for the developer, and how many titles can receive the same treatment as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time thanks to their input.

Released

November 21, 1998

ESRB

E10+ for Everyone 10+: Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes

Developer(s)

Nintendo

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Engine

Zelda 64 Engine