Summary
- A fan group has recreated The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's Link using Unreal Engine 5, giving a modern graphics makeover to the N64 classic.
- Ocarina of Time continues to have a significant influence on the Zelda series, even 25 years after its release, with its setting, characters, and narrative themes.
- The Unreal Engine 5-powered demo trailer impressively captures the iconic design of Link, staying true to the original character while adding modern detail.
A team of talented fans have recreated The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s Link using Unreal Engine 5, offering a glimpse of what the N64 classic would look like with modern graphics. Released to near-universal acclaim back in 1998, Ocarina of Time is hailed by many as one of the greatest entries in the Legend of Zelda series, if not one of the best video games of all time. It was the first 3D Zelda game, wowing players with a fully realized realm of Hyrule that Link traversed on an epic quest to defeat the evil Ganondorf.
Ocarina of Time would serve as the blueprint for future console Zelda entries like The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, and has been re-released on systems like the Nintendo GameCube and Nintendo 3DS over the years. Even 25 years after its launch, Ocarina of Time continues to influence modern Zelda games in terms of setting, characters, and narrative theme, and its teenage version of main protagonist Link is one of the most well-recognized in the series. Said version of Link would represent the Zelda series in spin-offs like Super Smash Bros, and later incarnations would pay tribute to his Ocarina of Time appearance in various ways.
Ocarina of Time Unreal Engine 5 Fan Remake Footage Released
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a blast from the past for many older gamers, and one person is currently in the midst of remaking it.
A fan group named Curiomatic recently posted an impressive Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time demo trailer on its official YouTube channel, as reported by Nintendo Life. This Unreal Engine 5-powered trailer shows off an updated version of Link standing in the middle of the Temple of Time, clad in his iconic green tunic and carrying the famed Master Sword and Hylian Shield that has served him well across several Zelda games. The creators of this demo go on to explain how they studied Yusuke Nakano’s original concept art to painstakingly recreate the Hero of Time's design.
Curiomatic and project leader Prism also drew inspiration from other, more recent video games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Kingdom Hearts 3 while designing elements like Link’s hair, which continues to be one of the most challenging aspects of this Ocarina of Time project. The team had to strike a balance between putting greater detailing on Link’s clothing and staying true to the original character design. The updated model also includes Link’s brown, leather sword harness from Nakano’s concept art, which he added to the character after the original N64 model was finished.
Curiomatic’s Unreal Engine 5 version of Ocarina of Time’s Link is admittedly a work in progress, but it does a stunning job of capturing the hero’s iconic 90s design and Yusuke Nakano’s original concept art with a modern level of detail. Fans have previously used Unreal Engine 5 to recreate the lush green scenery of Ocarina of Time’s Hyrule Field and add realistic water effects to the N64 classic, which is still viewed by gamers around the world as one of the greatest and most influential Legend of Zelda entries of all time.
- 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
- Franchise
- The Legend of Zelda
WHERE TO PLAY
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TIme marks the first time that The Legend of Zelda made the jump to 3D, giving players the ability to explore Hyrule in an entirely new way.
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 64, GameCube
