Zelda: Ocarina of Time Is Getting Some Serious Competition on Switch 2 Next Week

On Nov. 5, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake launches on Nintendo Switch 2. It marks the return of the most beloved video-game adventures of all time, now with improved visuals and performance. It’s virtually guaranteed to provide an experience people will remember for years to come. But it won’t be the only new arrival for Nintendo’s latest console, not by a long shot.

Back in April 2024, Sony published an action-adventure title called Stellar Blade. Developed by Korean studio Shift Up, it takes place in a grim imagined future where humanity is on the edge of extinction. Powerful beasts roam the earth, and the few humans who’ve managed to survive now occupy a colony adrift among the stars. Some of them dream of a day when they can return to the planet they left. They send their champion, Eve, who just might have what it takes to carve a path to some uncomfortable truths.

Stellar Blade: Complete Edition will bring that adventure to Switch 2 on Nov. 5. So what if it happens to be exactly the same day as Ocarina of Time? Not all of us are ready to be the Hero of Time again. Some of us yearn for new conquests.

Stellar Blade earned multiple awards at the Korean Game Awards in 2024. Critics and players around the world appreciated the game’s fast-paced combat and compelling level design, which often culminated in fierce duels with powerful bosses. And for people who like to see polygons spent on leather and lace, Eve wore a variety of daring outfits. Marketing teams may have leaned heavily into Eve’s appearance, but the game built a following in the years since its launch because there’s depth to go with the sizzle.

“You’ve got a beautiful balletic blade-wielding badass of a cyborg-androidy persuasion who descends from space to rid a post-apocalyptic wasteland of rampaging nasties so that all the nice humans can be safe,” wrote Caelyn Ellis in Polygon’s Stellar Blade review, while comparing the game to Nier: Automata. “Oh, and she’s accompanied by a hauntingly lovely soundtrack full of soft, ethereal vocals.”

Ahead of its launch, we reckoned that Stellar Blade was “mostly a darn good time.” And now it’s a darn good time that players will be able to experience on the Switch 2. Releasing it on the same day as Ocarina of Time gives players looking for a more mature, action-oriented experience a clear alternative. Many players will probably choose to wander the mean streets of Hyrule when Nov. 5 rolls around. For some of us, though, Stellar Blade is on its way.