This art style of this incredible Unreal Engine 5 Zelda remake is just perfect

It seems barely a day goes by without an Unreal Engine 5 remake of a scene from a classic game turning up on YouTube. Many take a similar approach, aiming to bring a game or a cutscene up to the standards of modern AAA game graphics by using Unreal Engine's capabilities for high-fidelity lighting and 3D realism.

I'm not knocking that at all. We've seen really impressive pieces takes that approach, but the quest for photorealism can make things all start to look a bit the same. So it's a nice surprise when someone takes an Unreal Engine remake in a different direction. This Zelda Ocarina of Time remake is a perfect example.

⭐[4K] Gerudo Fortress — Zelda Ocarina of Time Reimagined in Anime Style (Unreal Engine 5) - YouTube

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We've already seen impressive remakes of parts of Zelda Ocarina of Time in Unreal Engine 5 before. RwanLink takes a different approach for his remake of the Gerudo Fortress, which he says was achieved in just three months.

He takes the original idea of the fortress part and builds it out into a fully fledged town, expanding the game to enhance what was in the original, including even an actual Gerudo Pass. And he does so not with 3D realism but a charming animation style that perfectly suits the game.

The result feels unique and fresh but in keeping with the original art style, with a touch of cel shading style lighting. Some are getting Ghibli vibes from the running animations.

The process involved one month for research, modeling, rigging, environments, and props, the second month for character animation and starting the soundtrack with Mosik, the music composer, and the November to complete the sound design, editing, and final polish.

For more on Unreal Engine 5, see our guide to the best game development software and our comparison of Unreal Engine vs Unity. If you're getting started in the software, see our roundup of Unreal Engine 5 tutorials.