In the world of Unreal Engine 5-powered fan projects based on iconic video games, a lot of what we see is the kind of ill-advised hyper-realism that really misses the mark on capturing the magic in our memories. Sometimes though, it’s used to power projects that are genuinely incredible to behold and put a whole new spin on some of the most memorable games ever made.
Case in point, this gorgeous 18-minute long Studio Ghibli-esque video based on The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time and produced using UE5.
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The project comes from YouTuber “RwanLink” who’s produced some UE5 Zelda stuff in the past, admittedly typically in that more realistic fashion, but this latest effort uses heavily-stylised 3D visuals with a heap of techniques mirroring traditional animation, especially in the realm of works from the likes of Hayao Miyazaki. There’s a mix of cutscenes and “gameplay” in the video, with the low-framerate animations continuing into the realtime sections to an effect that reminds me quite a bit of Double Fine’s underrated gem, Stacking. The music is also a highlight, blending the sounds of both Zelda and Ghibli wonderfully.
You can watch the full thing below to see Link makes his way from Kokiri Forest into Hyrule Castle Town and meet some familiar faces along the way:
In the world of actual Zelda projects, Nintendo of course recently announced that it’s started up production on a live-action The Legend of Zelda film in conjunction with Sony Pictures Entertainment. The film will be a collaboration between Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad (Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse, Uncharted, Kraven the Hunter) and will be directed by Wes Ball. You can read more about that right here.
