Players can now tackle The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time with friends after a fan and developer added co-op multiplayer to an already extensive mod. The Unreal Engine fan remake of Ocarina of Time created by CryZENx was completed this past December after years of work, and brings a lot of what made the original title a classic into high-end, modern graphical splendor along with a few new features.
While the Legend of Zelda franchise is mostly known for sprawling single-player adventures, Nintendo has officially dabbled with multiplayer on a few occasions for its renowned fantasy series. Perhaps the most recognizable of these attempts is The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, which was originally released along with A Link to the Past for the Game Boy Advance. It is one of the few times players each got to play as Link simultaneously, as most other forms of co-op throughout the Zelda series appear as limited gameplay mechanics. Now, however, arguably the most well-received Zelda title of all time has a means for players to engage in co-op invoking similar ideas to Four Swords.
A new video from CryZENx showcases more than twenty full minutes of co-op multiplayer gameplay in their Unreal Engine Zelda: Ocarina of Time mod. It covers some of the introductory Kokiri Forest area up to the first main boss of the Deku Tree dungeon. Link is also not the only playable option, as it appears different Zelda character skins are also available. From the video, it seems that only one player controls what is equipped at any given time through the pause menu, though this doesn't detract from what's an impressive addition to an already impressive fan-made upscale. Those interested can support CryZENx on Patreon for access to updates and the mod itself.
The desire for multiplayer co-op in Zelda appears to growing, and not just for older games in the series. At the end of last year, a substantial multiplayer bounty was created by a Breath of the Wild player and content creator who wanted the feature implemented into Nintendo's open-world installment. The financial incentive actually worked, and prompted fan development of such a mod beginning at the start of 2022.
While it is still not at all a focus for the franchise, Nintendo may want to consider dabbling again with a multiplayer component in future Zelda titles. The desire is clearly there with fans taking it upon themselves to add the gameplay mechanic to some of their favorite installments. If The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time multiplayer mod proves successful, then that might be enough of a signal for Nintendo to at least provide an element of multiplayer co-op for titles going forward.
Source: CryZENx/YouTube, CryZENx/Patreon