Ocean's Heart Reviews

Ocean's Heart is ranked in the 63rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
TheSixthAxis
Steve C
Top Critic
8 / 10
Jan 21, 2021

In the great pantheon of top-down 2D Zelda-alikes, Ocean's Heart is right up there with the lovely Blossom Tales. The world is well designed, the items and abilities are perfectly judged and it is aware enough of its influences to feel like a loving tribute rather than a cynical clone. Combine this with some nicely written dialogue and you have a winning formula. A great remedy for the January blues and a nostalgic trip back in time.

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8 / 10.0
Feb 10, 2022

Ocean's Heart is an excellent tribute to the Zelda era on SNES, but it also knows how to shine with its own light both in the pleasure of exploration and in the narrative tone.

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7 / 10
Feb 19, 2022

From start to finish, Ocean's Heart is an enjoyable, albeit short, adventure following the familiar 2D Zelda formula. Having a brand new world to explore, filled with various side quests, should be enough to get any fan of that classic top-down template excited. While the writing and dialogue feels subpar at times, the familiar, yet still-solid gameplay makes up for it. Ocean's Heart is undeniably a 2D Zelda game in all but name, but Tilia's adventure shows that a game doesn't always need to be groundbreaking to be a good time.

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7 / 10.0
Jan 21, 2021

When it isn't going through the motions with its main story, Ocean's Heart is an imaginative retro adventure worth your time.

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8.5 / 10.0
Jan 21, 2021

There are moments when the difficulty spikes a little too harshly but that's compensated by the simple continue system. The map can be unhelpful and the borders between spaces a little hard to always detect. But Max Mraz knows how to make the player feel welcomed inside the world he builds and I cannot wait to see what he can deliver next, after Yarntown and Ocean's Heart.

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7 / 10 stars
Jan 21, 2021

Ocean's Heart is a charming, albeit uninspired, Zelda-like 2D adventure that wears its influences a bit too heavily.

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8.5 / 10.0
Feb 14, 2022

Still, Ocean's Heart is a tremendous experience even with some rough edges. It's evocative of the likes of Minish Cap in all the best ways and succeeds at being more organic and open than a lot of similar games. I'd love to see this game's foundation build and grow because the promise is immense, but even if this is the peak of Ocean's Heart's developer Max Mraz, it's still an enjoyable game.

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7 / 10.0
Jan 21, 2021
Ocean's Heart Review (PC) video thumbnail
8 / 10
Jan 21, 2021

Ocean’s Heart is a love letter to its genre, and I feel like it’s one that does it justice. I really enjoyed this game and all it had to offer. The main story, as well as the side-quests, keep you interested and immersed in the world you’re exploring, the visuals are full of color and charm, and the gameplay, while basic, is elevated by constant puzzle-solving and exploration, making it harder to get bored. If you have it in you to ignore the clunky controls (which I did) then you will find a lot to enjoy about this game.

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7 / 10.0
Jan 21, 2021

Overall, despite not being a massive fan of its combat, Ocean’s Heart turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise. It can be as much of a soothing adventure as it can be challenging, as the peaceful exploration heavily contrasts with some of the boss encounters. It took me about 14 hours to complete the game, but I still have a couple of side-quests to finish. All in all, the game doesn’t overstay its welcome. It manages to stay and feel relatively fresh, by continuously introducing a few small mechanics throughout your adventure. In the end, this is an easy recommendation from me, especially if you’re a fan of games like Blossom Tales. I wouldn’t say that this is a MUST PLAY, as the game isn’t groundbreaking in any way, but it certainly can be fun, and that’s what matters in the end.

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80 / 100
Jan 21, 2021

Ocean’s Heart is a well-crafted love letter to the 2D Legend of Zelda games on the NES and SNES featuring a charming setting, a short-but-sweet play length, and fun gameplay. I do wish the bosses were actually challenging and mentally stimulating, but the overall journey is more eventful than the destination.

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3.5 / 5.0
Jan 25, 2021

Jumping in to the game to sail the seas searching for the next upgrade and for clues to what happened to Tilia’s family is an interconnected and wholesome endeavor, leaving the player plenty to enjoy and experience.

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Liked-a-lot
Feb 10, 2022

Ocean’s Heart is a colourful, quirky action-adventure game with some charm. It is pretty easy to play, but it can lead to a few frustrating moments as the controls aren’t always precise. It’s more a love letter to the top-down RPG adventure than a clone. If classic action-adventure games are your thing, give Ocean’s Heart a try.

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Evan Norris
Top Critic
6.5 / 10.0
Feb 11, 2022

The game's not perfect — its dungeons and combat are relatively mild and its main campaign is eclipsed by more engaging optional content — but it successfully channels the adventurous spirit of Nintendo's fan-favorite Zelda franchise, particularly in its overworld.

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7 / 10.0
Feb 12, 2022

Ocean’s Heart is a charming adventure, even if none of its ideas are new. I would have liked a bit more polish and consistency in the mechanics, but Ocean’s Heart’s sense of discovery and whimsical fun was enough that I enjoyed my playthrough.

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3.5 / 5.0
Feb 15, 2022

Is Ocean’s Heart worth playing? Absolutely. The low difficulty and complexity make it feel like Zelda for beginners, but that’s not necessarily a fault either. It might not reinvent the wheel, but Ocean’s Heart has just enough heart to make it worth it.

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Feb 10, 2022

Ocean's Heart is a charmingly sassy action adventure RPG. There are pirates, mysterious ruins, exploration, and monsters along the way. It embraces the Zelda style for an engaging yet casual experience.

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9 / 10.0
Feb 23, 2022

Overall, I had an absolutely wonderful time with Ocean’s Heart and loved it the whole way through. With that old-school Legend of Zelda vibe in both gameplay and art style, add in some unique twists and takes, and couple it with an immersive world, and you really have a recipe for success. While there were a few technical problems and design choices that I didn’t agree with, most of the time it wasn’t a big enough issue to truly worry about for the most part. With tons of bonus quests, caves to explore, and a secret boss, Ocean’s Heart is sure to keep you well entertained!

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6 / 10.0
Feb 20, 2022

Ocean's Heart is an entertaining and accessible Indie game, the only question is whether it is a useful marketing choice to make a comparison with the Zelda franchise. These games are not the least to be compared with, making it almost inevitable to come out as lesser. Nevertheless, you can spend quite a few hours in this game, and it is certainly a very suitable game in terms of price for the novice gamer who wants to get acquainted with the RPG puzzle-adventure genre.

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Recommended
Feb 10, 2022

As an action role-playing game that feels familiar even as it makes its own choices, Ocean’s Heart wears its influences proudly.

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