Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas Reviews
Justin Clark spent five hours cruising the sea for the dread monster Oceanhorn. He's made a sworn vow that, given enough money, he would pay to have Nobuo Uematsu score his life for a week. It's good to have goals. GameSpot was provided with a complimentary download code for the purpose of this review.
While it has been around for quite awhile, Oceanhorn on PS Vita feels like the best way to play the game.
Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas is an ambitious title that does some things rather well, finding a way to endear itself to players. It has a few problems, some from design choices and others from its mobile legacy that should have been adjusted for console, but what it doesn't lack is heart. The desire of the developers to pay homage to classic adventure series, but in their own way, shines through. It's a flawed title, but if you're willing to overlook those issues you may find it to be an enjoyable experience on the Switch eShop.
If you're a hardcore Zelda fan you may find enjoyment in Oceanhorn; the game's not bad, just very bland. It also might appeal to younger audiences who may have never played a Zelda game before. This game is a good stepping stone into that genre. Ultimately I wish Oceanhorn created more of an identity for itself but it ends up just playing it safe.
There's nothing wrong with taking influences from classic franchises, but the very least one could do is make it transformative enough to warrant its own game. Oceanhorn: Monsters of Uncharted Seas is both mechanically too similar and at the same time somehow inferior to the The Legend of Zelda franchise. It has a lovely score, but there are far more original interpretations of the genre out there.
If you've got a hankering for a game with a stamina meter, sword swinging, and pot smashing, there is at least one other better title on the Nintendo Switch that I can think of, but Oceanhorn is an alright little throwback to retro Zelda titles that could help you bide your time between Nintendo's slow trickle of AAA games this year. Now, when do I get to play the sequel?
Oceanhorn's gameplay isn't as polished as the SNES title it attempts to emulate, and the level design never evokes the brilliant dungeons that the developer was inspired by. Every aspect of the game feels like a poor imitation even down to the Wind Waker art style that falls apart when seen up-close. There may have been some novelty of playing "Zelda" on an iPhone, but all of that is lost once Monster of Uncharted Seas made its way to consoles.
Fans waiting on that next great adventure would do wise to check out this under-the-radar gem. It may borrow a lot of its aesthetic and mechanics from a certain pointy-eared hero, but it has a charm all its own. I can't recommend it enough to fans of the adventure genre. The small price is more than worth the hefty adventure that lies ahead.
Anyone who has any experience with the older Zelda games will immediately feel at home in this new 3D world.
As a homage to the likes of A Link to the Past and The Wind Waker, Oceanhorn is a brief comfortable experience that can now be enjoyed on the big screen.
Oceanhorn is an excellent mobile game that loses some of its magic in the transition to consoles. The inspiration from the Zelda series is welcome for fans of the franchise but also exposes some of its shortcomings when compared to the beloved title. If you're pining for a Zelda-style adventure on PS4 or Xbox One with an affordable price, however, this homage to old-school action adventuring is still worth hopping onto.
Oceanhorn – Monster of Uncharted Seas is a short, sweet tale, which you'll enjoy mostly for its delightful visuals and enchanting soundtrack. The overt homages to The Legend of Zelda can sometimes feel more like blatant imitation than respectful tribute, and we wish there was a little more punchiness to the combat, but developers Cornfox Bros demonstrate competent game design here, and Oceanhorn subsequently represents one of the better mobile to console ports out there right now.
Oceanhorn is an interesting game that some people will enjoy and some people will hate. The inspiration drawn from Zelda oozes all throughout the game, and that can be a bit off-putting for some. For myself however, I think Zelda-clones should end up becoming a new thing. Considering the amount of years we have to wait between Zelda entries, why not embrace games that capture the spirit of a classic franchise? Oceanhorn isn't original, it isn't perfect, and it isn't necessarily memorable, but not every game can be. It's a simple, fun Zelda-clone that will bring fans of the franchise great enjoyment in between sessions of Breath of the Wild.
No adventure game is perfect and Oceanhorn: Monster of the Uncharted Seas focuses on what it does best: a fluid, accessible and eye-catching adventure, despite its sometimes frustrating character moves and a certain feeling of repetitiveness regarding the enemies and bosses. A game that doesn't ignore its inspirations and doesn't try to leapfrog them.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Oceanhorn is an optical and playful high-quality Zelda clone with a lot of charm, that is definitely worth a sailing trip.
Review in German | Read full review
It's obvious from the get go that Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas feels no shame about borrowing heavily from classics like The Wind Waker and A Link to the Past. However, despite being very clone-like in nature and lacking in originality, this game still manages to be quite good. Sure, it doesn't live up to Link's name, but it's polished, interesting and enjoyable enough to be worth a gander.
Oceanhorn is unashamedly a Legend of Zelda clone, but feels more like an homage than a copycat. There are few original ideas, but old-school adventure game fans should love Oceanhorn's bite-sized interpretation of Zelda's classic formula.
Oceanhorn is one of few action adventure games on PS Vita – and definitely one of the best. Must-play for fans on the genre.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Oceanhorn is a passable-at-best adventure that just made me want to go back and play the games it took everything from, because they did it better.
Oceanhorn is a game that works well on Switch, mainly because of its similarities to Zelda, but is really gameplay limited and lasts only 10 hours.
Review in Italian | Read full review