Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas Reviews
Oceanhorn is a competent, budget, bite-sized Zelda-like experience that is not without its flaws, both in terms of glitches and in terms of sheer game design.
OK, I know what you are thinking…didn’t they already review this game? And the answer is yes, but not on the Nintendo Switch. We wanted to take some time and test out this title again on Nintendo’s hardware. Kyle reviewed this one originally, and now it’s time to get my take on it. I did not read Kyle’s review again before reviewing this myself, so lets see how close we both felt on Oceanhorn.
Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas is solid, though, especially for anyone longing for a throwback 2D adventure game. The story isn't terribly long, but there's plenty to collect along the way, and the included DLC island adds just enough to push Oceanhorn to a very satisfying content level. Just remember that this is not Zelda and you'll have a good time.
At the end of the day Oceanhorn stands a bit in the shadow of the classic Zelda games that inspired it but at the same time has more to offer than its age and lineage would imply. This isn't a AAA game, but it appropriately also lacks the AAA price tag, so as long as you scale your expectations fresh off of playing the likes of Breath of the Wild it shouldn't be quite so jarring. If you're in search of a game that will satisfy you for a weekend or two, depending on how much attention you're setting aside for its 10+ hours, it is an enjoyable experience if the pace and level of challenge are a good fit. I have high hopes for the upcoming sequel, to see what the team has learned and what they can produce when they're targeting the console market as the base this time around.
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.
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
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
While it has been around for quite awhile, Oceanhorn on PS Vita feels like the best way to play the game.
Oceanhorn is Zelda-like experience for every one of us who has never played one. For Zelda fans, it's just a familiar, if simplified, experience. For every one though it's a nice looking and somewhat challenging title to fully complete. It encompasses many of the open world RPG elements in small levels based on tiles. I'd recommend to play it, but maybe first try it on mobile.
Review in Polish | Read full review
I really liked my time with the game for my Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas review. It's a colorful and fun adventure that is the perfect length – it certainly knows it shouldn't overstay its welcome. It's a great option for all PlayStation 4 owners who crave a good adventure at home, and trophy hunters will have a lot of fun with it. I highly recommend that you play this one today!
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.
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.
Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas is nothing more or less than solid. With a sequel coming up soon, we hope the game is better suited for those playing on a console than this one was. We just can’t recommend this for the full $15.
Oceanhorn is short, easy, lacking in much extra to do after completing the main adventure, and has just one too many faults that hold it back from reaching the heights of the series that has inspired it so heavily. Despite that, it is worth checking out for any Legend of Zelda fan, and could at least function as a stop-gap that might just help pass the time whilst waiting for the next top-down entry starring Link.
Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas is a quick experience into an alternate dimension Legend of Zelda title. While some are going to find the trip a remarkable one, others are simply going to see Oceanhorn as nothing more than a game imitating a much better game. I did enjoy the time spent on the journey, but it just didn't offer enough for me to really want to dig deeper into it. I am excited for the future of the series though, as Cornfox & Bros. can really do something amazing with the sequel.
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 - Monster of Uncharted Seas is a title that has come a very long way. Originally releasing as an App on Apple's iOS, it has since seen releases on the PC, the Mac OS, and most recently both Sony's PS4 and Microsoft's XB1. Using both a game play and visual style that pays homage to a few of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda games, you are tasked with searching the seas for a way to defeat the mechanical sea monster known as Oceanhorn.
It's clear that the creators wanted to try their hand at creating something wonderful, but because of borrowed stories and a lack of character development, their final result is lackluster.
Oceanhorn is an interesting game for sure.
Anyone who has any experience with the older Zelda games will immediately feel at home in this new 3D world.