Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas Reviews
Oceanhorn never escapes its identity as a Zelda impersonator, and an exceptionally dull and uninspired one at that.
Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas has a few problems in it’s design choices and others stemming from its mobile roots. But the developers did do a fitting job paying homage to the classic adventure genre and giving that Legend of Zelda formula their own spin. Even with that though, it’s not fun. It got frustrating, not to mention it has that simple combat. If you’re a fan of the adventure genre and looking for something to play on your Switch, maybe look elsewhere. At $15 it seems a little much for what it is, especially when the iOS version is $8. If you’re willing to overlook the issues I had with this game though, you may have some fun and find the $15 perfectly suitable. It’s not for me though.
Oceanhorn is a game built from components so familiar that even Nintendo has tired of them. If the brief was to ‘Make a Zelda’ then Cornfox & Bros have only succeeded on a surface level. The studio evidently has talent – it’s a visual and aural treat – but due to the game’s mobile heritage, Oceanhorn on Switch feels compromised, vague, and ultimately forgettable.
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.
The years since its original release have not treated Oceanhorn well. As a mobile game, it's a decent experience, and with a play time of around 10 hours, probably one of the closest experiences you'll find to a console-like adventure game. On an actual console though, Oceanhorn is substandard and lacking in any real substance that would make it worth the time. While limited, the Switch already has numerous experiences that are a much better use of money in its library with more on the way each week. Try as it may, Oceanhorn is not quite the nostalgic Zelda clone it hopes to be, turning out as a tedious adventure walking in the shadow of its inspiration.
Oceanhorn probably worked better as a mobile game back when not much was expected of such games. But as a modern game on consoles there are so many better options.
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.
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.
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'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.
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.
All told, one can do far worse than Oceanhorn for a shot of Zelda nostalgia. The basics are all present and accounted for, and the game offers good presentation values for a ten-hour-or-so stroll down memory lane. It may not quite nail the sense of charm we’ve seen in similar world design or exploration, but it certainly never goes so far in the other direction as to outright disappoint.
On the whole, Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas is a decent, if not overly spectacular game. I get that they are clearly massive fans of the Zelda series and wanted to do their own game in the same vein, but I would have liked to have seen a little bit more originality and uniqueness in there. That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy my time with the game because there were moments where I didn’t want to put it down.
Oceanhorn good short adventure that may appeal mostly due to its wonderful visual effects and a charming soundtrack. The gameplay is not too diverse, but this mechanic a lot, but the combat system is boring after half an hour, and enemies becoming more and more. Boss battles are not interesting, most of them you can just scatter bombs, and magic. Death in the game means almost nothing, the player just toss to the checkpoints with all stored items. In the game there are too few original ideas and no challenge.
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While Oceanhorn welcomes many a Zelda comparison, the game sticks to its guns to provide a somewhat enjoyable, if flawed, adventure that may not be necessary, but still manages to be fun along the way.
Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas certainly isn't a bad game, but it gives the impression it wanted nothing more to be like Zelda, and because of that, that's all it really is. It feels like Zelda-lite, a sort of homage to the classics that follows the pattern well enough without infusing enough charm on its own to help it stand out.
What Oceanhorn offers is basically a discount Zelda. The game borrows most of its gameplay from Zelda, but one should be aware that they get what they pay for. It's not well-defined or polished like a Zelda game. Instead, you can think of it as a cheaper alternative if the Nintendo Switch's premium price tag has left you a little out-of-pocket for Breath of the Wild. Do I recommend? If you already like the genre, you can probably get a few good hours out of the game. If you're new to the genre, Oceanhorn won't do you any favours.
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.
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.