Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas

A silent young hero fast asleep, his father leaving in the middle of the night. Crawling through dungeons with sword and shield in hand, a host of tools and magic at your disposal as you overthrow monstrous bosses in themed dungeons, gathering the necessary gems that will grant you the most powerful sword imaginable to defeat the impending evil. It’s hard not to reminisce about the classic days of The Legend of Zelda, but we are in fact talking about Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas, a stunning love letter to the genre-defining Nintendo series and quite possibly the beginning of a franchis...

If the name Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas sounds familiar, chances are you might have heard of this Zelda-like back in 2013. Originally an iOS exclusive, this mobile experience had made the transition onto PC in 2015 and now graces the likes of Xbox One and Playstation 4. In a world where players are still awaiting the release of a new console Zelda since Skyward Sword, how does Oceanhorn hold up after three years?

Many indie developers wear their influences on their sleeves. Although Oceanhorn looks like a Zelda game, it actually carves its own path but was it a path worth carving?

Oceanhorn is good enough to suggest that Cornfox & Bros is a developer to watch, and one with an acute eye. A little more spit and polish on the mechanics, and the confidence to build a game around original ideas rather than sitting in the shadows of giants, and it could create a classic of its own. For now, this is a fine calling card.

When your dad sets off in the middle the night to fight the mega Oceanhorn and fails, it's up to you to avenge him and save the Uncharted Islands. With your sword, shield, spells, and a handful of other offensive attacks, take out all the minions and island bosses that stand in your way while you quest to collect the 3 emblems that will help defeat said Oceanhorn. Everything you need to know about the game can be found right here!

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.

The original Oceanhorn aimed to send players back to a time when a boy in a green tunic sailed the high seas in search of adventure. But does the game truly have what it takes to be the missing link to a bygone era?

A wink to the past.

I don’t mean to sound like I hated Oceanhorn, because I didn’t. It’s a completely fine and competent game that may satisfying someone who is less discerning or has some time to kill with it. However, if you’re a fan of Zelda or action RPGs in general, you can do much better than Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas.

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Debuting originally in 2013 on iOS, Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas has been ported to every platform possible, now making its way over to the Nintendo Switch. With its style and mechanics drawing heavy comparisons to The Legend of Zelda, the action adventure game features a young boy protagonist on a quest to find his father by sailing around the ocean, solving puzzles and exploring dungeons with a sword, shield and bow. With the game now a few years old, it’s starting to feel a littl...

Overall the game is a decent action-adventure, closely mimicking one of gaming’s most iconic franchises. It may have everything on what makes it a Zelda game but it didnt quite get what makes a Zelda game great, but to its own Oceanhorn is a very good game. Despite its many bugs and horrible final act, it has what it takes to be a classic and ongoing franchise. Oceanhorn lets you dive-in in its waters and it makes want to do it all over again. This is as close as we can get for an amazing Zelda-like experience on PC.