Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas – Review

For those gamers looking for a Legend of Zelda style adventure game, the only option has always been to purchase a Nintendo Home Console or Handheld. As a 3DS owner and one of the embarrassingly few Wii U owners, getting my Zelda fix has never been an issue. But for those who don’t want to invest in Nintendo’s latest attempt to revolutionise the gaming market, pickings are undeniably slim. That is, until now.

Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas is a Zelda style adventure game available on non-Nintendo platforms. Despite having a Wii U sitting comfortably below my TV, it felt great to finally be able to experience the cartoony charm of a Zelda game on my Xbox One.

To say Oceanhorn is a Legend of Zelda Clone is an understatement. It looks, feels and, I imagine if you get close enough, smells like a Zelda game. You control a mute hero as he travels between islands, Wind Waker style, gathering the necessary mystical items to prevent the return of a terrible evil.

Missions have you exploring themed dungeons, unlocking new equipment and abilities and vanquishing your foes along the way. While the presentation never reaches the standards of Nintendo’s series, at its core the gameplay rhythms are the same. Enter a dungeon, find an item, use said item to manoeuvre the remainder of the dungeon before finally defeating a boss.

In almost every aspect, Oceanhorn is a Zelda game minus some of the polish. Puzzles are overly simplistic, enemies offer very little threat and, while the world is visually appealing at times due to its bright colours and cartoon stylings, the level design is good but certainly not on par with the games it is influenced by.

While Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, offered an open exploration of the seas, travelling between islands in Oceanhorn is nothing more than a brief, on-rails shooting a segment that was probably only present as something to capture the attention of fans as they make the obvious comparisons.

To say Oceanhorn is a lesser version of a Legend of Zelda game is not to say it is a bad game, though. Island exploration is fun with branching paths that often require you to backtrack to other islands to gather the necessary equipment to advance and the familiar gameplay is still undeniably fun. Dungeons are often varied with rooms that offer different challenges; some might have you solving a puzzle to unlock a door, while others might have you fighting a number of enemies to unlock a chest containing a new item.

While most Zelda games, even preowned, will see you spending around £40, Oceanhorn is available for download for £11.99. While you are faced with an underwhelming story, lower production values and a somewhat more simplistic experience, Oceanhorn’s affordable price point makes it an easy recommendation for those looking to get their Zelda fix.