Across the Ocean: A Look At Oceanhorn for Nintendo Switch

One of the first games I thought of downloading onto my recently bought Nintendo Switch was Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas. I remember Adam Roffel telling me how good it was. I remember reading his review. And of course, I’m a big Zelda fan. Oceanhorn looked like a lot of fun. So I finally bought Oceanhorn for the Switch and I have been playing it a lot. Here are my thoughts on the game so far.

Oceanhorn for the Nintendo Switch is a really good game. I have been playing it a lot in handheld mode. I’m pretty addicted to it. Oceanhorn is far from the Zelda clone that some might assume it is.

If you think that Oceanhorn is just a Zelda clone, then you are wrong. Oceanhorn does share some things in common with Zelda but it has its own identity too.

Let’s start with Oceanhorn’s story. Instead of going off on an adventure to save a kingdom and a princess, the main character of Oceanhorn is on a journey to defeat a monster. Along the way, the character will discover things about his father and mother. Oceanhorn’s story is much more personal than any Zelda game I’ve played. But the differences between Oceanhorn and Zelda don’t stop there.

Oceanhorn has more rpg elements than a Zelda game. The main character of this game levels up and gets new perks when he does. There are also spells in this game and the gameplay slightly pauses when you select them and then place a cursor on whatever object you want to use the spell on.

Other differences between Oceanhorn and Zelda are the graphics of the two games, the overhead view being different than older Zelda games, and the enemies and allies being very unique to Oceanhorn.

Of course, there are some similaries between the two games. Oceanhorn is set around a bunch of islands and that will draw comparisions between this game and the Wind Waker. Both games also have hearts for health, bombs to throw, and a bow and arrow. And in each dungeon of Oceanhorn, you have to find a master key in order to unlock the boss door. Sound familar?

Oceanhorn doesn’t feel like a clone or ripoff of Zelda though. Instead, this game feels more like a homage to Zelda. Oceanhorn has its own identity, but doesn’t forget the past. Most important: the game looks and plays great on the Nintendo Switch.

Oceanhorn looks good on the TV screen, but I think it looks even better in handheld mode. The graphics really pop on the Switch’s screen and its easier to deal with the overhead view in portable mode. The joy-cons control Oceanhorn perfectly too. If I didn’t know better, I’d believe that Oceanhorn was orignally designed with the Switch in mind.

Adam Roffel once said that Oceanhorn should be on a Nintendo system. He was not wrong. Oceanhorn feels like a Nintendo created game. I hope the developer sees that as a compliment because that’s how I mean it. I could see Nintendo creating a Zelda game close to this. Oceanhorn belongs on the Switch without a doubt.

If you love Zelda or if you are just a fan of action/rpgs, you should download Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas!

Have you played Oceanhorn? What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments.