An ocean of discovery
Of Oceanhorn , on these pages, we have talked to him on several occasions, and we have emphasized his merits and criticisms. On the other hand, it is no secret that it is a title not only inspired by a historical saga such as The Legend of Zelda , but pediculously resembles the most outlined contours and features, so it is easy to understand the motives of his congenital lack of character and personality.
Even to those who did not play very well in any chapter of Zelda, the similes will immediately appear to the point that it would not be at all disappointing to play the game as a kind of clone with reduced game mechanics at the very least. Yes, because Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seasit does not really matter to differentiate itself from its source of inspiration, nor does it offer anything worthy of note or show off features that can determine its uniqueness.
The story starts with a very simple premise and nothing original: the protagonist discovers that his father has disappeared and has to sail on a ship to sail the ocean, fight a terrible monster, find clues in the new islands that he will discover and come at the head of the turbulent story that involved him.
The progress of the plot is lazy and gives way to some too long, the most important dialogues and information are the exclusive prizes of the NPCs you will find along your way and, in sum, it is a childhood tale that does not have much to say and that will not overwhelm you. However, you might find some stimulus to go ahead and see how everything goes, because beyond all, Oceanhornit is not a bad game at all: it has only the guilty of lying too much on the laurels of others, offering the public the indispensable minimum without ever excel in anything.
In this regard, think about how the gaming system is structured, with an isometric view from which to handle the moves and the inability to jump, deny (and big limitation) that forces players to move with less freedom and completely different than usual. Beyond, besides some challenging and well-crafted (but not demanding) boss fighting, in Oceanhorn there is not much that can really bother the deceived players. In short, this is a title based on the concept of travel and discovery, with all this basic idea brings with it, adapting to a light context and a very childish spirit – also highlighted by the dialogues.
Where the wind blows strong
The peculiarities of Zelda and references to Wind Waker are quite obvious. It is understood from now on, even just by looking at the graphic with sweet and eye-catching lines, almost cartoonesque, that characterized that episode of the saga. And then it continues with several game elements that will make a smile to the lovers of Link adventures.
The jars to break, the clams of grass that leap off, the pincers to open, the fights with sword and shield, the aboard the ship to go from one point to another: they all seem to be memories that emerge from the past, but certainly not with the same imaginative power, because – we have already said – Oceanhornhides behind the skirt in a timid manner. As for the crossings, be aware that you will not have control of the boat but you will have to pass the passage passively from one point to the other (except when a miniscule minigame is involved).
The impression is that these moments are used to load new areas to be visited and that developers have found this escamotage to let you not only see a load screen (though, in all likelihood, the result is not that different).
