Oceanhorn is played in a top-down, isometric camera view, which feels great for a Zelda-like game-the action feels close, but without any of complications of controlling a behind-the-back 3D action/adventure that might drag down a touch-only game.
After all, unlike other big iOS showstoppers like Modern Combat, N.O.V.A or Shadowgun, the end product here feels like it was made ground-up for iOS. While that alone precludes the game from being anything revolutionary, it doesn’t mean Oceanhorn isn’t worth your time. It even consists of a series of islands that must be traversed between by boat. The graphics are bright and cartoony and the protagonist has spiky hair and a sword/shield combo. There is just plenty of Zelda to go around right now as is.Īs if you couldn’t tell from the screenshots and video that’s out there, Oceanhorn isn’t shy about its influences-most of its gameplay, setting and thematic elements are all borrowed straight out of the 2002 GameCube hit The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. Zelda is on everyone’s minds right now, making a Zelda clone feel pretty much unnecessary at this point. Not only was the Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds just released for the 3DS, but so was the HD remake of the Wind Waker on the Wii U-both to the joy of critics and fans alike. That being said, there’s no doubt that Oceanhorn has been released at a particularly unfortunate time. While the idea of Nintendo putting Mario or Zelda on your iPhone might never actually happen, Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas just might be the next best thing.
It’s resulted in tens of thousands of jailbroken iPhones, the purchasing of Android and even desperate cries for Nintendo to become a third party developer. The desire to play Nintendo games on your iPhone has been a fanboy fantasy for years now.