Oceanhorn – Monster of Uncharted Seas was a nice Legend of Zelda inspired game that took influence from titles like Wind Waker and the overheard games, while trying to add its own ideas. It was a good, if not perfect, game and definitely showed promise. Now Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm has released on the Nintendo Switch, and I have been blown away by what I have experienced. The developers clearly took a look at every aspect of the first game and decided to fix what did not work, remove what was useless, and improve what did work. The result is the best Legend of Zelda inspired game in decades, and a worthy successor to the overall Legend of Zelda franchise.
Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm is a prequel set 1000 years before the first game, and switches the perspective to be a full 3D camera instead of the overhead view of the previous game. Now the game feels like it takes more influence from titles like Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess, while taking visual cues from Breath of the Wild and concepts from Wind Waker still. I realize I keep comparing the game to the Legend of Zelda series, but that is the idea the developers were going towards, so I feel it is fair. One other Legend of Zelda game Oceanhorn 2 is inspired by, is Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. The game has nice RPG mechanics, and feels like a modern take on what that game was trying. This is not to say Oceanhorn 2 is just derivative though, as the game manages to put its own spin on everything.
The game has a nice mix of fantasy and science fiction Oceanpunk themes, with robots and guns being frequent in this game as well. You will use the Caster Gun and ammunition over the game, along with your sword and shield, while also encountering a world that feels fully realized. There is a nice story hear and the main quest should run you at least 20 hours of gameplay, before you get into any of the side quests the game has to offer. You play as a knight on a journey to defeat an evil warlock and unite various groups against the forces of the dark army, which while sounding generic, actually has a lot of depth and manages to have several twists and turns along the way
One nice thing that sets Oceanhorn 2 apart from its inspirations is how there are two other characters alongside you in this game that fight alongside you and can be directed via contextual commands. These commands can be done to get them to help you in fights, or help you out with the various puzzles in the game. The RPG mechanics I mentioned before are handled well here, and give a real sense of deep rooted gameplay that shows how ambitious the developers actually were here.
Visually, the game is stunning, and looks far better than the original Oceanhorn. This feels like a a generational leap when you compare the games, due to how stark the contrast actually is. The world is so beautifully realized, and the game’s mechanics are perfectly handled to allow you to explore things within reason. There is a stamina meter, but its handled in its own way, and does not get frustrating at all. The only real issue I had, was that the music was not really to my liking. I do not know why, but something about it felt somewhat off. Everything else though, felt perfect.
If you want an epic action RPG that will give you your fix of Zelda style gameplay while waiting for the Breath of the Wild sequel, and Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity is not what you want, then look no further than Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm. This is perfect for any Legend of Zelda fan or gaming fan in general.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided