It is not uncommon nowadays to see indie devs create their own games inspired classics that they loved when growing up. One example was Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King, which is heavily inspired by The Legend of Zelda A Link To The Past, a game that feels like a true love letter. Ocean’s Heart falls into this category, as it seems the developers were making a game inspired by their love for The Minish Cap, as everything such as the music and sprite work feels pulled directly from that game.
Our protagonist, Tilia, is clearly inspired by Link and even has a modified version of his sprite with a look that calls to mind the most recent game, and yet this doesn’t feel like a knockoff. Yes, the story all seems like one we have seen before, but it is well written and plays well with the game’s greatest strength. Ocean’s Heart stands out by virtue of the world the game is set in, with vastly different areas that manage to give the game a unique feeling.
The story, which could have just landed as a generic experience, instead serves as a means to bring us to a variety of areas such as towns heavily inspired by Greek architecture, and unique fields that all seem alive. There are some traditional environments, yes, but even traditional dungeons feel different here, thanks to unique layouts. It also helps that each area feels important to explore and not just get through right away, which makes the experience feel more varied.
Ocean’s Heart plays like a traditional top-down Zelda-like, with Tilia exploring dungeons found through the overworld, but there is a nice twist here and that is the quests. NPCs can be encountered who will give you quests to complete and these range from finding items in the overworld to extremely in-depth missions that see you have to survive using your wits. These quests give rewards that include weapon upgrades, and money for use in shops to upgrade your equipment, and this is the main source of money in the game outside of some chests
Tilia is equipped with a sword and various items as she goes about her journey, and the experience here is a mixed bag. On the one hand, there is a small number of items to find for a Zelda-like, but on the other hand, some of the items feel very different from anything seen in this genre before. Some are weapons like fire spears, while others include Devana’s Barrier, which generates a shield that reflects all projectiles and makes you impervious to all damage for a second.
Ocean’s Heart was a PC game before coming to Switch and the transition was a smooth one. There are no frame rate dips, graphical errors, or glitches and it is overall smooth sailing. The only real issue is that there is some input delay that can cause hiccups in combat when things get hectic but is otherwise manageable.
Ocean’s Heart is another love letter to a classic Zelda title, and while it is a short game, it feels like it gives its money’s worth. It never outstays its welcome, and the gorgeous pixel art style and amazing audio all work to create something that sticks with you. While some parts feel generic, they work with the rest of the game to create something well-rounded, and that makes Ocean’s Heart a game that is easy to recommend.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
Images were taken from Nintendo.com