Oceanhorn: A beautiful tribute

Explore the islands of Uncharted Seas, a world filled with many dangers, puzzles and secrets. Fight monsters, learn to use magic and discover ancient treasures which will help you on your quest. Use all your wits and skill to unravel the mysteries of ancient kingdom Arcadia and sea monster Oceanhorn.


Publisher: FDG Entertainment 
Genre: Adventure 
Released: 14 Nov, 2013 
Size: 164.9 MB 
Price: $8.99

I know right off the bat people are not giving Oceanhorn a chance calling it a blatant Zelda ripoff. I agree they are very similar but I like to think of Oceanhorn as more of a Zelda tribute.Oceanhorn is based on a tale we find all to similar. A young boy with a shield, sword and dark past must fight to make things right again.

Oceanhorn is a stunningly beautiful Action-Adventure game. Though the story is not entirely unique the way the game is design and levels are setup we get a unique playing field we haven't scene often. Throughout the story you'll sail to different islands, each one different in its on way; with mazes and dungeons you'll encounter quite a few challenging puzzles along your journey.




The combat systems feels fluid, much better than any other iOS game I have encountered. You move with one virtual joystick, there is an attack button to swipe your sword or charge for a special attack, and one dedicated button for your shield, bombs, bow and other specialty items. They also have a leveling system (unlike Zelda) that upgrades your character. During my time playing I used my PS3 controller via the Cydia app Controllers For All and found that to be a really pleasant experience.

The Oceanhorn soundtrack is unbelievably good, it helps immerse you into this world that the developers worked so hard to create. Oceanhorn's music again closely follows that of the Zelda video games. It was composed by Kalle Ylitalo, with a few additional compositions by Kenji Ito and Nobuo Uematsu. These guys are legends you have heard there music in the Mana and Final Fantasy series. You can listen to the Oceanhorn soundtrack here.



All in all I found Oceanhorn to be by far my favorite game on iOS. From the beautiful scenery to the outstanding level design and the flawless touchscreen controls; this one is a must have for any Zelda fan that wants to explore a similar world with wonderful creatures and numerous challenges.

★★★★★