Product Info

Platform

Switch, iOS

Publisher

Cornfox & Bros.

Developer

Cornfox & Bros.

Series

Oceanhorn

Genre

Action, Adventure, RPG

Players

1

File Size (Minimum)

2.6 GB

Release Date (NA)

Oct 28, 2020

Purchase From

eShop

iOS

Cornfox & Brothers is an independent Finnish studio that has been making games for ten years. Their Oceanhorn franchise is known for its action-adventure gameplay with Zelda-esque, open-world landscapes full of puzzles and tactical battles. It’s a tribute to the games that they grew up playing, with an original spin. The latest entry, Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm, was originally released for Apple Arcade, but it has been re-envisioned for the Nintendo Switch. As a prequel to Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas, it follows a young knight who goes on a journey to defeat the Warlock Mesmeroth’s Dark Army.

Lore

The young knight’s quest takes him across the expansive and magical world of Gaia. He is joined by his mentor and caretaker, Master Mayfair, and two companions, Trin and Gen. Trin is a ship pilot and granddaughter of nobility who wields a weapon known as a Daggerang, and Gen is a samurai-sword-wielding robot. They are faced with the task of uniting the kingdoms of Gaia in order to defend the land against Mesmeroth.

Ocean of Adventures

The game is an adventure-style RPG with a linear main quest line, a multitude of side quests, and plenty of exploration. There is no denying the similarities to the Legend of Zelda franchise. Aside from certain tools such as bombs and the grappling hook making an appearance, the main character’s design pegs him as Link’s friend’s cousin. His health is even shown as a number of hearts, which can be increased by collecting heart pieces. There is also a stamina meter that allows for a limited amount of sprinting (and in a break from Zelda, attacking). Fortunately, Oceanhorn 2 has some unique aspects as well, such as the use of gun-like weapons and having companions to help in battle.

The rich and expansive world you explore is full of puzzles to solve, secrets to find, lore to learn, enemies to battle, and interesting NPCs to meet. You will also come across vast, lively sceneries, from a simple beach and dock near a small village to a dark, marshy area and a large, stone city. The game saves automatically and frequently, so players are encouraged to keep going.

Arsenal of Tools

Initially, you start out with only a sword, a gun, and a healing spell. As you progress, you will start to unlock other useful items, such as bombs and a shield to block attacks. While bombs are uniquely useful in certain battles, generally your sword and shield will be your bread and butter for most of the game. As for the gun, it’s a bit underpowered compared to other means of attacking and only has a limited amount of ammo, so you’ll be back to swinging that sword pretty quickly. A grappling hook can also be obtained later in the game. Although it does not deal direct damage, it can be useful in pulling the character toward an enemy and then quickly performing a sword attack.

The spells in this game derive from a special gun that shoots elemental magic, such as fire, ice, and lightning. While this adds an extra dimension when battling enemies, the spells are also useful in solving puzzles. For example, the fire spell creates a burn area at the targeted location which damages foes over time and causes nearby wooden objects to burn. Each of the spells has a limited number of shots that can be fired before needing to be replenished. Similar to Zelda, this can be done by destroying boxes and barrels and by slashing bushes. Depending upon the spell type found, though, it can sometimes take two or three of those drops to perform a spell once, whereas certain drops grant a full spell replenishment. As a result, you may find yourself using spells more judiciously in battle due to the time it takes to replenish your supplies.

If you’re worried about managing all of these tools and spells in the heat of battle, don’t be. Each of them can quickly be selected through the use of a radial menu. You’ll be swinging, grappling, and blasting like a hero in no time.

Powering Up

At first, weapons and spells feel on par with their effectiveness. However, upon facing strong enemies, it becomes quite evident that your weapons and spells need a boost. The answer is power shards, and they can be found in out-of-the-way treasure chests, as well as through other means. There are a myriad of different power shards that can be combined, up to a max of two shards per weapon or spell, to improve or modify their impact, such as overall damage dealt, the duration of the effect, and recovery times. These shards can be removed and combined in different ways to suit your playstyle.

The Coin and XP Grinds

One constant, however, is money. As soon as the game starts, it becomes evident how much of a grind gathering coins will be. Generally, coins are collected one at a time. Fortunately, they can be obtained in a myriad of ways, such as by breaking open a barrel, defeating an enemy, or opening a treasure chest. You can spend your hard-earned loot at shops and vending machines. Most of the vending machines let you restock ammo, hearts, and spells, but there are also a limited number of non-replenishing items, such as power shards, available for purchase as well. Such items are valuable, especially early on.

As you progress through the game, your character acquires XP by defeating enemies and by completing challenges. Like any RPG, when you acquire enough XP, you level up. In this game, however, each level only grants a new title to the hero with perks such as an increased spell-, ammo-, or coin-carrying capacity. Although it’s not necessary to have a larger supply, it sure is a nice incentive to defeat those extra enemies along the way.

Plethora of Puzzles

In addition to killing foes and uncovering secrets, there are a number of puzzles that will need to be solved if you are to continue your quest. These range from using a weapon or tool to hit a lever to utilizing your companions to stand on two platforms at once to open a door. The majority of these puzzles are not overly difficult to solve. However, there are optional puzzles available throughout the game. Some of them require exploration outside the main quest line, and it takes some complex thinking to solve them. The rewards for solving such puzzles are worth it, though, ranging from an item that awards a large amount of coins to a new heart container.

Balanced Companions

As previously mentioned, the main character is accompanied by two companions named Trin and Gen. They’re not just used for solving puzzles; they join in on the fighting as well. Each companion has their own health, stamina, and attack style. Trin is a ranged attacker, while Gen is more close range. While they are helpful in supplementing the main character in battle, their damage output does not come anywhere near the main character’s, and they tend to move slowly against enemies. That said, the companions appear to be well balanced, doing some damage or serving as a distraction as you recover your health. Mainly, they are designed to make sure the responsibility of surviving each encounter remains on the player.

Boss Battles

Your team will face off against many foes on the way to Mesmeroth, from soldiers to metal spiders and more. And yes, bosses, too. They occur at the end of a chapter or at the conclusion of an area, such as a fuschia octopus occupying a lagoon or a large vulture flying around the top of a temple. Each boss occupies a large space which allows the character ample room to move around and to dodge attacks. In terms of difficulty, these boss battles are a challenge but not overly so. They are forgiving of a few mistakes along the way, so you have time to figure out a winning strategy.

Traveling with Style

The world of Gaia is massive, and traveling by foot can be cumbersome as a result. It simply takes a while to get the character from one location to another. While it is helpful to have the ability to sprint periodically, the limited stamina makes it difficult to travel efficiently.

Thankfully, you will have a number of ways to get around. During an early segment, your character gets to navigate a boat. Access to that occurs at different portions of the game, allowing you to explore uncharted areas or to follow the main quest line. Eventually, the character is able to use an airship and even take portals to quickly go from one place to another. That said, one of the more unique forms of travel involves you on a hoverbike as you escape from the Dark Army. It adds even more variety to a game already full of it.

Plenty of Extras for Completionists

While the core gameplay encompasses 20+ hours, there are a plethora of optional things to do. Hidden chests and bloodstones await you in various corners of Gaia. Some of these secrets are not accessible when you first come across them. For example, like in Zelda, cracks in walls that you come across early on require the use of a bomb that is obtained later. Many tasks require solving a particular puzzle or navigating your character through a precarious obstacle to reach such treasures.

Additionally, a number of challenges exist throughout the game, such as ‘Use Ice Spell 25 times’ or ‘Discover Pirta overlook,’ which reward you with XP Crystals. Many of them are revealed through normal gameplay. (A list of those you’ve found and completed is always available in your menu.) However, a fair number of them require a bit more effort. Good luck defeating a Dark Army gunner and using its blaster to defeat enemies!

Ocean Sounds and More

The soundtrack, which primarily consists of instrumental and synthesized music, and the sound effects match the gameplay quite well. The music changes based on the area and situation you’re in, shifting from mysterious tones when exploring a forest to more suspenseful music when facing a boss. The sound effects also do what they need to do, letting us hear the sounds of waves and pelicans near the ocean and the blowing of the wind through trees near a forest area. NPCs have their own voiced lines that fit them pretty well. (Gen’s is suitably robotic). That said, if any of the companions’ unprompted speaking lines get a bit too repetitive in battle, their voices, along with the music and sound effects, can be adjusted to one’s preferences in the menu settings.

Several other settings exist in the menu, too, such as controller vibration, camera and aim inversion, and language. You can even customize the UI scaling, which is helpful in allowing for larger text when using the Switch’s handheld mode. The menu is incredibly easy to navigate, and you’ll be able to quickly see your map, XP progression, gear and power shard combinations, quests, and challenges. Interestingly, a retreat option lets you return to a safe location from your last automatic save. Handy!

Great Tribute to a Classic

Overall, Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm hits the mark in regards to creating a fun and original spin on a familiar gameplay style. For die-hard fans, the game unabashedly has a Zelda-esque feel to it, but the amount of content may fall short in comparison to some titles from that storied franchise. Regardless of the similarities, Oceanhorn 2 delivers a quality adventure for the price that pairs well with the Nintendo Switch audience. So go forth and become a true hero.