I often thought that to embark on an adventure is a process to get yourself lost at the beginning. By doing so, you'll go through a path of wonder, curiosity and discovery. Thus making the over-all journey, a process filled with excitement that's both engaging and fun. The very talented Cornfox & Brothers sends us down to that road and add some thrilling action along the way. As you explore the beautiful islands which comprises the Arcadian empire, with Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas. A work, admittedly that has been inspired by the Legend of Zelda games, which is noticeable but has enough distinction to be its own thing.
So let me first talk about one of the main attribute of the game which is exploration. Quite an important staple to any adventure game. As you will know the progression of a play-through is measured by how many places you have unlocked, areas and things that you have discovered. From dungeons, to hidden places, treacherous terrains with roaming monsters, small towns and the people that live in it, plays a major role to the game design. So that means when ever you hit a proverbial wall at some point, it's time to go somewhere else or find something that will help you to move on. I would also like to add that going through all of it, there's very little hand holding to pull you around.
Personally I like this because the game doesn't talk down to you and give you a kiddy guide on what to do next. You have to figure most things out on your own. Somehow I feel this particular trait, to be a rewarding experience and give you a sense of freedom, on how to approach going from point A to B.The central means of transportation from these chain of islands, is by a boat ride on the high seas. Now I know because of this a lot of people will be screaming, 'wind waker clone'. I have to say, there are differences between the two, which are in favor of Oceanhorn. Unlike the Zelda game the distance between shores are not that long so the ride will be a lot quicker and not so boring. There's also a shooting mini game which you can target a sea monster, explosive traps and loot barrels. On top of that, there are seafaring travelers to encounter which makes the ocean not a lonely or dull place to be in.
The character development of this game has adopted an RPG centric system. Another feature which sets itself apart from the Zelda games. You get experience in a form of collective crystals. You'll acquire these by unlocking achievements, finishing quests, destroying objects and picking them up as loot from defeated enemies. You level-up when you gain a certain number of crystal which is indicated by an adventurer's rank. These awards your character bonuses and traits that makes him stronger. I also would like to add that you'll definitely feel the improvements. Just like any traditional RPG. Though gaining a higher life bar through collecting pieces of hearts is similar to Nintendo's well loved game franchise.
The next thing I would like to discuss is the puzzle solving element of the gameplay. I find it to be a series of tests to your observational skills. How you analyze your surroundings and experiment with the objects you can interact with. Some are the classic movable boxes/materials, objects that you can carry, items or spells available at your disposal and switches you can step on or flip. Much like most of the dungeon crawling genre. While some clues to puzzle solutions can be attained through hints from an NPC you've talked to or various texts and scriptures you've read. Also keep in mind that on few situations there will be some sort of platforming involved. From the start of the game I find the puzzles easy but become more complex or difficult to finish, as you go further. So there's a sense of challenge advancement present to its design.
On the subject of the combat system, it's quite simplistic to its core as a hack and slash. When you advance though there will be more options available to you. That's when things tend to be more entertaining, by throwing various objects around you, using items on your inventory and casting spells. I must say though that the projectile aiming mechanic is a bit odd and could lead to an early demise. I would also like to mention that when casting spells, you pause the game and there's a casting time to be settled before it hits, which reminds me of neverwinter nights. I also find each enemy AI to have much similarities to Zelda as they come at you on straight attack lines. Which you can overcome by flanking monsters from the side or at the back in order by discerning their timing. A thing I can criticize about this aspect is the very limited variety of monsters to fight, though each has its own identity and weaknesses. . There are also enjoyable sub and main boss battles that you'll encounter that presents a higher degree of challenge. I must say some are even puzzling to beat or kill. So you can't always be a mindless brawler.
Looking at the surrounding back grounds, intricate character designs and lighting, the presentation is absolutely great. In fact it's rendering is one of the best I've ever seen on mobile. The texture quality is defined so well that you feel that it's a product of passion, as you look at every polished asset. Keep in mind though the art direction is geared toward a more animated look rather than go to the path of visual realism. Yet it is still very gorgeous and appealing to the eye. Due to these qualities the developers cleverly designed the HUD and menus to be minimalistic yet efficient; so that you'll be immersed to the beautiful world they created before you. With music composed by such legends as Nobuo Uematsu and Kenji Ito sets an excellent emotional tone that compliments the sublime environment very well. So getting lost is not such a strenuous situation. I would like to mention that the tunes also enhance a dramatic effect on certain events you'll encounter.
The narrative or story elements here is delivered at the straight-forward manner. It's quite a simplistic fantasy tale that does not try to be something it's not. So don't expect constant twists and turns like a George R.R Martin novel. Though there is one romantic plot point, that was never really developed which got jammed in for some reason. As a whole I find it charming like the fantasy tales or movies from the 80's. The dialogues are often written well and delivered nicely. Most of the voice actors did a pretty good job but I must admit, there are one or two that's questionable.
Clearly as I sum it all up, this is obviously a labor of love. A work of art paying homage to a classic formula yet somehow forged its own identity. Every facet was passionately carved-in and executed very well. From start to finish the whole experience was entertaining, rewarding and makes you yearn for more adventure. Truly one of the most important titles to have ever graced the mobile scene.
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Sat Feb 15, 2014 11:25 pm
