Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas

80%
Game Brain Score Based on 624 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas Game Cover
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In Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas, you play as a young boy on a quest to find your lost father and defeat the sea monster, Oceanhorn. Explore a beautifully designed world filled with puzzles, dungeons, and mythical creatures as you sail across the seas. Along the way, you'll discover ancient treasures, learn magic spells, and uncover the truth about your family's mysterious past. This action-adventure game is heavily inspired by classic titles like The Legend of Zelda.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

80%
Audience ScoreBased on 624 reviews
story55 positive mentions
grinding21 negative mentions
  • Great graphics and vibrant art style that captures the essence of classic adventure games.
  • Engaging and nostalgic gameplay reminiscent of the Zelda series, particularly Wind Waker.
  • Intuitive control system and enjoyable puzzles that provide a satisfying experience.
  • Limited gameplay length and depth, making it feel somewhat shallow compared to full-fledged Zelda titles.
  • Some frustrating mechanics, such as the fishing mini-game and inconsistent enemy difficulty.
  • Occasional bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including game-breaking issues.
  • story186 mentions

    The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it generic and uninspired, often comparing it unfavorably to classic titles like The Legend of Zelda. While some appreciate its simple premise and engaging moments, others criticize the lack of depth, character development, and clear quest tracking, leading to a disjointed narrative experience. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a weak point, with many players feeling it fails to captivate or provide a memorable adventure.

    • “The story has some solid lore to it, and the gameplay can be quite engaging.”
    • “Oceanhorn takes all the greatness of the Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time, mashes them together, and adds a fresh story with rich lore and fun gameplay.”
    • “The story is light but still okay, with beautiful visuals and music, and it features voice acting.”
    • “The story is seemingly non-existent.”
    • “The characters, quests, and the story are quite boring; the islands in the game look nice, but they don't feel alive, they don't have character, and there is barely any interesting lore at all.”
    • “The story is also really basic and uninspired, feeling for the most part like a collection of recycled stories from the very simplest quest stories imaginable.”
  • gameplay148 mentions

    The gameplay of Oceanhorn is often compared to classic Zelda titles, featuring familiar mechanics and a charming aesthetic, but it suffers from repetitiveness, clunky controls, and a lack of depth in puzzles and enemy variety. While some players appreciate its nostalgic feel and engaging quests, many criticize the linearity, tedious elements like fishing, and frustrating boss mechanics, leading to mixed overall impressions. Despite its shortcomings, the game offers a decent experience for those seeking a light adventure reminiscent of the Zelda series.

    • “Great when you want to spend a weekend and enjoy the classic styled gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is very fun and familiar.”
    • “Oceanhorn takes all the greatness of the Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time, mashes them together and adds a fresh story with rich lore and fun gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is clunky and a bit confusing.”
    • “The characters, quests, and the story are quite boring; the islands in the game look nice and most levels are well designed from the perspective of pure game mechanics, but they don't feel alive, they don't have character, and there is barely any interesting lore at all.”
    • “The gameplay is nothing you haven't experienced before.”
  • graphics129 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many praising the vibrant, colorful art style reminiscent of classic Zelda titles. While some users noted occasional graphical glitches and performance issues, the overall aesthetic is described as charming and engaging, contributing to an enjoyable atmosphere. Many reviews highlight the game's visual appeal, especially considering its origins as a mobile title, with some calling the graphics stunning and well-executed for the genre.

    • “The graphics are impressive - vibrant and full of life, much like El Dorado itself!”
    • “The graphics are gloriously bright and colorful.”
    • “It has a good soundtrack and the graphics are really nice to watch (very anime style).”
    • “In between glitchy fighting and fighting the controls, or trying to make sense of the map that looks like a child spat paint on a topographical scale, you will never be bored of exploring the same area over and over again until you stumble accidentally into the proper path.”
    • “But, for me (and for several others, it seems), the graphics freeze every five minutes to an hour.”
    • “It seems like it could be a good game, but myself and several others have encountered major graphical bugs, which render the game unplayable.”
  • music108 mentions

    The music in the game has received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many players praising its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere. While some tracks are noted for their charm and fittingness, others have been criticized for repetition and occasional mismatches with the game's mood. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal despite some implementation issues.

    • “The music in this game is fantastic, and noticeably enjoyable to listen to.”
    • “The game has a fantastic look to it and an amazing soundtrack that just makes the game even more enjoyable.”
    • “Accompanied by musical scores from Nobuo Uematsu, the composer for much of the music from Final Fantasy, it's really quite a charming experience.”
    • “The game is constantly playing music that doesn't fit the mood of the scene, many times being just too cacophonous (works great in boss fights, not elsewhere) and, ultimately, tiring to listen to.”
    • “There are also other immersion killers such as the poor implementation of the soundtrack.”
    • “The music is okay, but is not memorable.”
  • grinding21 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overwhelmingly tedious and boring, with long boat travel and repetitive mini-games contributing to a lack of engagement. While some appreciate the leveling system and puzzle difficulty, many feel that the grinding elements detract from the overall enjoyment, making the experience feel shallow and frustrating. The consensus is that the game often prioritizes prolonging gameplay over providing satisfying challenges or exploration.

    • “It's boring, tedious, shallow, and I really try to like it, but I give up at the same point every time. No proper map, just that mini map?”
    • “Boat travel between the islands is boring and tedious.”
    • “The boat travel was extremely boring and tedious, and disabled any exploration on the open sea, which was my favorite part of Wind Waker.”
  • stability16 mentions

    The stability of the game is mixed, with some players reporting frequent freezes and bugs that can disrupt gameplay, while others experience minimal issues and enjoy a smooth experience. Notably, freezing occurs every few minutes for some, often requiring a restart, though a few users have found workarounds. Overall, while there are glitches present, many players still find the game enjoyable despite these stability concerns.

    • “No glitches, no complaints, just fun.”
    • “I encountered no glitches and was able to unlock all the achievements without issue.”
    • “The only problem I've been facing is that the game freezes often every few minutes of opening the game and playing.”
    • “But when it freezes, it either freezes the game with just music playing, or just the screen itself is frozen apart from the game playing and you end up being unable to see what your character is doing.”
    • “One tiny problem, though: I'm not sure what causes it, but every so often, my game picture freezes and while the sound indicates it's still functioning, I can't do anything, and when I minimize and open it back up, it crashes.”
  • atmosphere9 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its charming, Zelda-like graphics and extraordinary art style, complemented by a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the relaxing ambiance created by the colorful visuals and fitting music, although some note a bit of repetition in the musical themes across similar environments. The sailing and exploration elements contribute to a gorgeous atmosphere, making the journey through the game enjoyable despite minor concerns about gameplay control.

    • “The colorful art style, sound effects, and music create a nice atmosphere altogether.”
    • “The graphics are not particularly good, but the artwork and direction are very nice; there's a pleasant atmosphere throughout the gameplay, and the soundtrack is just fantastic.”
    • “The sailing atmosphere is gorgeous, and it's fun visiting new islands and charting them out, learning what secrets and people dwell there.”
    • “The graphics and atmosphere are charming and Zelda-like, but the progression and gameplay are anything but.”
    • “The atmosphere is relaxing, and the music contributes to a calming gameplay experience.”
  • emotional9 mentions

    Reviews highlight a strong emotional impact in the game, with players expressing feelings that range from deep connection to sadness, often comparing it to personal experiences like breakups. However, some criticize the game for expecting emotional investment in characters that are insufficiently developed, leading to awkward moments that fail to resonate. Overall, while the game evokes nostalgia and heartfelt moments, its emotional depth is inconsistent.

    • “Turns out it's more emotional than my last breakup. 💔”
    • “Not gonna lie, I shed a tear like my cat when I accidentally step on its tail. 😿”
    • “There's a girl who wants to go exploring but can't due to [reason not found], and she immediately forms an emotional connection with the hero despite having spoken with him only once.”
  • optimization6 mentions

    Overall, the game is well-optimized for Windows, with smooth performance reported by many users. However, some players experienced resolution problems and stuttering, particularly related to graphic settings that require adjustment for optimal performance. While initial bugs were noted, recent fixes have improved the experience significantly, especially on medium or custom settings.

    • “The game seems to be very polished and optimized on Windows.”
    • “The performance issues the game had a while back have been fixed, and outside of one boss fight, the game is pretty great.”
    • “+ Smooth performance.”
    • “There were many reports of resolution problems and stuttering issues.”
    • “The graphic problems on PCs stem from graphic options that cause slow-down and need some optimization, which isn't too bad on custom or medium settings as the game itself looks fantastic visually.”
    • “However, it was very buggy until I figured out to enable it in the Catalyst Center for high performance.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players enjoying its comedic elements and funny ending. While there are some amusing bugs, they do not detract from the overall gameplay experience, contributing to a fun and entertaining atmosphere.

    • “Of course, there are a few funny bugs, but nothing that affects the gameplay at all.”
    • “Great game has a funny ending; I would recommend it. It's short but not too long either, and I had fun playing this game.”
    • “Ah, good times! (laughing)”
  • character development3 mentions

    Character development in the game is criticized for being lackluster and generic, with soulless character designs and a storyline that lacks depth and intrigue. Reviewers express a desire for more creative exploration in character development to differentiate it from similar titles, particularly the Zelda franchise. Overall, the game fails to deliver a compelling narrative or memorable characters.

    • “It's enjoyable, though I kind of wish this game would have explored more with character development to provide some distinction from the similar Zelda franchise.”
    • “The character development feels lacking, and the storyline is quite petty.”
    • “The environments themselves are your typical puzzle/adventure environments in terms of design, but the character designs lack creativity and depth.”
    • “The environments themselves are your typical puzzle/adventure environments in terms of design and fairly generic when it comes to their looks. While the game looks decent at first glance, the completely soulless character designs, unimaginative monsters, and downright boring environments quickly overwhelm anyone who has played any decent fantasy games with more artistic creativity behind them.”
    • “It's enjoyable, though I kind of wish this game would have explored more with character development to provide some distinction from the similar Zelda franchise.”
    • “There is no real mystery to character development, and the storyline is petty.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    While the game is enjoyable, many users note that it lacks significant replayability, suggesting that it may not offer enough incentive for multiple playthroughs. However, they still consider it a worthwhile experience.

    • “It's a really fun game, but it lacks replayability. Still worth playing, though.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

17hMedian play time
18hAverage play time
12-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 17 analyzed playthroughs

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