Acknowledgement

This game was provided for review purposes by the developers. Thank you!

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In Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm, players take control of a knight on an adventure to deliver the three sacred emblems to each nation. The game's intro cutscene begins promisingly: on a rainy night, a baby is placed in Master Mayfair's care. Eighteen years later, the young man will be put to the test that will determine whether or not he will become a Knight of Arcadia. To do so, he must return to the Island of the Outcasts and retrieve a box stolen from Master Mayfair by pirates. After obtaining the box, he discovers that his hometown has been attacked by dark knight invaders who pose a threat to the entire realm of Arcadia. The main goal of the game is therefore to stop evildoer Mesmeroth from attempting to take over the planet with his army of dark knights. Thus begins a quest to unite the peoples of Arcadia, which is also the setting for Oceanhorn: Monsters of the Uncharted Sea (sequel story-wise) a 1000 years later.

Anyone who has played the original Oceanhorn will recognize the universe of Oceanhorn 2. Despite the 3D transformation, enemies and places look familiar, even though you now control your hero in third person. The mostly linear, partially free-roaming game environment provides more options than the previous game. As the journey develops, you'll find yourself in larger locations that you may explore at your leisure without losing focus. The key reason for this is a mini-map that makes it easier to go to interesting spots. Not only will you face diverse foes, but you'll also have to solve interesting puzzles in order to locate the many hidden prizes or to simply advance the plot.

https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3012963216

The hero has a number of abilites at his disposal to do so. Running, climbing, and, of course, the fighting system, which is symbolic of The Legend of Zelda, are all there. Real-time battles allow you to slash your opponent immediately by pressing a button. Holding down the action button allows you to launch a strong series of strikes, but it will take a few seconds to recharge. Not only do the foes differ in appearance and attack style, but they also have unique vulnerabilities. Some foes, for example, take many strikes to show their vulnerability, but others require just one attack from behind to gain the upper hand. You may even sneak up on enemies via the dense grass and deliver a surprise attack that deals more damage than usual.

Aside from fighting, the extremely low stamina is a hassle, especially when traveling long distances. Many pathways are needlessly long in general. It's also sad that the travel system is so restricted, relying on only a few portals. At the very least, there is a useful map function that automatically tracks where treasures may be found when journeying. On the other side, I had to become accustomed to unintended automatic jumping. You can't leap on your own; the hero does it for you on the edges, which was kind of frustrating at times.

https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3012963807

The riddles and trials in the game are undeniably the highlights. The flexible magic gun is used in addition to the standard switches and keys. You can not only use fireballs to destroy enemies, but also certain obstacles. Frost missiles may be used to either freeze a foe or to create a standing surface in the water to help you navigate dangerous shoals. Lightning ammo, on the other hand, may be used to shock opponents and activate electrical devices. You can also use standard ammunition to target opponents, or other things.

As you move through the story, you'll also discover numerous shards that you may attach to your equipment to gain a boost in stats. So, despite the real-time combat, there are tactical parts that are well worth your time. During your mission, you will either find new shards in one of the numerous treasure chests scattered around the game, or you will be able to purchase them in one of the numerous shops or vending machines found in each town. Various in-game challenges are also rewarded with experience points, which grant you extra ranks and rewards; however, there are no conventional RPG leveling increases accessible. Instead, like in The Legend of Zelda, you'll be searching for heart pieces to gain more life points.


Oceanhorn 2 features a few issues, whether it's the absence of manual jumping, checklist or the relatively rough controls/battle system. I certainly encountered a few issues as a result of unintentional jumps, but after I got beyond them, I was rewarded with a world I couldn't help but explore. The narrative is enjoyable, albeit slightly too predictable and the dungeons and riddles in the world are varied and just the right degree of challenging. It also doesn't hurt that the game is visually amazing. Oceanhorn 2's genre-blending gimmicks assist to elevate it beyond its shortcomings. Even if there are some hiccups along the way, this is an adventure worth embarking on and especially supporting.

[h1] The greatest 3D The Legend of Zelda-like experience on Steam for me. [/h1] [table] [tr] [th]Pros[/th] [th]Cons[/th] [/tr] [tr] [td]✔️ A Zelda-style adventure game featuring well-thought-out dungeons and boss battles.[/td] [td]❌ The protagonist is deafeningly silent, and some of the cutscenes are a bit clunky. To improve the overall impression/experience, the animations could have been smoother.[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]✔️ The puzzles are often rather challenging, despite the fact that some of them are repetitious. The secret locations through the new obtained equipment, in particular, are also quite a challenge.[/td] [td]❌ No manual targeting while fighting. Players may aim at foes, but a targeting system similar to The Legend of Zelda's, in which you must manually push and hold to target/lock, would be preferred.[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]✔️ There are a variety of side missions and challenges in each town that can be found on the Quest Board. You may also play the Tarock card mini-game with almost every citizen you come across.[/td] [td]❌ Manually jumping off something isn't possible since it automatically jumps on edges or off roots/corners as you climb, which means you'll occasionally jump off when you shouldn't. This is usually the cause of unnecessary damage or frustration.[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]✔️ A picturesque graphic style invites you to explore, and caves may be found in nearly every part of the game world.[/td] [td]❌ The lack of a checklist for 100% completion means that you have to look all over again if you missed something.[/td] [/tr] [/table] [h1] Additional Info: [/h1] [table] [tr] [th]Content & Replay Value[/th] [th] Oceanhorn 2 took me 20.5 hours to accomplish 100% with all achievements. Unless you want to experience the story again in the future or tackle all achievements, I see no reason to replay the game. For Achievement Hunters: This is a quite easy game to get 100% on your first playthrough, however, some collectibles are nastily hidden. [/th] [/tr] [tr] [td]Mode[/td] [td]Single Player Only[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Controller Recommended?[/td] [td]Yes, but you can also use KB/M[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Is it worth buying?[/td] [td]Yes, undoubtedly.[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]How's the PC port?[/td] [td]It's a wonderful port with up to 300 fps, Widescreen compatibility, AMD FidelityFX Support and PS button remapping, among other features.[/td] [/tr] [/table] [b]Acknowledgement[/b] [quote]This game was provided for review purposes by the developers. Thank you![/quote] [quote]Follow our Curator page, [url=https://gtm.you1.cn/storesteam/curator/41449676/] Summit Reviews[/url], to see more high-quality reviews regularly.[/quote] [h1] In-Depth [/h1] [h3] Story, Gameplay, Puzzles & Shards [/h3] In Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm, players take control of a knight on an adventure to deliver the three sacred emblems to each nation. The game's intro cutscene begins promisingly: on a rainy night, a baby is placed in Master Mayfair's care. Eighteen years later, the young man will be put to the test that will determine whether or not he will become a Knight of Arcadia. To do so, he must return to the Island of the Outcasts and retrieve a box stolen from Master Mayfair by pirates. After obtaining the box, he discovers that his hometown has been attacked by dark knight invaders who pose a threat to the entire realm of Arcadia. The main goal of the game is therefore to stop evildoer Mesmeroth from attempting to take over the planet with his army of dark knights. Thus begins a quest to unite the peoples of Arcadia, which is also the setting for [url=https://gtm.you1.cn/storesteam/app/339200/Oceanhorn_Monster_of_Uncharted_Seas/]Oceanhorn: Monsters of the Uncharted Sea[/url] (sequel story-wise) a 1000 years later. Anyone who has played the original Oceanhorn will recognize the universe of Oceanhorn 2. Despite the 3D transformation, enemies and places look familiar, even though you now control your hero in third person. The mostly linear, partially free-roaming game environment provides more options than the previous game. As the journey develops, you'll find yourself in larger locations that you may explore at your leisure without losing focus. The key reason for this is a mini-map that makes it easier to go to interesting spots. Not only will you face diverse foes, but you'll also have to solve interesting puzzles in order to locate the many hidden prizes or to simply advance the plot. https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3012963216 The hero has a number of abilites at his disposal to do so. Running, climbing, and, of course, the fighting system, which is symbolic of The Legend of Zelda, are all there. Real-time battles allow you to slash your opponent immediately by pressing a button. Holding down the action button allows you to launch a strong series of strikes, but it will take a few seconds to recharge. Not only do the foes differ in appearance and attack style, but they also have unique vulnerabilities. Some foes, for example, take many strikes to show their vulnerability, but others require just one attack from behind to gain the upper hand. You may even sneak up on enemies via the dense grass and deliver a surprise attack that deals more damage than usual. Aside from fighting, the extremely low stamina is a hassle, especially when traveling long distances. Many pathways are needlessly long in general. It's also sad that the travel system is so restricted, relying on only a few portals. At the very least, there is a useful map function that automatically tracks where treasures may be found when journeying. On the other side, I had to become accustomed to unintended automatic jumping. You can't leap on your own; the hero does it for you on the edges, which was kind of frustrating at times. https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3012963807 The riddles and trials in the game are undeniably the highlights. The flexible magic gun is used in addition to the standard switches and keys. You can not only use fireballs to destroy enemies, but also certain obstacles. Frost missiles may be used to either freeze a foe or to create a standing surface in the water to help you navigate dangerous shoals. Lightning ammo, on the other hand, may be used to shock opponents and activate electrical devices. You can also use standard ammunition to target opponents, or other things. As you move through the story, you'll also discover numerous shards that you may attach to your equipment to gain a boost in stats. So, despite the real-time combat, there are tactical parts that are well worth your time. During your mission, you will either find new shards in one of the numerous treasure chests scattered around the game, or you will be able to purchase them in one of the numerous shops or vending machines found in each town. Various in-game challenges are also rewarded with experience points, which grant you extra ranks and rewards; however, there are no conventional RPG leveling increases accessible. Instead, like in The Legend of Zelda, you'll be searching for heart pieces to gain more life points. [h3] Conclusion [/h3] Oceanhorn 2 features a few issues, whether it's the absence of manual jumping, checklist or the relatively rough controls/battle system. I certainly encountered a few issues as a result of unintentional jumps, but after I got beyond them, I was rewarded with a world I couldn't help but explore. The narrative is enjoyable, albeit slightly too predictable and the dungeons and riddles in the world are varied and just the right degree of challenging. It also doesn't hurt that the game is visually amazing. Oceanhorn 2's genre-blending gimmicks assist to elevate it beyond its shortcomings. Even if there are some hiccups along the way, this is an adventure worth embarking on and especially supporting. [h2] Final Verdict: 8.5/10 – A wonderful journey, but not without some minor setbacks. 💖 [/h2]