Like a lot of other gamers I absolutely adore The Legend of Zelda series. I loved exploring the rich worlds, making my way through dungeons, and solving difficult puzzles. That’s why I was so excited to play Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas, which is an indie game that is clearly inspired by Nintendo’s monumental series. If there was one critique I had against Zelda it was that it often played things too safe and became all too formulaic, so I was hoping to get some fresh ideas out of this independent offering.
To be blunt, if anyone is looking for fresh ideas they won’t find them here. This is very much a top-down Zelda game with nothing new to offer. Even its aesthetic and world feels ripped from Wind Waker, as it has the player sail from island to island in a red boat. Without any original ideas to hang its hat on, Oceanhorn has to rely on how good of an imitation it is of one of gaming’s greatest series. That is a really difficult task to achieve for any developer (be it a AAA studio or a small team), and sadly Monster of Uncharted Seas provides a lacking imitation. It all comes across as a fan fiction story that had a lot of work put into it, but clearly lacks the polish and knowledge to make something as special as the original works. The disappointment manifests itself in the gameplay, which looks like Zelda, but fails to actually feel like it.

Everything from the combat to just general movement feels clunky in Oceanhorn. D...