Game: Ocean’s Heart
Genre: Action, Adventure, Role-Playing
System: Nintendo Switch (also on Steam (Windows)
Developers | Publishers: Max Mraz | Nordcurrent
Age Rating: US E | EU 3+
Price: US $14.99 | UK £13.49 | EU € 14,99
Release Date: February 10th, 2022
Review code used, with many thanks to Plan of Attack.
Ocean’s Heart is a top-down action-adventure game from solo developer Max Mraz and publishers Nordcurrent. Let’s see what it’s all about.
Top-down Adventure
In Ocean’s Heart, you play as Tilia, a young girl whose home island is attacked by pirates. Tilia’s best friend Hazel is abducted during the attack, and Tilia’s father, Mallow, a volunteer navy member, leaves the island to rescue Hazel. But after six months, something must have gone terribly wrong as Tilia’s father hasn’t returned. Tilia takes it upon herself to go and look for her father and Hazel, and so begins your journey through this Zelda-inspired action-adventure.
Ocean’s Heart is a top-down adventure similar to A Link to the Past and is focused on side-quests and exploration. The gameplay featured in Ocean’s Heart is the standard of a classic RPG, using a lot of mechanics of the classic Zelda games such as a dodge roll, different equipment pieces, solving puzzles, health increases, and secrets to be found.
Main story and Quests
Tilia slowly befriends the locals of numerous towns, completing quests in return for information on her father. The world is pretty large and full of secret areas and caves, and most of the story is a patchwork of these small quests, with the main story being quite simple.
Tilia’s health is represented by hearts in the top left of the screen. It has to be one of the most forgiving processes I’ve ever encountered in a game when you die. As you have the option to save and continue from the spot Talia perished. There are no lives to worry about, and you don’t lose any of your gear, but you will lose items such as bombs and potions.
Map and NPC’s
Most of the game’s core gameplay loop relies on running around based on the previously mentioned quest and clues about the location of Tilia’s father. Unfortunately, these consist of a town name and a vague direction, which can get quite confusing due to how open the areas are and the lack of real directions. While there is a map, it’s not detailed enough to help you out.
Every NPC you meet has unique lines and often jokes about the genre, though the number of the jokes can sometimes become grating. I liked some of the NPC’s names as they appeal to my sense of humour. Such as the man who takes his carrots seriously. Yes, really, that’s his name.
Combat
While running around the map enemies will be encountered. However, fighting them is pretty easy. There isn’t any levelling up system in the game as damage and defence are upgradeable in the towns. Combat only consists of hitting the attack button lots of times, and you’ll have to use some of the other items Tilia carries.
You can knuckle down with the main story, but plenty of side quests are available, too, offering currency as a reward known as crowns. Some quests are the standard, defeat monsters or explore a dungeon, but others include more interesting situations with more significance on the world.
Overall, the game’s story is nothing out of the ordinary, as it’s all been seen before. But it does manage to keep that formulaic feel without being a direct Zelda clone. Instead, Ocean’s Heart has various tweaks to the classic formula, where the gameplay shines. Upgradable sword attack and armour levels and the crafting of potions using farmable materials, such as monster guts or berries, are very helpful and good additions to the overall quality of life.
Visuals and Controls
I like the game’s look as the graphics offer a great homage to old-school action adventures. It is bright and colourful and pops off the screen. The accompanying music is good, and each town and area has a distinct feel to it. The music also shifts and fits in with the tone and the location you find yourself in.
Control-wise the game controls well though it doesn’t control as tightly as it should. For example, Tilia can move in any direction as she runs about, but you roll and attack in the four primary directions. So, when you attempt to roll out of danger at an upward angle, there’s a good chance of rolling into the enemy instead of having an attack fire uselessly in the opposite direction.
Conclusion
Ocean’s Heart is a colourful, quirky action-adventure game with some charm. It is pretty easy to play, but it can lead to a few frustrating moments as the controls aren’t always precise. It’s more a love letter to the top-down RPG adventure than a clone. If classic action-adventure games are your thing, give Ocean’s Heart a try.
Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot 