Ocean's Heart Review (PC)

Boomerang a weird aardvark to stop him from throwing stones, use a sword to cut down a skeleton bird, drop a bomb hoping that it will trip up a fast and charging snail. Once the screen is cleared spend some time gathering resources and then eating apples to regain health. Maybe gain some insight about the next boss that needs to be vanquished or another puzzle that needs to be solved to push the story forward.

Ocean’s Heart is a top-down role-playing experience developed by the one-man team of Max Mraz and published by Nordcurrent. The title can be played on the PC via Steam and GOG and there are rumors that it will also be coming to the Nintendo Switch.

The core idea of the story is nothing groundbreaking. Father chases after pirates who attacked his town, daughter waits a while and then decides to venture forth and find him. Adventures ensue, punctuated by some twists and turns and by some very solid writing. The dialogue of even the most insignificant non-playing character is funny and engaging. The major story beats are heartfelt and the entire world radiates a positive and welcoming vibe.

The mechanics are very close to those of classics of the genre, with clear references to Zelda as the ur-example. Tilia quickly gains access to a sword and then bombs are dropped into her lap as a tool. Ranged options quickly follow. All of these can be used to defeat enemies, a variety of which roam the game world at each time. They will also be employed, alongside an ability to move certain items in the world, to solve puzzles. The main character will also find plenty of healing options as she moves through the land. Potions can also be bought or brewed to upgrade performance. They are mostly needed for certain very tough dungeons and the more capable bosses.

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Ocean’s Heart uses a top-down perspective that allows the developer to create a world that seems simple but has a lot to offer in terms of exploration. There’s plenty of variety and many cool hidden areas to discover and then explore for rewards. Backtracking at certain types can be a little annoying, especially when a player simply has no patience to clear monsters again. But the sense that there’s something cool around all corners is enough to drive a player forward. It also helps that death does not come with any significant penalties, only pushing the player back to the start of a sequence.

The game sticks close to the fundamentals of classic Zelda. This will certainly plenty of gamers who loved those games and do not find modern releases that offer the same feelings. But the experience, while very welcoming, might be less engaging for someone who does not already appreciate the formula or those who believe that it needs a lot of innovation. I mainly liked the game because of the exuberance it features prominently.

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Ocean’s Heart has a very cute presentation that does not acknowledge the existence of the past 20+ years of graphical development. The game looks lovely, with bright colors and carefully animated characters. It would also feel entirely familiar for someone playing on old consoles. The top-down presentation allows the developer to create some intricate and good looking worlds, with the caveat that there are moments when it can be hard to know what’s a passable area and what’s a wall. But it works most of the time and there’s a genuine excitement in exploring new areas and meeting new enemies or NPCs.

The sound effects and music are also impressively old-school and add to the overall atmosphere of a long-lost Zelda cousin. The soundtrack is good enough that it took about eight hours to actually turn it off because it was becoming a little repetitive, which is rare for me when engaging with an RPG.

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The Good

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