The very Zelda-like Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm is leaving Apple Arcade-exclusivity and coming to Nintendo Switch this Fall.
Released in 2019 exclusively on Apple's gaming subscription service, Oceanhorn 2 is an unabashed Zelda clone, but one that's been generally well-received. It's not as if Finnish studio Cornfox & Bros. tries to hide Oceanhorn 2's influences - your hearts are displayed in the upper left corner, you gets health by breaking pots and slashing through grass, the hero wears tights and a tunic, and well, just look at it:
To my eyes, the environments look remarkably similar to 2011's Zelda: Skyward Sword, but gameplay-wise Oceanhorn 2 is more often compared to Breath of the Wild. Again, that's not a knock on the game - I actually think it looks really charming and I'll probably give it a try when it comes to Switch.
Here's Creative Director of Cornfox & Brothers Heikki Repo on the Switch port (via Nintendo Life): "Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm is a game made by Nintendo fans, for Nintendo fans. We've been able to create something new from the strong background that we established with our previous game, Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas, and Oceanhorn 2 is our love letter to the games that we grew up with, combining that beloved nostalgia with exciting new mechanics to give it an original spin."
Oceanheart 2 isn't the first game to take some creative inspiration from Nintendo's Hylian hero - here are the games like Zelda we most recommend.
