Though it is clear that Cornfox & Bros is trying to distance itself from the original Oceanhorn title with the release of this new, upstanding product, it is still important to take a look at the differences between the two titles. Players who are wary of the title because they did not enjoy the first one or players who enjoyed the first one and are hoping for a similar experience could benefit from knowing how the two titles differ.
Game Engine
One of the key differences between Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas and Oceanhorn: Knights of the Lost Realm is the game engine. The first Oceanhorn title was developed by the team from the ground up using their own in-house tools. This can account for several of this issues that had during development and after release. Having learned from the mistake of taking on such a massive project as building an entire game engine, the team at Cornfox & Bros decided to switch to the Unreal Engine. This is an engine that is used to develop anything from lesser known mobile titles to massive games like Kingdom Hearts and even the upcoming Final Fantasy VII remake. It’s perfect for laying the groundwork for a game like Oceanhorn.
The visual appearance of Oceanhorn 2 is vastly different from that of its predecessor. This is not just a reference to its camera angle, however—that will be discussed in its own category. The entire art style of Oceanhorn has been reworked. Rather than being dull, flat, and rough around the edges like Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas, players will find that the world of Oceanhorn is smooth, beautiful, and engaging. Unreal Engine’s remarkable lighting system aids in bringing the models and textures created by Cornfox & Bros to life. While the original Oceanhorn title featured flat landscapes and heavily limited movement, this sequel will allow players to see a beautiful world in all three dimensions.
Camera Angle
One of the most criticized aspects of Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas was its shoddy, poorly designed camera. Three-quarter angle cameras are typically used to either save on processing power or to allow for a three-dimensional appearance on a system that only permits two-dimensional content. Since neither of these factors were necessary for the first Oceanhorn title, the inclusion of a three-quarter angle camera was just an artistic decision that fell flat on its face. Oceanhorn seeks to correct this issue with a fully three-dimensional camera system.
Cornfox & Bros worked especially hard on building the world of Oceanhorn. This title is remarkably beautiful, with well-crafted models, perfectly painted textures, and more features that are bound to dazzle and amaze viewers. Thankfully, Cornfox & Bros decided to show off their stunning new world with a fully controllable camera system. Rather than being locked into an unflattering perspective, the camera of Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm can be rotated and controlled to the player’s contentment. This will certainly come in handy when the player is aiming a gun, grappling hook, or bomb.
