Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm Trailer Debuted at GDC

Finnish storyteller Cornfox & Bros. has unveiled some new gameplay footage for Monster of Uncharted Seas sequel, Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm. The demo trailer was shown off at GDC’s Unreal Engine venue and the latest game build was ripe for playtesting.

In the trailer, we learn that the land of Arcadia is under threat by Mesmeroth (villains never know when to give up, do they, Ganon?) and his wicked army. To buffer the impending ambush, three valiant knights have begun a quest to find the Goddess Neyto. Roll the video and you’ll notice right away Cornfox & Bros. is ditching the isometric angle for a third-person, freestyle camera that’s typical in most action-adventure games. The developer has also revealed that unlike Monster of Uncharted Seas — which we thought was one of the very best RPGs for iOS in 2016 — you’ll be teaming up with two very capable companions: Trin, granddaughter of Arcadian leader Archimedes, and a mysterious robot called Gen.

Upon release, Oceanhorn drew numerous comparisons to the Zelda franchise, which it is very clearly influenced by. Even in the sequel, players will be fending off Owru bandits with a sword, and catapulting themselves from point A to B via grappling hook — an unmistakable throwback to Link’s hookshot. But Oceanhorn distinguishes itself with magic spells (which make a return in Knights of the Lost Realm) and a Caster Gun (with replaceable ammo) that harnesses those spells into discrete blasts. We’re still unsure about whether the protagonist will gain a jump ability like the Hero of Time did in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Personally, I was rather besotted with Kalle Ylitalo and Nobuo Uematsu’s musical handiwork in the original Oceanhorn OST, which carries occasional whispers of Joe Hisaishi and evokes Final Fantasy in wonderful form. Let’s hope the soundtrack in Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm is just as splendid when it launches. Cornfox & Bros. hasn’t mentioned anything on the release front just yet. Stay tuned to Gameranx for the latest coverage.