Highlights
- FDG Entertainment has announced that the next-gen version of Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm will be released on August 2, after two and a half years of anticipation.
- The PS5 and Xbox Series X/S ports of Oceanhorn 2 will feature improved graphics, supporting 4K gameplay at 60 frames per second.
- The next-gen release will also include a PC version, priced at $29.99, and will incorporate all quality-of-life and content updates from previous versions of the game.
FDG Entertainment revealed that the next-gen version of Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm will hit the market on August 2. The long-awaited release date was confirmed two and a half years after the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S ports of Oceanhorn 2 were announced.
While the 2013 Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas was inspired by classic 2D Zelda games, its open-world sequel mainly drew inspiration from The Wind Waker and Breath of the Wild. The game first released as an Apple Arcade exclusive in September 2019, with FDG bringing Oceanhorn 2 to the Nintendo Switch a year later.
Unlike the Switch version of the game, the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S ports of Oceanhorn 2 will boast sharper graphics, supporting 4K gameplay at 60 frames per second. While that's a marked improvement compared to Nintendo's latest console, the iOS original already offered a 60fps mode and ran at native device resolutions. Though not even Apple's latest smartphones nor tablets feature 4K displays, it remains to be seen whether the upcoming ports offer significantly better visuals compared to something like the last two iPad Pro generations. FDG hasn't clarified whether the next-gen versions of Oceanhorn 2 will feature larger draw distances or similar graphical improvements.
The next-gen release of Oceanhorn 2 also includes PC, with the game being slated to release on both Steam and the Epic Games Store. FDG is pricing it at $29.99, same as the Switch version. Speaking of which, the Switch port of Oceanhorn 2 is currently available at a 40% discount and can hence be purchased at $17.99 until August 3. That still makes the iOS version of the game the most affordable of the lot, as one month of Apple Arcade is priced at $4.99. Oceanhorn 2 has long been touted as one of the best RPGs on Apple Arcade, not just due to its gameplay qualities, but also because of its stellar optimization making great use of mobile hardware.
The next-gen console and PC ports of Oceanhorn 2 will incorporate all quality-of-life and content updates that the existing versions of the game received to date. A successful next-gen launch would possibly increase the likelihood of a third installment in the series, assuming Finnish developer Cornfox and Bros. isn't already working on Oceanhorn 3. In the meantime, Oceanhorn 2 will be one of the closest things to a PlayStation and Xbox version of Zelda once it finally hits the market in early August.
Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm is available on iOS and Nintendo Switch, while its PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S versions launch August 2.
