"Forget the Pixels" Oceanhorn Dev Tells Indies
In our 50 Best Indie iOS Games of 2013 awards, we marked Oceanhorn as something quite special. While it most certainly borrows heavily from its inspirations - like The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy and Secret of Mana - it does provide a remarkable console-like 3D adventure for your touchscreen that does carve out its own identity. In Issue 1 of Grab It - The Game Discovery App, we showcase Oceanhorn in a detailed making of feature that includes an exclusive interview with the creative director at developer Cornfox & Brothers, Heikki Repo. As part of this wide-ranging feature, Repo had some interesting advice to pass onto other studios regarding the indie scene's tendency to opt for pixelated visuals:
“Forget the pixels. It is not always the pixel art alone that makes that classic feel and it could turn away many from the audience you try to reach. I love to create art and I have lived through a time when I made pixel art – either when I was studying video game art as a kid or even just a couple of years ago with mobile games – but there is no going back to pixels for me. Advanced visuals are always important, if you want to reach a wide audience.”
To read the full feature, grab Issue 1 now - you'll also find 22 in-depth reviews, 14 exclusive features, 5 big features and plenty more. And if you'd like to pick-up Oceanhorn and have a Zelda-like experience on your iPad, you can grab it here.