If you’ve ever wished Apple Arcade would drop something that feels properly big, like “I’m going to disappear into this world for hours” big, then Thursday, March 5 (that’s yesterday, at time of publishing) is your moment. The service is getting a fresh batch of new games, led by the Apple Arcade-exclusive Oceanhorn 3: Legend of the Shadow Sea, the sequel to the beloved action-RPG-adventure franchise.
If you’ve played the earlier entries in the series, you’ll know Oceanhorn has always been proudly wearing its Zelda-inspired heart on its sleeve. The original game won people over with its charming islands and classic action-adventure vibes, while the sequel went bigger, bolder, and more cinematic. Oceanhorn 3 looks like the natural evolution of that journey: sweeping seas to explore, a vibrant fantasy world, puzzle-filled environments, and real-deal dungeon crawling energy – all designed specifically for Apple Arcade devices. If you were getting to a point where you struggled to justify your monthly subscription, this game alone may make it feel worth it.
Balancing out that big, adventurous energy, the rest of March 5’s lineup is quite in line with the usual monthly drop of games we see on the platform. Pocket Love! is a wholesome little life sim about decorating spaces and nurturing tiny digital lives. Cute and charming.
Then there’s Flow Free, a deceptively simple puzzle game about connecting colors without crossing lines. And, finally, you have Doraemon Dorayaki Shop Story, a cute pixel-art shop management game with Doraemon himself. It’s sweet, silly, and feels like a playable slice of comfort food.
All together, this March 5 update feels like Apple Arcade flexing a little: one exclusive fantasy epic for your inner adventurer, and three softer, lighter games for when you just want to exist happily in your own little digital bubble. Apple Arcade doesn’t lack cozy games like that, so I really appreciate the arrival of Oceanhorn 3. After Civilization VII joined the platform a couple of months ago, it’s nice to see Apple Arcade treating its clients with some nice blockbuster-ish, epic, larger-than-life type of games.
If you like the franchise and were hoping to play the sequel, the only way to do so for now is to get an Apple Arcade subscription. The good news is that you can get a month’s free trial using this link… which is pretty cool. Personally, considering how long Oceanhorn 3 should take you to complete, you’ll want to subscribe for a couple of months – and then you have no excuse to give the long list of other games a shot.
