Endless Ocean

"A majestic and genre defining experience"

Endless Ocean is a title that manages to be genre defining even in todays crowded video game market. The focus of this game is on discovery, exploration and relaxation inside the game world rather than overcoming specific challenges. You take on the role of a diver exploring a section of ocean near an island called Monoa Lai. It's up to the player where and when to dive but you are gently guided by a progression of story events as well. Endless Ocean is part simulation, part game and very engrossing in general.

Controls - 9/10:
The controls in Endless Ocean are intuitive and well executed. The Wii remote is used without any other attachments to direct the action. An onscreen cursor can be used to point at the various fish, animals and other oddities found in the sea. It's possible to poke or pet objects to interact with them in a virtual sense. Swimming is accomplished by holding the B trigger while pointing the direction you want to swim and an auto swimming mode can be activated too. Toggling between first or third person camera is possible too. The d-pad is used to flip through a menu giving various options to use your diving equipment in several ways. Everything is natural and responsive, you will soon forget that your even holding a controller while swimming around.

Graphics - 9/10:
I have to give this game some credit here. Once you dive into the ocean the attention to detail and accuracy is impeccable. The sea floor and close up views look great with a very high resolution to the textures. Even when zoomed near scenery or wildlife everything looks solid. There are some fantastic scenes where light streams are coming through the water's surface and soft ripples can be seen reflecting onto the terrain. The corals and animal life are well animated and varied with seemingly accurate coloring and shape. In many locations close-up views can be activated that magnify the detail and beauty even further. Bright sunlight can be seen rippling at the surface level while bubbles occasionally trail behind your diver.

Sound - 9/10:
The soundtrack included in this game is high quality all around. Most of the tracks are by Hayley Westenra and really have a suitable feel for underwater exploration. One track named Benedictus is particularly chilling and epic sounding. There is also an option to put your own MP3 tracks onto the SD card which gets a big thumbs up from me. The ambient effects are also well represented and wearing a good pair of headphones makes everything seem more immersive.

Storyline - 8/10:
The storyline revolves around you and your colleague aboard the Gabbiano (your ship) making discoveries and exploring more and more of the ocean. There are various events and cut-scenes that reveal a little extra information about the characters and environment. You can progress through these aspects at your own pace even ignoring many events if you wish. It's nothing extravagant but seems to fit into the peaceful and relaxed nature of the game well enough. The story serves mostly as a means of giving you a nudge in the right direction instead of just leaving you to aimless wandering. There is also a lot of interesting information to review regarding the sea-life and objects you find while out on a dive.

Gameplay 8/10:
Most of the play elements involve the exploration of the ocean and it's inhabitants. You can keep an encyclopedia of sea-life you encounter and any items found are stored on your boat. This gives the game a definite collecting aspect. Day and night diving results in varying types of creatures that can be found as well as modifying the atmosphere a bit. Basic tasks like being a tour guide, receiving email, changing equipment or taking photos come up occasionally adding a little variety. Finding treasures and collecting information about each inhabitant is quite interesting as well. There are quite a few special events that can be triggered by following the story path and executing certain actions. These events add a little cinematic flare and sense of progression to the experience. Finding all the hidden content and just playing around with everything in the game world is a big part of the fun. It would be nice to have a few more activities or mini-games to pass the time but overall the gameplay manages to stay true to the concept.

Summary:
Endless Ocean provides a style of entertainment that transcends what you might expect from a typical video game. Somehow this odd collection of activities and simulated ocean exploration manages to create a completely enthralling and majestic experience. At the $30 asking price it's easy to recommend this to anyone interested in trying something a little different. Endless Ocean gives players something of a respite from titles that contain more tense forms of action and ends up being a wholly positive endeavour in the process.

Overall score: 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/28/08

Game Release: Endless Ocean (US, 01/21/08)