Endless Ocean

"Endless doesn't begin to describe this game"

This is my first review so forgive me if its useless.

This game is top class and it has to be played to be believed. This game may seem boring with people saying things like "All you do is swim around and see fish" this is not true. There is so much more to this game and it is criminally under rated. The games value for money is incredible and this is a must have for any Wii owner.

Story 9/10

First and foremost the story of this game isn't really detailed but it's pretty original. You play as a diver ( who you can customize ) and you explore the vast and beautiful Manurai Sea. You are regularly given tasks like go on guided dives with certain people or take photos of certain fish for magazines. You can take these tasks at your own pace as most of the time there is no deadline this is great and means you can just relax and play the game slowly and leisurely if you want to.

Music 10/10

For some people the music may not be great but in my opinion it is. The music is a selection of songs by Hayley Westenra and they fit perfectly into the game. The music is peaceful and relaxing like the game itself and even if you don't like it you can use a SD card to put your own music into the game as background music while you swim.

Graphics 10/10

The graphics on this game are incredible and they really show what the Wii is capable of. The game is HD compatible and on HD it is fantastic. The detail on fish,sharks and the scenery is brilliant and the water effects are spectacular. I cannot emphasize how good the graphics are for Wii and they can easily be compared to Xbox 360 graphics. The graphics really show off the Wii's power.

Gameplay 10/10

As I have said before this game is criminally under rated and there is so much more than just looking at fish. There are many treasure items to collect, outfits to unlock, loads of fish to see and collect information on and the ocean itself is huge with hidden caves, ruins, a deep abyss and much more. There is so much replayability and so many things to do in this game. Do not expect this game to last 20 hours, it will last much longer. The option to use an underwater camera to take pictures of anything you see adds a lot to this game as you can record the pictures in a photo album (in-game) and view them when you want to.

Multiplayer 9/10

The reason this category lost a point was because of the fact that there is no multiplayer on one console but then again this isn't the sort of game that works well split screen. Instead of multiplayer on one console there is multiplayer over Wifi. Just find a friend or anyone worldwide who has the game, exchange friend codes and you can go diving together. This is a brilliant option and adds a lot more to the game. Going online and exploring the vast ocean with a friend is great.

Controls 10/10

The controls on this game are so simple a 3 year old could play with ease. The controls would only work on Wii as well. Point at the screen and hold B (the trigger button) and your diver will swim in that direction. Press the - button and your diver will go into auto-swim where all you need to do is control his direction with the cursor. Pressing A will let you focus on fish and interact with objects while flicking the Wii remote will make your diver perform a U turn in the water. The + button lets your swimmer zoom in on areas, the 2 button lets you change views from first person to third person and the D-pad bring up a menu of things to do like feed the fish or use the camera. The controls work perfectly and I have no complaints about them.

Value for money 10/10

20 pounds ( 30 bucks) for this game is amazing I would gladly pay twice that amount for a game this good. Need I say any more?

Overall 10/10

This game is one of the best on Wii and I urge you to get it. Some people may be repelled by the false words "All you do is swim around" This is not true. This game is amazing and a must buy. Don't let people talk you out of it. If you like the genre and are a fan of games like Everblue and possibly Ecco the Dolphin this game is ideal for you.

Buy or not? BUY

Rent or Buy? Its up to you but I think you should buy as this game is much too expansive to rent.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/29/08

Game Release: Endless Ocean (EU, 11/09/07)