25.12.2007

I've been a gamer for many years now, but i've never come across a game like this before. This proves what the Wii is all about - creating something new, different, but not necessarily marketing it by looks Endless Ocean proves why the Wii is was been the biggest selling Christmas present this year in 2007, and why it will continue to amaze gamers in the most unique senses.And to be fair, I agree with other reviewers who suggest this is very much an under-rated game. That's probably silly considering its had nothing but praise, but its the fact that other games will sadly over-shadow it; whether this is because the marketing for this game is very lacked I don't know.But if you picked out 10 gamers to play who originally slated the Wii for being 'underpowered' or 'stupid' (yeah we've all heard them whoppers) then I guarantee at least 9 would change their minds after playing this.Endless Ocean is a truly beautiful game. I am an experienced tropical fish keeper myself and simply had to get this for Christmas. It was probably the best present I got this year!Though it may lack the technical prowess on board the deck as you walk around, its all made up for under water. Graphically, this must be the best looking Wii game at the moment, putting any software for the Gamecube to shame. I would even go as far as saying that the attention to detail could put a show on for the Xbox 360, as much of the sea-floor is absolutely stunning, as are the fish and creatures themselves. But just like Resident Evil 4 and Super Mario Galaxy have proved, the Wii has a phenomenal capability for producing stunning physics. Remember; physics is how the GPU can handle shapes and objects, and interpret them into the desired movements. When you're underwater in this game, every movement is lifelike, and it was lovely to see all my favourite fish being captured so perfectly.So how is the game structured, you're probably wondering. After all, little has been said apart from the unique experience. A descent, but simple plot houses the world that is 'Endless Ocean' - you're asked at the start to give in your details and to sign up to help a young lady on a boat called the Gabbiano. You have no set mission; you're merely their to help her with the marine biology. You could say it's a bit of a Mulder and Scully partnership... without the crime!And so, after settling into the shallow waters around the corals, you'll soon get used to swimming around, and will realise that the controls simply would never have been effective on any other games console. Its just unique.As time goes on, a story develops, and soon you'll be receiving plenty of emails in your cabin each day for requests. A magazine might want you to take pictures for them, someone might want you to dive with them on a tour, or you'll be asked to explore an area... the more you progress, the more opportunities that arise, and the more exciting the game gets. Sadly, you actually feel like your counterpart- diver in the game!After pleasing other divers with your amazing tours of the corals, or after taking photos of rare sharks (the hardest part!) you're rewarded with a grade, and if you're good enough, new equipment! New wetsuits, gloves, helmets, air-tanks, and lots more (even hair styles! Oddly..) become available, and soon you'll be The Don of the underwater world. Don't be put off by the boring outfit at the start of the game - I now sport a nice yellow and blue wetsuit, green gloves, a green tank, and a hard hat helmet for good measure!To personalise your experience further, you have the opportunity of playing MP3 files off your SD card. Their is only one flaw - it has a repeat mode which you can't take off! A song I 100% recommend you download immediately is 'Saltwater' (Thrillseekers Remix) by Chicane. It's a super super super chilled version of the hit dance track. It's on an album called "Chilled Euphoria" (vol.1) which again, is absolutely stunning.The only things I would say are to be patient and ignore the mindless 1-3 star reviews of people saying "i stopped playing it cos it got well borin" blah blah... Yes, this game requires alot of patience at first - just like in life, your character needs to progress and become well known. Once you start finding your way around and start completing missions, you'll be on your way to discovering super-rare crabs in dark tunnels, eels in caves, and rare Damsel fish which I've only seen once in the game.On this note, I should remind you all that their are hundreds of fish/creatures available to discover in this game. To put it into perspective, in you Log Book, their are around 47 pages of species, with each page having about 9 fish/creatures on it.... I guarantee 'completing' this game is not a 2 hour achievement. I've been playing this since Christmas and will still discover new species every week.And on a final note, if you've met all the categories so far and feel you're an adventurous person, remember to ask yourself if you can actually last out with this game. Again, their have been people writing reviews with the likes of "all u do is swim wif fish". Well folks... hence the title 'Endless Ocean'. I'm not just praising this game because I have a personal hobby/love of fish-keeping and tropical/marine life. Even if I didn't this would still be an eye opening experience.This is definitely my most treasured game on the Wii at the moment. Like most people here, I love my Wii as it's an innocent and harmless way of just escaping from work and the rush of life (including girls... You'll always be worse than guys! :D) Endless Ocean is the best value escapism from the modern day society, and it's definitely inspired me to go to that final step and actually go diving. But until that day, I'll always have this beautiful game...

14.11.2007

IntroductionI had been tracking this game for a while now every since I read about it in the Official Nintendo Magazine. I went out a promptly picked up the copy I had reserved. I knew it was going to be good but I wasn't expecting this much for £20Story: 9/10Basically you're a (customable) scuba diver with a boat. You travel around a mystical sea exploring the coral reefs and murky depths you encounter. There you will encounter over 200 different species, some easily found others you will have to be in the right place at the right time in order to find. Also you can train your `pet' dolphin and occasionally you will receive `missions'. There is no pressure to complete them but you can if you want.You can also create a custom aquarium from all the creatures you've seen and swim alongside them. The main aim of it though is to make you slow yourself down, relax and just enjoy the simplicity and gorgeous graphics.Gameplay: 10/10Easy to get into and something that you won't need to strain yourself in order to do. Simply point and hold B and the diver swims, a 3 year old, or even your techno-phobic grandparents could play it, and enjoy the atmosphereGraphics: 10/10One of the best looking games out on the Wii at the moment. The water is great and the wildlife look almost real. Overall simply gorgeous graphicsMusic: 10/10A breakthrough in music for gaming not only is the it appropriate for the surroundings it is also tranquil, relaxing and they are real songs by famous artists. However if their not your taste no worries create a playlist and put it on a SD card and, yes like Excite Truck, you can listen to the songs whilst playing instead.Wi-Fi: ??/10Similar to Animal Crossing you basically can swim around together and send messages. I suppose you could make up some games like hide `n' seek. I cannot truly comment on the WiFi as I have not been online yet due to the fact I couldn't find anyone to go online withPlay Time/Replayability 10/10This is where it all comes in. This is the Wii's answer to Animal Crossing (at least at the moment) a game that has no real objective. Because of this it is a game that can be played for hours without you getting bored and you don't have to do the same thing over and over. Bored of identifying wildlife, train your `pet', bored of that examine a sunken galley. There are so many things to do.Final: 10/10This is such an awesome game that just about anyone will like. This game is so in depth, yet so simple that just about anybody can play it. Casual players can just can play just 10 minutes a day and still feel satisfied whilst hardcore will spend days trying to hunt down the trickiest species. This is one of those games that you could be playing right until the next generation or at least until next year. The age range on this game is everywhere from 3-year-olds to OAPs as absolutely anyone can play due to easy controls, superb graphics and its relaxing atmosphere.Buy Yes/No: YES!If you have a Wii get out their and buy it now. This is one of those games that you can kill hours on and that will relax even the most stressed person (believe me)

13.2.2009

Put simply, Endless Ocean is a delight. Although it's hardly representative of the authentic diving experience (no coral grazes, fears of the bends and jellyfish paranoia for example) it does represent pretty well the scopophilic joys of a beautifully realised underwater world.The on-deck conversations with your, rather frustrating, shipmate form the bulk of the story and are in many cases the weakest part of the adventure. But they do add the occasional spur to head off to another part of the ocean for a while. Other narrative devices, emails asking for you to take some client down and show them around, or suggesting you submit one of your photographic masterpieces for publication,are treats and help you back into the game each time you load it up.Trying to achieve a good photograph is a challenge in itself. Those wretched whale sharks are not predisposed to posing for your camera. However this doesn't feel frustrating, it just makes those occasional gems well worth fighting for. I can't help but sport a self-satisfied grin, flicking through the album of my best photographic achievements each time I manage a beautifully composed masterpiece.An aspect of the game I'd intended to loath was its soundtrack. Really not my thing. However after the initial horror of Hayley Westenra's vocal fluff it became something of a guilty pleasure and didn't grate as badly I'd imagined.The larger inhabitants of the sea can really instil in the player a sense of wonder. This is a testament to how well the game absorbs you into its world. And this takes me to, what I consider to be, the principle achievement of Endless Ocean. It is startling that for a game in which you cannot die, or even be attacked, the sense of dread when swimming around in the abyss amongst sharks is wonderfully realised and the sudden intrusion of some vast leviathan making its way through the depths is as stupefyingly grand as it should be. The game reaches out to you at these moments and makes you feel part of its world, much like having your head hacked off in Resident Evil 4, but on Valium.It's difficult to explain to gaming friends why exactly they should like Endless Ocean, and you probably have to pick up the controls and plunge into this virtual diving experience yourself to appreciate the game. These controls are pretty instinctive once under water, unlike the bizarre directional fumbling that hampered my swimming abilities in the otherwise sublime Super Mario Galaxy. This is important as any frustration present in playing Endless Ocean would detract from the main reason it's on my shelf: to counter the stresses of the day job and allow myself to calmly drift off into the screen.Take a break from fragging beasties and settle down on a devilishly comfortable armchair for a game well worth buying particularly at its bargain price, and if you don't succumb to its sultry charms I sincerely apologise. However I don't think I'll have need to. Let us hope the impending Endless Ocean 2 manages to build on the immersive and spell-binding experience set by its predecessor.

21.11.2007

In an age where we are inundated with an endless stream of FPS', MMORPG's, driving sims (etc) every month which are just carbon copies of previous titles, this is something I've never experienced before, and is a well needed break from the norm. With more and more money being pumped into the games industry; like the film industry, games are becoming far more predictable as publishers like EA or MS only want to back guaranteed successes like the generic Halo 3.Thankfully there are still studios out there that are willing to break the mould and create a gem of a game like Endless Ocean. As a certified diver myself, I was always looking forward to this since I first heard about it,and it does have a very strong real diving feel to it and brings back fond memories from previous holidays any fellow divers might have had. I think the developers might have been divers themselves, as they've clearly put a lot of love and care into this game. A score from the highly respected Famitsu magazine in Japan of 35/40 is testament to its quality. It's a wonderfully relaxing experience but I can imagine many unimaginative "gamers" wondering what the point of it is, i.e. "Where's the fun if I can't pull out an AK47 and shoot all the fishies, yawwwwn!!"You move seamlessly through the immersive underwater world, the controls are excellent and effortless. The tutorial is simple and introduces all the depths of this game with ease; the fact that my two 9 year old brothers are loving it and one has clocked up many hours in the week we've had it (even a lot more than Mario Galaxy!) and now the fact they want to scuba dive in real life even more shows the tutorial's and the game's overall ease of play.Poking and stroking fishes, identifying them, taking photographs etc. all become quite addicting; in the mould of Animal Crossing style addiction (though even more addicting as that didn't hold my interest for THAT long). The music is beautiful too and really adds to the relaxing atmosphere, as does the use of only the Wii remote so you are free to rest or do whatever you like with your other hand.So if you're after something very different from the endless stream of mediocre shooters and whatnot then go for this! The controls are brilliant; the graphics are beautiful for what they are on the Wii, as is the music (which you can even play your own tracks via an SD card, use an audio editing software and link up songs if you want more than one song to play), you'll end up playing for hours and not realize it as you get lost in Endless Ocean's immersive world.In my opinion, this is the kind of game the Wii was made for; it would not work as well on any other system and definitely would not be half as relaxing having to hold a clunky controller etc. It's good to finally see a game tapping into the Wii's potential, pick it up (if you can find it!); for 20 squid you can't go wrong!

9.9.2019

In my search to try to find something different to play on my Wii I stumbled upon this Hidden Gem this is fun and also relaxing game to play you dive down into the ocean discover new forms of sea life, find Hidden Treasures and rare artifacts, take people on scuba diving trips, and so forth and so on you're hired by young woman to explore the secrets hidden beneath the water I got to be honest I have not yet fully completed the game but what I have played makes it an enjoyable and again rather relaxing game to play a nice Change-Up if you get a little bit tired of the typical shoot-'em-up. Graphics aren't bad for the time the games a little bit unrealistic you can just go up to various sea

22.4.2009

This game allows you to view sea life in very realistic scenarios and the beautiful part is that you don't have to risk life and limb. All the animals are not aggressive toward your diver. Learning about so many different types and kinds of sea creatures is just wonderful. The only reason I gave it 4 out of 5 stars is because sometimes the instructions sent to you via "email" are not easy to understand and if you try to do what it asks for sometimes it is difficult enough to figure it out that you might have to stop out of some frustration. There is one instance in particular where my "partner" on the boat suggests that you "do" something and when you try you can't seem to get back to the place she is referencing.

25.9.2011

When the Wii was first revailed, Nintendo promised to market the console towards casual fans just as much as hardcore gamers. While it was obvious the console would follow traditional kid freindly Nintendo antics, I would never of guessed them to go this far. A game entirely aimed at relaxation. This is Endless Ocean. A game that may seem comepletly alien to gamers from the shoot fist, think later background, but whats more suprising, Arika manage to pull this one off. Endless Ocean is a fantastic game, and one anyone looking for somthing new should try out. Thats not to say it will suit everyone. You play as a diver who travels the world with a way to sexy marine biolgist partner.

12.11.2007

I have only had it a few days so it could lose its interest but I think this is a great simulation of the best diving experience you can have. Its still better to do the real thing but if you cant then this is a good way to have fun and pretend. It has real educational value with various levels of information on each creature along with their common and latin names. It takes some of the interaction elements from Nintendogs when getting close to sea creatures to great effect.There is a lot to do and see and play with even though it moves at a slow pace. You do lose time out of nowhere. Getting into a peaceful/relaxing trance is easy to do with this game.

19.5.2008

Endless Ocean is a very unique experience compared with traditional games. It's not Super Smash Brothers; you don't fight anyone, there's no score kept, and you really can't die or meet with other bad fates. It's also not a scuba diving simulation; as a certified diver, I doubt I'd follow a large shark into a narrow cave in real life, but in the game, no problem. You don't have to worry about getting the bends, running out of air (even if you stayed down long enough, you're simply returned to the boat), or getting stung by jellyfish or attacked by aggressive sea creatures.What is addicting about the game is the exploration. There are several unique sites in the game,

18.2.2008

I love marine life. We've had a marine aquarium for several years and are highly addicted to the hobby. So, anything with oceans and marine life is going to peak my interest.The basic premise of the game, is to explore and discover life and treasures under the sea. Throughout the game, you're given a variety of missions and assignments that you can choose to accept or ignore. Some are taking pictures for a magazine and others are being a dive guide. With each dive there are opportunities to meet and discover new species of fish and sea life.Doesn't sound like much of a game does it? Well, it's really not a game, it's more of an exploration. While it does have a great deal of educational value,

10.3.2008

Let me start by saying I bought this for my non gaming wife, just so she could have something where you can't lose, you can't die, there is no challenge, no levels to beat, and time is virtually meaningless. All of this is achieved in Endless Ocean. A non-gaming game genre!With that said, SHE LOVES IT! I think she would easily give it 5 stars, but she's not writing this, I am. The first time (or two) I plugged in the disk I have to admit being disappointed. But when I reached a point where I was tired of action, strategy, and games in the fast lane I tried again. What I discovered is that Endless Ocean lets you immerse yourself in a relaxing, slow paced world, that is very enjoyable, even surreal.Ok,

24.6.2010

Gave this a try after noticing that the sequel is highly-acclaimed on the Nintendo-channel (and after seeing it in the Bargain-bin, what luck!!!). This seems an odd title at first, what with the schmaltzy Enya-esque soundtrack, dolphins and penguins for playmates (!) and the fact that you cannot get hurt at all in the game (sharks are weirdly meek and mild for some reason). It depends really on your state-of-mind, but after a bit of play I found it to be a wonderful way to relax and take a break from the normal murdering and mayhem of the rest of my Wii library. The interface is really simple while maintaining a nice visual flair (loading screens look really lovely,

13.1.2008

If you try explaining this game to other people over a pint, it just sounds dull. However, if you want to lounge on your sofa and pootle about trying to find things in the sea, with the soothing sound of Scuba breathing and thats all, this is your thing. I had low expectations, but am really enjoying this game and the kids are starting to get into it too.The basic set up is you are a diver on a boat and have a big ocean to explore. Every time you see a fish (or bigger) you can get to know it by stroking it, and it goes in your Marine Log. The simplistic idea of the game is to complete your Marine Log with all the species - some 40 pages of fish and others....Behind this simple task,

20.6.2008

I was just browsing through the games list on here for games i could get in the future, and i saw this game and read the reviews and there was hardly any bad ones. so i bought it, and when it arrived i thought "is it really that good" and i played it and yes it really is that good.The Wii is my mothers, but she isnt intrested in this game, although i have a feeling that if she ever played it she would like it. But i tried explaining it to her, and like another reviewer said, when you explain it, it just sounds dull and boring and her eyes glazed over. but it isnt like that! lol.I played it and the time just seemed to fly by, i was on it at weekends for like 6-7 hours.

16.3.2013

I bought this game for my nature loving nearly 4 year old and nearly 6 year and I am so pleased I did. Even though it is rated as a 3 my little one struggled a bit as he hasn't yet learnt to read, and all the instructions are written, rather than spoken, but his sister understood the instructions and between the three of us we have loved swimming in the clear waters, discovering all kinds of marine life. At the end of each underwater session we return to the boat and read through the journal to learn more about the fish, sharks, penguins, dolphins, crabs etc that we have encountered. The kids have learnt about map reading, following a compass and also opening, reading and responding to emails.

Endless Ocean (Wii) - Reviews

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