Endless Ocean

Metachronos overall score = 7.6 / 10

Age = + 5
Story = 5
Multiplayer = N/A
Graphics = 8
Gameplay = 6
Sound = 6
Difficulty = Easy
Type of game = Adventure
Release Date = January 21, 2008

Positive
- An experience like no other
- At times it's absolutely gorgeous and mesmerizing
- Lets you play at your own pace

Negative
- You'll see most of what the game has to offer in just a few hours
- Slow pace might turn off a lot of people
- The game's ocean isn't quite as endless as its title suggests

Considering the seemingly endless yearly parade of sports games and licensed game sequels being released, you'd be forgiven for thinking that there's not much room left for originality in today's video game market. There may not be much room, but games such as Endless Ocean--in which your goal is little more than to scuba dive at your leisure--prove that there are still some truly unique games being produced. Endless Ocean is also a difficult game to review because its slow pace and subject matter are just as likely to appeal to people as it is to turn them off. One thing everyone can agree on is that it is different.



Endless Ocean's presentation is uneven. Sometimes it's extremely beautiful, such as when you're exploring a rainbow-colored reef and an enormous blue whale appears from the ocean's depths and gracefully glides past. Most of the fish and other forms of sea life look and move realistically, and there's a lot of variety to them. The way the sunlight dances off of the water and shines through crevasses to illuminate the ocean's floor is also impressive. There are plenty of beautiful moments, but there are many others that are not so beautiful. Sometimes you'll find yourself swimming over endless sand and rock terrain, where one area is indistinguishable from the next, and with no fish in sight. The visuals are also distinctly better underwater than above. This is a good thing, given that it's a game about scuba diving, but it's also a bad thing because you spend a lot of time on your ugly, aliased boat while looking at ugly, aliased landmasses. Endless Ocean is worth a look for anyone interested enough in the game to read the review. Sure, its pacing is often painfully slow, and you'll see most of what there is to see in a few hours because the ocean isn't quite as endless as the title indicates. Nevertheless, when Endless Ocean is at its best, it's soothing, beautiful, fun, and unlike any other game out there.


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