Endless Ocean Luminous got here alongside precisely after I wanted it essentially the most. Fourth months in and, personally talking, this yr has confirmed to be an unexpectedly turbulent one. The probability to submerge myself into an underwater world of aquatic surprise delivered a meditative, zen-like expertise that rapidly grew to become a welcome escape from life’s undesirable pressures.
Arika‘s shock return to its long-dormant explorative scuba diving collection is not like anything which you could count on to play all yr. It is part-educational in showcasing how video games can be utilized to show gamers of all ages concerning the creatures that dwell beneath Earth’s huge oceans. But, it is usually an expertise that largely thrives on the fun of finding as-yet undiscovered marine life to fully fill your Pokédex-like Creature Log over time.
Story, Solo Dives and Shared Dives are the three modes which you could select find out how to spend your time between. Where Solo Dives and Shared Dives procedurally generate a “dive-site” so that you can both discover alone at your leisure or with as much as 30 gamers on-line, the sport’s Story mode appears to be like to introduce you to its gameplay mechanics with pre-generated areas and an environment-championing storyline.
You play as a researcher that the Ocean Research Project has despatched to analyze the Veiled Sea, an ocean area whose topographical options are in fixed flux. Supported by a synthetic intelligence referred to as Sera (Survey, Exploration and Research Assistant) in your dives, your final aim is to work out find out how to save the World Coral. This massive reef is crucial to sustaining life within the Veiled Sea, however, for unknown causes, some elements of it are dying. You should assist the Project Aegis crew determine why it’s taking place and cease the necrosis earlier than it’s too late.
The reply lies in Endless Ocean Luminous’ uncomplicated gameplay loop, during which, plunging to the depths of the ocean, you’re merely tasked with documenting the creatures that you simply encounter, exploring the breadth of the world that you’re in and retrieving any salvage that you simply discover littering the seafloor. Every creature that you simply scan is coated in luminous micro organism which is repelled by the electromagnetic waves from the Ocean Research Project’s scanning arrays. This could also be the place the sport plucks its subtitle from, however the course of, known as “amassing gentle,” is how the World Coral could be restored.
The chaptered story is satisfying sufficient for what it’s, even whether it is permeated with unlock situations that periodically block you from bingeing your means by means of it in its entirety – scanning creatures 500 occasions earlier than having the ability to transfer on to Chapter 2-1 solely to then must scan them 2,000 occasions to unlock Chapter 2-3 after which 3,200 occasions to unlock Chapter 3-1, as an example. This could push the participant to take part in additional Solo Dives and Shared Dives, however such obstacles really feel pointless and can probably stop notably youthful gamers from seeing the story by means of to its conclusion.
Everything that you simply do in Endless Ocean Luminous is helpful, at the very least. Your dives are evaluated throughout 4 standards – Teamwork, Research, Salvage and Exploration – with the factors that you’re awarded rewarding you with in-game foreign money and factors in direction of rating up. Your cash can be utilized to customize your diver with new swimsuit color patterns, stickers and emotes to carry out, whereas rating up will enhance your Sticker Slots and Dive Capacity – letting you select to briefly swim alongside ever-increasingly bigger and rarer creatures.
Away from finishing the 578-strong Creature Log and recovering the 340-odd objects within the Salvage Log, additional objectives come from unlocking 89 in-game achievements and studying concerning the 99 mysteries surrounding the Veiled Sea that can illuminate the Mystery Board’s tiles. There’s additionally a Photo Mode so you’ll be able to take snaps alongside your favorite aquatic creatures.
While Solo Dives supplied the prospect to slowly and methodically search round procedurally-generated areas of the Veiled Sea alone whereas I listened to a podcast or music within the background, it’s in multiplayer that the expertise actually begins to shine. Teaming up in Shared Dives, the collaborative effort to map out the world and scan as many creatures as doable inside the 60-minute time restrict has way more vitality about it. Starting individually from one another, discovering different gamers will type Sharing Links – the extra you’ve gotten the higher the rewards can be that you simply obtain.
Whether in a Solo Dive or Shared Dive, the Ocean Research Project could inform you a few mission that, as soon as accomplished, will reward you with the prospect to scan an uncommon creature within the space known as Unidentified Marine Life (UML). These tended to be Search and Scan missions for me, challenged to find a number of creatures with uncommon biometric indicators earlier than the majestic creature that got here as my reward appeared. This can be expanded upon with themed Event Dives, though the content material for the primary of those stays unannounced.
With Tags – marking a creature or salvage for every others’ reference on the map – and emotes as the one technique of communication, the dearth of voice chat or textual content chat continues to hamper the Nintendo Switch Online expertise years on, even when the family-friendly security implications could be understood.
While the great thing about its underwater expanse can ceaselessly mesmerise, it’s the lifelike element given to the creatures that inhabit it that astounds. It’s a relentless pleasure to find one thing new, rounded out by the informative descriptions that accompany every creature in order that gamers can be taught extra concerning the aquatic life that calls our planet dwelling.
Endless Ocean Luminous is definitely worth the plunge, and, together with different experiences like Nintendo Labo and Game Builder Garage, demonstrates a dedication to broadening what Nintendo Switch can supply past merely being a “video games” console. It’s a welcome change of tempo from the common bustle of modern-day gaming experiences, providing a soothing underwater diversion that shouldn’t be neglected.
Version Tested: Nintendo Switch
Review copy offered by Nintendo
