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This thread has been linked to the game 'Endless Ocean'.
To call Endless Ocean a hardcore gamers game is so far from the truth. To even call it a game alone borders on incorrect too because you see when actually playing this title you soon come to realise that this is more an experience than anything else. And there’s nothing even close to it on the market.
Taking the role of a rookie diver you begin to learn the ins and outs of scuba diving before tackling a few jobs that range from tours and experiments to photos for magazines and teaching dolphins tricks. You don’t know too much about the people you meet and play as and the story serves as weak link between diving and jobs. While you aren’t swimming in the cold waters below, you are walking around your boat choosing locations, reading your log book and even petting penguins. It’s kept very simple and that’s why it should appeal more to non gamers.
The actual creatures you encounter are quite beautiful and it’s always a pleasure crossing by another new one as you explore deeper into the map. It also seemed as you progressed further through the game the creatures you come by became more and more impressive in look. To begin you see the small fishes, then move onto some stingrays and dolphins and right up to whales and sharks. It’s a great way to make you want to keep playing and find more and exciting creatures.
As mentioned before you will be swimming an awful lot, however there are a few other things that mix it up a little. For one you can train dolphins to perform tricks. While it isn’t entirely fleshed out it is fun to command them to do flips with the remote. Then you can read through your log book which contains a great deal of information about each creature you’ve seen. It’s interesting to a certain degree but I’m sure animal lovers will get the most out of this. You can even upgrade your swimsuit and equipment which will then later lead you to previously inaccessible areas.
There is no real goal to Endless Ocean per say but rather the freedom to do as you please. Sure you can observe fish and add them to your logbook, take photos, lead tours and collect treasures but you do so when and if you want to. You can of course choose to ignore e-mails with objectives and stick to familiar locations, but if you’d rather complete them you’re rewarded with newer interesting environments full of even more exotic creatures. It’s entirely up to you.
Visually the game is excellent with the underwater wildlife moving very fluidly and realistically as well as long great too. It has to be said what with all the creatures and weathered ruins to explore this is definitely one of the prettier Wii games. The only negative point I can make is in the divers themselves which while fluid in the water, out of it not only look pretty basic but also move like robots in serious need of oil.
As for the audio, while the music offered is not going to be to everyones tastes it is suiting to the mood of the game. A big plus is the ability to use your own music off an SD card however the execution isn’t as pleasing. In order to change tracks not only must you leave the water and board your ship but also enter the music options every time. It isn’t possible to skip or search for tunes when you’re in the water so you’re left listening to the same song repeated over and over till you head back to the boat.
Obviously the biggest problem with the game is the fact it isn’t for everyone and as action packed and fast paced as many games out there. Far from it in fact. If you need guns, adventure and actual difficulty and goals in what you play then avoid this at all costs. You need patience with this since all you’re doing a majority of the time is swimming in a virtual aquarium. Other than that the game doesn’t do much else wrong.
While there’s no multiplayer there is an unexpected online mode to try. Along With one other person (yes only one which is disappointing) you can together explore the ocean depths as a team. It’s okay to swim with a friend, but with no real means of communication with one another it makes the experience seem kind of lifeless. But it’s definitely good to see even with a game like this, risks are being taken with Wi-Fi on the Wii.
So does the game handle well, using the controls innovatively, offering an exciting way to play? Not exactly. While I’m sure many have images of people waving both remote and nunchuck to mimic flippers in water that sadly isn’t the case here. Things are kept simple with just the remote used as a pointer for direction and B to kick your feet. Obviously this was a game with everyone in mind and the easy to grasp controls do their job and work well.
For a console that covers pretty much every type of game (shooters, sports, drivers) Endless Ocean for me is a breath of fresh air not really fitting anywhere but rather creating its own genre. Part game, part aquarium and part simulation. Endless Ocean does exactly what it says on the tin. And that is either its greatest selling point or biggest turn off depending on the player.
Taking the role of a rookie diver you begin to learn the ins and outs of scuba diving before tackling a few jobs that range from tours and experiments to photos for magazines and teaching dolphins tricks. You don’t know too much about the people you meet and play as and the story serves as weak link between diving and jobs. While you aren’t swimming in the cold waters below, you are walking around your boat choosing locations, reading your log book and even petting penguins. It’s kept very simple and that’s why it should appeal more to non gamers.
The actual creatures you encounter are quite beautiful and it’s always a pleasure crossing by another new one as you explore deeper into the map. It also seemed as you progressed further through the game the creatures you come by became more and more impressive in look. To begin you see the small fishes, then move onto some stingrays and dolphins and right up to whales and sharks. It’s a great way to make you want to keep playing and find more and exciting creatures.
As mentioned before you will be swimming an awful lot, however there are a few other things that mix it up a little. For one you can train dolphins to perform tricks. While it isn’t entirely fleshed out it is fun to command them to do flips with the remote. Then you can read through your log book which contains a great deal of information about each creature you’ve seen. It’s interesting to a certain degree but I’m sure animal lovers will get the most out of this. You can even upgrade your swimsuit and equipment which will then later lead you to previously inaccessible areas.
There is no real goal to Endless Ocean per say but rather the freedom to do as you please. Sure you can observe fish and add them to your logbook, take photos, lead tours and collect treasures but you do so when and if you want to. You can of course choose to ignore e-mails with objectives and stick to familiar locations, but if you’d rather complete them you’re rewarded with newer interesting environments full of even more exotic creatures. It’s entirely up to you.
Visually the game is excellent with the underwater wildlife moving very fluidly and realistically as well as long great too. It has to be said what with all the creatures and weathered ruins to explore this is definitely one of the prettier Wii games. The only negative point I can make is in the divers themselves which while fluid in the water, out of it not only look pretty basic but also move like robots in serious need of oil.
As for the audio, while the music offered is not going to be to everyones tastes it is suiting to the mood of the game. A big plus is the ability to use your own music off an SD card however the execution isn’t as pleasing. In order to change tracks not only must you leave the water and board your ship but also enter the music options every time. It isn’t possible to skip or search for tunes when you’re in the water so you’re left listening to the same song repeated over and over till you head back to the boat.
Obviously the biggest problem with the game is the fact it isn’t for everyone and as action packed and fast paced as many games out there. Far from it in fact. If you need guns, adventure and actual difficulty and goals in what you play then avoid this at all costs. You need patience with this since all you’re doing a majority of the time is swimming in a virtual aquarium. Other than that the game doesn’t do much else wrong.
While there’s no multiplayer there is an unexpected online mode to try. Along With one other person (yes only one which is disappointing) you can together explore the ocean depths as a team. It’s okay to swim with a friend, but with no real means of communication with one another it makes the experience seem kind of lifeless. But it’s definitely good to see even with a game like this, risks are being taken with Wi-Fi on the Wii.
So does the game handle well, using the controls innovatively, offering an exciting way to play? Not exactly. While I’m sure many have images of people waving both remote and nunchuck to mimic flippers in water that sadly isn’t the case here. Things are kept simple with just the remote used as a pointer for direction and B to kick your feet. Obviously this was a game with everyone in mind and the easy to grasp controls do their job and work well.
For a console that covers pretty much every type of game (shooters, sports, drivers) Endless Ocean for me is a breath of fresh air not really fitting anywhere but rather creating its own genre. Part game, part aquarium and part simulation. Endless Ocean does exactly what it says on the tin. And that is either its greatest selling point or biggest turn off depending on the player.
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To call Endless Ocean a hardcore gamers game is so far from the truth. To even call it a game alone borders on incorrect too because you see when actually playing this title you soon come to realise that this is more an experience than anything else. And there’s nothing even close to it on the market.
Taking the role of a rookie diver you begin to learn the ins and outs of scuba diving before tackling a few jobs that range from tours and experiments to photos for magazines and teaching dolphins tricks. You don’t know too much about the people you meet and play as and the story serves as weak link between diving and jobs. While you aren’t swimming in the cold waters below, you are walking around your boat choosing locations, reading your log book and even petting penguins. It’s kept very simple and that’s why it should appeal more to non gamers.
The actual creatures you encounter are quite beautiful and it’s always a pleasure crossing by another new one as you explore deeper into the map. It also seemed as you progressed further through the game the creatures you come by became more and more impressive in look. To begin you see the small fishes, then move onto some stingrays and dolphins and right up to whales and sharks. It’s a great way to make you want to keep playing and find more and exciting creatures.
As mentioned before you will be swimming an awful lot, however there are a few other things that mix it up a little. For one you can train dolphins to perform tricks. While it isn’t entirely fleshed out it is fun to command them to do flips with the remote. Then you can read through your log book which contains a great deal of information about each creature you’ve seen. It’s interesting to a certain degree but I’m sure animal lovers will get the most out of this. You can even upgrade your swimsuit and equipment which will then later lead you to previously inaccessible areas.
There is no real goal to Endless Ocean per say but rather the freedom to do as you please. Sure you can observe fish and add them to your logbook, take photos, lead tours and collect treasures but you do so when and if you want to. You can of course choose to ignore e-mails with objectives and stick to familiar locations, but if you’d rather complete them you’re rewarded with newer interesting environments full of even more exotic creatures. It’s entirely up to you.
Visually the game is excellent with the underwater wildlife moving very fluidly and realistically as well as long great too. It has to be said what with all the creatures and weathered ruins to explore this is definitely one of the prettier Wii games. The only negative point I can make is in the divers themselves which while fluid in the water, out of it not only look pretty basic but also move like robots in serious need of oil.
As for the audio, while the music offered is not going to be to everyones tastes it is suiting to the mood of the game. A big plus is the ability to use your own music off an SD card however the execution isn’t as pleasing. In order to change tracks not only must you leave the water and board your ship but also enter the music options every time. It isn’t possible to skip or search for tunes when you’re in the water so you’re left listening to the same song repeated over and over till you head back to the boat.
Obviously the biggest problem with the game is the fact it isn’t for everyone and as action packed and fast paced as many games out there. Far from it in fact. If you need guns, adventure and actual difficulty and goals in what you play then avoid this at all costs. You need patience with this since all you’re doing a majority of the time is swimming in a virtual aquarium. Other than that the game doesn’t do much else wrong.
While there’s no multiplayer there is an unexpected online mode to try. Along With one other person (yes only one which is disappointing) you can together explore the ocean depths as a team. It’s okay to swim with a friend, but with no real means of communication with one another it makes the experience seem kind of lifeless. But it’s definitely good to see even with a game like this, risks are being taken with Wi-Fi on the Wii.
So does the game handle well, using the controls innovatively, offering an exciting way to play? Not exactly. While I’m sure many have images of people waving both remote and nunchuck to mimic flippers in water that sadly isn’t the case here. Things are kept simple with just the remote used as a pointer for direction and B to kick your feet. Obviously this was a game with everyone in mind and the easy to grasp controls do their job and work well.
For a console that covers pretty much every type of game (shooters, sports, drivers) Endless Ocean for me is a breath of fresh air not really fitting anywhere but rather creating its own genre. Part game, part aquarium and part simulation. Endless Ocean does exactly what it says on the tin. And that is either its greatest selling point or biggest turn off depending on the player.
Taking the role of a rookie diver you begin to learn the ins and outs of scuba diving before tackling a few jobs that range from tours and experiments to photos for magazines and teaching dolphins tricks. You don’t know too much about the people you meet and play as and the story serves as weak link between diving and jobs. While you aren’t swimming in the cold waters below, you are walking around your boat choosing locations, reading your log book and even petting penguins. It’s kept very simple and that’s why it should appeal more to non gamers.
The actual creatures you encounter are quite beautiful and it’s always a pleasure crossing by another new one as you explore deeper into the map. It also seemed as you progressed further through the game the creatures you come by became more and more impressive in look. To begin you see the small fishes, then move onto some stingrays and dolphins and right up to whales and sharks. It’s a great way to make you want to keep playing and find more and exciting creatures.
As mentioned before you will be swimming an awful lot, however there are a few other things that mix it up a little. For one you can train dolphins to perform tricks. While it isn’t entirely fleshed out it is fun to command them to do flips with the remote. Then you can read through your log book which contains a great deal of information about each creature you’ve seen. It’s interesting to a certain degree but I’m sure animal lovers will get the most out of this. You can even upgrade your swimsuit and equipment which will then later lead you to previously inaccessible areas.
There is no real goal to Endless Ocean per say but rather the freedom to do as you please. Sure you can observe fish and add them to your logbook, take photos, lead tours and collect treasures but you do so when and if you want to. You can of course choose to ignore e-mails with objectives and stick to familiar locations, but if you’d rather complete them you’re rewarded with newer interesting environments full of even more exotic creatures. It’s entirely up to you.
Visually the game is excellent with the underwater wildlife moving very fluidly and realistically as well as long great too. It has to be said what with all the creatures and weathered ruins to explore this is definitely one of the prettier Wii games. The only negative point I can make is in the divers themselves which while fluid in the water, out of it not only look pretty basic but also move like robots in serious need of oil.
As for the audio, while the music offered is not going to be to everyones tastes it is suiting to the mood of the game. A big plus is the ability to use your own music off an SD card however the execution isn’t as pleasing. In order to change tracks not only must you leave the water and board your ship but also enter the music options every time. It isn’t possible to skip or search for tunes when you’re in the water so you’re left listening to the same song repeated over and over till you head back to the boat.
Obviously the biggest problem with the game is the fact it isn’t for everyone and as action packed and fast paced as many games out there. Far from it in fact. If you need guns, adventure and actual difficulty and goals in what you play then avoid this at all costs. You need patience with this since all you’re doing a majority of the time is swimming in a virtual aquarium. Other than that the game doesn’t do much else wrong.
While there’s no multiplayer there is an unexpected online mode to try. Along With one other person (yes only one which is disappointing) you can together explore the ocean depths as a team. It’s okay to swim with a friend, but with no real means of communication with one another it makes the experience seem kind of lifeless. But it’s definitely good to see even with a game like this, risks are being taken with Wi-Fi on the Wii.
So does the game handle well, using the controls innovatively, offering an exciting way to play? Not exactly. While I’m sure many have images of people waving both remote and nunchuck to mimic flippers in water that sadly isn’t the case here. Things are kept simple with just the remote used as a pointer for direction and B to kick your feet. Obviously this was a game with everyone in mind and the easy to grasp controls do their job and work well.
For a console that covers pretty much every type of game (shooters, sports, drivers) Endless Ocean for me is a breath of fresh air not really fitting anywhere but rather creating its own genre. Part game, part aquarium and part simulation. Endless Ocean does exactly what it says on the tin. And that is either its greatest selling point or biggest turn off depending on the player.