Endless Ocean

[agentgray]

Ok. I picked it up today and I've only played for 30 minutes. The rest of the family has had this "game" all day.

Things I like:

1. Exploration. Yeah, it's ethereal.
2. Cataloging.
3. Soundtrack.
4. The sense of expanse.
5. You're not that slow.
6. Dolphin training.
7. Overall presentation.

Things I have not tried:

1. Using my own MP3s.
2. Wifi (friend codes?)


Things I don't like:

1. Keeping the dang dot on the screen to turn. But it's a learned action.
2. Nintendo and their dialog button presses. Sigh.
3. Why not vocal audio? That would have helped my 5 year old play it completely.

www.endlessocean.com (sample music and style)

Anyone else want to pony up and say they got it? What are your thoughts. It's not the best "game" ever, but it's "fun." I wonder how long it'll last.

[Spigot]

I have it and I'm proud of that fact.

I adore the music that's on the website. If that's indicative of the music in the game, I'm in love already.

This looks to be a nice game to play at the end of the day to wind down after hours of burnout crashes and what not.

[Sl1pstream]

I'm interested. I'm going to look for Burnout again tomorrow, if I see this I'll probably pick it up.

[UnderHero5]

I might grab it tomorrow. It looks pretty neat.

[Camel]

Wow, after checking out that site I'm definitely interested. The game seems so relaxing (especially the part where you get to pet great whites!). I'd have to read a bit about how much content is there before I'd buy it, though. I don't demand an endless ocean, but a very big ocean would be nice.

[agentgray]

So far, it seems pretty endless. There is a lot to see...and do.

[DaXIthR]

This came up in the "Reviews of No More Heroes" thread that got front-paged. I'm going to get both games tomorrow.

I just found out Endless Ocean retails for $30. That's great. I love the budget titles on the Wii. If I can load my own MP3s, I'm definitely going to have to empty my Enya collection on to my Wii. This game screams for Enya.

[Spigot]

I'm interested. I'm going to look for Burnout again tomorrow, if I see this I'll probably pick it up.It might be called Forever Blue in europe... I know that's the Japanese title for the game.

It looks like it's a pretty close to an Endless Ocean. There are something like 250 fish to catalogue. I'm not 100% sure if that number includes the penguins, dolphins and other things as well, but there are a lot of them to find. Plus each animal has 3 entries in their data thing and so far I've only been able to unlock the first entry for the various fish I've found.

There are some really interesting areas to explore just in the starting sections. The clips I've seen with sunken boats and planes have me really excited to get further in the game.

There are also little missions that you can do where you escort another diver down to the reef and show off flora and fauna. Plus you can search for treasure.

For a $30 game, this is jam packed with content. I'm very happy that I snagged it.

[Spigot]

This came up in the "Reviews of No More Heroes" thread that got front-paged. I'm going to get both games tomorrow.

I just found out Endless Ocean retails for $30. That's great. I love the budget titles on the Wii. If I can load my own MP3s, I'm definitely going to have to empty my Enya collection on to my Wii. This game screams for Enya.As long as you can get your MP3's on an SD card, you can load them into the game. Enya would be a great addition, though I am really loving the Hayley Westenra... I'd never heard of her before but I can't stop listening to Prayer.

YAHLqisSc88

[TheFlyingOrc]

Drat you guys for getting me interested in both this AND no more heroes.

[Spigot]

I live to drag people into my vortex of off-kilter gaming experiences.

[Generation ABXY]

I should be heading out to pick this up later today or tomorrow. I don't have an SD card yet, so I'm glad to hear the in-game music is as good as it seemed (also, Hayley Westenra reminds me of Celtic Woman, which is a good thing).

Anybody have any comments on the online portion? I've got a dive planned later this week with a bud in Canada (assuming I can find the game), so I'm curious as to what to expect.

[agentgray]

youtube vid
That is one upscale nursing home!

[BalekFekete]

I was a little leary at first of whether the title could hold my attention in the face of other great games in my library (currently playing Mario Galaxy and COD4), but I think for the price this'll be a great distraction, and perhaps even something the Mrs. won't mind watching while I play. That's a huge bonus. ;)

[Wyrm]

Damnit.. I know I can wait for this game to get cheaper, but I don't want to. After reading another great write up by Tycho, now hearing about it here, it's the reason I'm constantly poor. You fuckers need to stop recommending all these good games! :D

[Spigot]

It is only $30, Wyrm... Heck, trade in a game or two and it's pretty much a no-brainer purchase.

As for the online stuff, I haven't tried it yet (god damn you, evil friend codes!) but if we get a friend code swap going, I'd be more than happy to go on a dive or two with people.

[UnderHero5]

I picked the game up and played for about 45 minutes earlier. It seems pretty neat. The control scheme is pretty good, for only being the Wiimote.

The size of the ocean actually seems a lot smaller than the games name implies, though. If they didn't put up the little barriers for the area you're in, it seems like it would take about 3-5 minutes to swim from one end to the other. I assume there must be some underwater caverns and stuff to explore... but it seems way smaller than I thought it would be.

[agentgray]

It gets bigger. At least the number of areas do.

[Spigot]

Aye. There is also the deep void of doom or whatever it's called that you have to work towards getting your license for. I spent about 45 minutes and basically hit three areas yesterday (Lagoon, Coral Forest and Blue Holes). I couldn't swim further than those spots yet and that was only the top corner of the overall map.

Plus you can dive at night once you get the right diving license, so that's something to shoot for.

[UnderHero5]

Aye. There is also the deep void of doom or whatever it's called that you have to work towards getting your license for. I spent about 45 minutes and basically hit three areas yesterday (Lagoon, Coral Forest and Blue Holes). I couldn't swim further than those spots yet and that was only the top corner of the overall map.

Plus you can dive at night once you get the right diving license, so that's something to shoot for.

Well, you just have to stay within a certain radius of your boat. You can move your boat anywhere from the getgo, not just on the marked spots.

If you want to swim somewhere, just pilot the boat there, and swim.

I put about 2 hours into the game now, and have about half of the large map uncovered.

Obviously cataloging all the fish will take way more time than swimming the ocean.

It's very fun though. However, beware of the MP3 functionality. It's next to useless. You can't see much more than a word of two of the MP3 title, and it just loops whatever MP3 you select until you tell it to stop. You can only change MP3's while on the boat, so unless you really like a song, you're either going to get sick of it after it loops three times in a row, or do a lot of docking with your boat.
It's nice that it's there, but with the way it works, it may as well not be.

My biggest disappointment so far is that every place I've seen in those two hours looks exactly the same, with the same colored coral, just arranged differently. No big points of interest yet. I'm sure that will change, though.

[Spigot]

Have you found any of the shipwrecks or anything?

I didn't fool around with driving the boat yet so I stand corrected on the accessability of the ocean. I don't know about you, but I was blown away by the Blue Holes area as it was. I can't wait to see what else is out there.

[UnderHero5]

Have you found any of the shipwrecks or anything?

I didn't fool around with driving the boat yet so I stand corrected on the accessability of the ocean. I don't know about you, but I was blown away by the Blue Holes area as it was. I can't wait to see what else is out there.

Nah, no shipwrecks yet. I'm still sticking nearish to the land. I haven't moved too far out into the large open Sea yet, which is why I'm sure the scenery will change.

I wouldn't say I was blown away by anything in the game, at this point.
It was cool when I saw my first whale, but nothing that made my pants wet.

I found the Blue Holes area kind of disappointing. The little cinematic it played made me excited, then I "explored" what amounted to a small room with holes in the ceiling, and decided to move along. There really wasn't anything to see in the place.

I probably sound negative. I definitely enjoy the game so far, but I have the feeling this is going to be one of those slightly overrated niche titles that people talk up more than it's worth. For $30 it's great. I would not pay any more than that, though.

I just wish there was more detail in the game, instead of the same few set pieces looped over and over, as has been the case so far. Hopefully I am satisfied once I explore a bit more. Like I said, I'm still sticking more close to land, so that may be the reason everything looks similar right now.

I can't wait to find some sunken ships and stuff, that's going to be sweet. Along with some Coop online. That will add to the fun too.

[Spigot]

H8r!

Go back to iluvscuba.org!

:)

I'm very impressed with what I've seen so far, if only because a) it's on the Wii and b) because it is bloody cheap.

I saw a sunken plane (looked like a B-52 or something akin to that) in one of the trailers (or maybe on the screensaver) and it just looks very neat.

[Baron Samedi]

Anyone else pick this up? This one may be too tempting to pass up.

[TheKeck]

Man, I wonder if my dad would dig this since he likes real life scuba diving. Then again, maybe it just seems lame compared to the real thing. Guess it doesn't matter since he dosn't have a Wii.

[Sl1pstream]

It might be called Forever Blue in europe... I know that's the Japanese title for the game.

I've actually seen it in store about a week before this thread. All I knew of the game then was the second of footage they've put in their Wii announcement trailer a few years back. After reading more about it (and the music also helps), I'm inclined to pick it up.
Too bad it's sold out. I'll look for it again tomorrow.

[joshkdmw]

I want to want this game. I really do.

Here's the thing: I play games with very clear-cut goals. My favorites are fighters. "Beat the other guy up". Great.

It seems kind of neat, but like a gimmick. I'm hearing alot of positive buzz, though, which makes me think twice. Thirty bucks isn't bad, but it's money I could be spending elsewhere - that's the vibe I get.

I know some more people have to be in my boat who haver gotten the game. I need to know redeeming features. Is it genuinely fun?

[mr. murphy]

I know some more people have to be in my boat who haver gotten the game. I need to know redeeming features. Is it genuinely fun?

I don't think it would be fun for you. You have goals, but they're like, find a dolphin. And pet it.

It's basically the sandboxiest of sandboxes.

In the ocean.

[joshkdmw]

I don't think it would be fun for you. You have goals, but they're like, find a dolphin. And pet it.

It's basically the sandboxiest of sandboxes.

In the ocean.

Just a sandbox? Yeah, that might get old.

Not to say sandbox games are bad, but I'd get bored after an hour, and pop in guilty gear for some instant gratification.

That's a shame. I wanted to want this game.

[DigitalFirefly]

I got it last night. I like it. It's very relaxing to play. So far I've swam around and identified 10 different kinds of fish in the starting area. Then you get the ability to take to boat into a larger area. It's basically an underwater exploration game. I can't wait to get to deeper water and see sharks and whales. This game would be AMAZING in HD, but it still looks good for the Wii. It's a good pick up for $30 and my wife loves it.

[mr. murphy]

Just a sandbox? Yeah, that might get old.

Not to say sandbox games are bad, but I'd get bored after an hour, and pop in guilty gear for some instant gratification.

That's a shame. I wanted to want this game.

I bet you'll be able to buy cheap used copies within a month or two. I would expect plenty of people to either get bored quickly, or buy it not knowing what it was and return it. Just pick it up for $15 this summer, just for the sheer sexiness of it. It's very soothing.

[joshkdmw]

I bet you'll be able to buy cheap used copies within a month or two. I would expect plenty of people to either get bored quickly, or buy it not knowing what it was and return it. Just pick it up for $15 this summer, just for the sheer sexiness of it. It's very soothing.

Good call!

Also, I saw Zack & Wiki for thirty bucks at EB.

One part of me is sad that a game that's supposed to be so good has been reduced. The other part of me is stoked that I can get it for thirty dollars! I knew if I waited, it'd be worthwhile.

[TheKeck]

Good call!

Also, I saw Zack & Wiki for thirty bucks at EB.

One part of me is sad that a game that's supposed to be so good has been reduced. The other part of me is stoked that I can get it for thirty dollars! I knew if I waited, it'd be worthwhile.
Dude, get it. It's awesome.

[Spigot]

Aye. It's definately not a game you'll want to sit down and try to 'beat' in 3 days or anything. It's the kind of thing you fire up after spending a few hours crashing in Burnout or blasting people in Gears or something. There are some goals that you get from your sponsor (find an item here, escort his drunken scuba buddy there, etc.) and there are little goals to work on at your leisure.

If a few more people get the game, we'll have to *shudder* exchange friend codes so we can do some co-op scuba diving.

[Baron Samedi]

Aye. It's definately not a game you'll want to sit down and try to 'beat' in 3 days or anything. It's the kind of thing you fire up after spending a few hours crashing in Burnout or blasting people in Gears or something. There are some goals that you get from your sponsor (find an item here, escort his drunken scuba buddy there, etc.) and there are little goals to work on at your leisure.

If a few more people get the game, we'll have to *shudder* exchange friend codes so we can do some co-op scuba diving.

You know how it is: chillax, smoke a little, pass around the controller, fuck with the fishies... ;)

[Spigot]

You know how it is: chillax, smoke a little, pass around the controller, fuck with the fishies... ;)Hmm... I haven't gotten that far in the game. Crazy mermaids...

[Baron Samedi]

Hmm... I haven't gotten that far in the game. Crazy mermaids...

Darlin', it's better, down where it's wetter - take it from me :p

[Spigot]

Darlin', it's better, down where it's wetter - take it from me :pOh lord... I'll never watch that movie the same way again.

[Worldcrafter]

Thanks to your recommendations I used my $10 Walmart giftcard to order it for $23. I might get some enjoyment from it, but I'm really hoping my girlfriend will like it. She absolutely destroyed Super Paper Mario and spent countless hours finding all the recipes so I think she'd like a game she can just relax with after a rushed day.

[Spigot]

My son loves the game, though he just enjoys swimming in circles in the lagoon :)

[joshkdmw]

Dude, get it. It's awesome.

Aye, that seems to be the general consensus. I might get it just to shut everyone up about it.

After I finish playing Psychonauts.

[31 Flavas]

I want to want this game. I really do.

Here's the thing: I play games with very clear-cut goals. My favorites are fighters. "Beat the other guy up". Great.

It seems kind of neat, but like a gimmick. I'm hearing alot of positive buzz, though, which makes me think twice. Thirty bucks isn't bad, but it's money I could be spending elsewhere - that's the vibe I get.

I know some more people have to be in my boat who haver gotten the game. I need to know redeeming features. Is it genuinely fun?Go read what Tycho at Penny Arcade wrote (http://www.penny-arcade.com/2008/01/21). For your perspective, I think it should give you a good idea. Even still, you could also just rent it from GameFly or, heck, even blockbuster or hollywood video might have it.

[Spigot]

I plunked a bit more time into the game tonight. I got some e-mails for sights to see and found a neat shark spawning ground. I also found some more trinkets on the seabed and saw my first humpback whale, which was VERY impressive.

I just got an assignment to start stocking the local aquarium. I read that the Japanese version of this game would crash if you tried putting a stingray in the aquarium... I hope the US version has it fixed :)

Again, it's a great relaxing game with just enough objectives to give you something to work towards (I got some new gloves!) and a lot of just freerange zoning out opportunities.

[UnderHero5]

Now that I've played it a little more I'm starting to like it even more. I just got my (first?) partner, and have started teaching him some tricks, which is neat.

I did go further out into the ocean, and sadly, it looked just like the rest of the stuff I had seen... but I'll get over it. It's still fun and relaxing. A good $30, so far.

Edit: Nice, I just got done exploring my first cave. Now that's the kind of stuff I'm looking for! : )

[Spigot]

Did you find the humpback whale? That was just awesome.

I've got my first partner too and it was fun to watch him do tricks and sing :)

I want to find a shipwreck or something, but I'm still digging what I've seen so far.

[PopoWRX]

Just got it due to the good word on EA and I have to say, very relaxing, and quite a different gameplay type then I'm use to. I'm digging it and its well worth $30 so far.

[Spigot]

I spent a good chunk of time playing this yesterday and there are some pretty neat areas to explore once you get away from the lagoon area.

I explored the entirety of the Mermaid's Cave and that was pretty neat.

After that, I got my deep diving apparatus and went down to the bottom of the Abyss. There are some really neat fish down there and a lot of hidden caves and such. I won't ruin what's on the bottom of the Abyss, but it was interesting. It's very easy to get disoriented in the Abyss so I'd advise keeping the walls in view so you know whether you're going up or down.

The sperm whale is HUGE... Unfortunately, I have only seen him in cutscenes and don't get control of my diver until he's gone. Sigh.

Be thankful that you don't have to worry about getting hurt in this game. Petting a megamouth shark would probably be a bad idea in real life.

[tayaya]

I have only played a little bit of this once since picking it up, but I am enjoying it so far. While it sucks that some of the ocean floor is very bland and repetitive, I suppose the real life ocean floor's not all that much different. Kinda like how every aquarium you visit, no matter where in the world that may be, always has the same types of corals and similar looking displays.

It's a relaxing, fun game whose only real reward is the thrill of discovery when you find a new species you haven't seen yet. I hate having to pet the crap out of everything I find though to "learn more about it" but I am holding off on trying to nab all 3 entries until I get all the different items and apparatuses in the game because they do say some creatures will be more responsive to different stimuli. It's a big time-sink of a game and I find myself getting lost on a dive when I really meant to just go down, do whatever tasks were in my mailbox, and go play burnout. My last dive was disappointing because I didn't run across anything new...but I wasn't exploring anywhere I hadn't already been.... just trying the same areas at night to see what new life appeared... but none did.

Can't wait to play more of this though, as it's a fun, enjoyable game and I really want to see some of the other creatures that for now are just empty silhouettes in my encyclopedia.

[Baron Samedi]

I have only played a little bit of this once since picking it up, but I am enjoying it so far. While it sucks that some of the ocean floor is very bland and repetitive, I suppose the real life ocean floor's not all that much different. Kinda like how every aquarium you visit, no matter where in the world that may be, always has the same types of corals and similar looking displays.

It's a relaxing, fun game whose only real reward is the thrill of discovery when you find a new species you haven't seen yet. I hate having to pet the crap out of everything I find though to "learn more about it" but I am holding off on trying to nab all 3 entries until I get all the different items and apparatuses in the game because they do say some creatures will be more responsive to different stimuli. It's a big time-sink of a game and I find myself getting lost on a dive when I really meant to just go down, do whatever tasks were in my mailbox, and go play burnout. My last dive was disappointing because I didn't run across anything new...but I wasn't exploring anywhere I hadn't already been.... just trying the same areas at night to see what new life appeared... but none did.

Can't wait to play more of this though, as it's a fun, enjoyable game and I really want to see some of the other creatures that for now are just empty silhouettes in my encyclopedia.

That's about my thoughts on the game. I hate how you have to select food, too. Can't you just default it to some button? Also, this game needs to be voice acted. Nintendo keeps dragging their cheapass feet on this issue. Hell, how hard can it be to get one of the devs to sit down and read a couple of lines for a day or two? It doesn't have to be Oscar worthy.

[Generation ABXY]

I finally got my hands on the game last night (I broke down and went to EB, since no one else even seemed to stock it). So far, I'm enjoying the hell out of the game, and it certainly seems worth the $30.

Like a lot of people here, I was surprised about how small the map was, though it does have a lot of depth...no pun intended. However, I would like to see more - either through a sequel or maybe even DLC.

I still haven't tried the online portion yet (the person I was going with got tied up), but if anybody else is looking to try it...

P.S. Afterthought doesn't even begin to describe the on-boat graphics of this game. :(

[tayaya]

Just DO NOT, under any circumstances, play Burnout,then immediately go to this. The stark contrast between smooth and sexy in Burnout clashing with those on-boat graphics will make you wonder why the Wii sells so well!

My problem is, as I've said, I play this BEFORE I intend to play Burnout, and then get so caught up in diving I forget there are cars to be crashed!

[karak]

So, to those how have this. Is it as redundant as it looks? It looks like each place is just a random mishmash of the same items as the place before it? So basically do you have like clear blue waters, then maybe really thick waters, and differences in corel-underwater items? From what I have played it looks like its the same thing x1000 and if it is I will NEVER be able to play it for very long.
Also last question is there any expansion plans for this?

[Generation ABXY]

So, to those how have this. Is it as redundant as it looks? It looks like each place is just a random mishmash of the same items as the place before it? So basically do you have like clear blue waters, then maybe really thick waters, and differences in corel-underwater items? From what I have played it looks like its the same thing x1000 and if it is I will NEVER be able to play it for very long.
Also last question is there any expansion plans for this?

Don't know if there are any plans for expansion or not, but I do hope so.

As for your first question, the game is very repetitive at first. You float around in a lot of very shallow water with the same coral and same fish, but things do get a bit better. Once you get better equipment for night dives and deep diving, there's practically a whole other world of hidden caverns and...well, I don't want to spoil it.

However, if Endless Ocean is boring you already, it may not be the game for you. Tastes vary and I, for one, am glad I chose this over, say, Burnout (which I liked the idea of, but was turned off by the demo). At least you were willing to try it, and that is a lot more than some people are.

[karak]

Don't know if there are any plans for expansion or not, but I do hope so.

As for your first question, the game is very repetitive at first. You float around in a lot of very shallow water with the same coral and same fish, but things do get a bit better. Once you get better equipment for night dives and deep diving, there's practically a whole other world of hidden caverns and...well, I don't want to spoil it.

However, if Endless Ocean is boring you already, it may not be the game for you. Tastes vary and I, for one, am glad I chose this over, say, Burnout (which I liked the idea of, but was turned off by the demo). At least you were willing to try it, and that is a lot more than some people are.
Awesome thanks for the answers. I will try this then. IN a way I was hoping for the "wonder" feel that Nights gave me when flying. Only this time its exploration and underwater. So I will give it a bit more of a go.

[Spigot]

I'm with GenX. I don't know about the complaints of a small ocean though. I've barely covered the right side of the map near the shore. While the game won't tax your trigger finger or anything, it's still very interesting to see what's around the next corner or through that little cave entrance.

I'm loving the search for hidden treasures and archaeological items. It's funny to see what things will unlock new haircuts and such.

[Spigot]

Ok. I am now about 7 hours or so into this game and can't stop playing it.

Finding the Whale Shark is amazing. Where the whale shark takes you is even cooler. I also found a polar bear on the deck of my ship. WTF?

There are a few spots that I can't seem to get into yet. I wonder if I need to take one of my dolphin buddies with me.

[BlackPete]

Ok. I am now about 7 hours or so into this game and can't stop playing it.

Finding the Whale Shark is amazing. Where the whale shark takes you is even cooler. I also found a polar bear on the deck of my ship. WTF?

There are a few spots that I can't seem to get into yet. I wonder if I need to take one of my dolphin buddies with me.

Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! I just got home with a copy of Zack and Wiki -- I figured I should give it a try after hearing so many awesome things about it... now the last thing I need is hearing more awesome things about yet another game :(

[Vyzov]

This is really fun, I've just sorta been swimming around doing whatever, nice and relaxing.

[Spigot]

This is really fun, I've just sorta been swimming around doing whatever, nice and relaxing.Exactly. I'll fire up the game when I need a break from the eye-burning speed of Burnout or the meatier JRPGs that I'm working on.

Plus, there was a polar bear on my boat! Now all I need to do is find the DHARMA station and I'll know for sure that I'm on the Lost island :)

[Skyelan]

Ok. I am now about 7 hours or so into this game and can't stop playing it.

Finding the Whale Shark is amazing. Where the whale shark takes you is even cooler. I also found a polar bear on the deck of my ship. WTF?

There are a few spots that I can't seem to get into yet. I wonder if I need to take one of my dolphin buddies with me.

I got this game three days ago. It came in the mail in fact, and totally by surprise. A friend had decided to order it for me, and I've basically sucking up ever since for being awesome.

The best part about the whale shark is in the area, if you can find it, you can end up with the best damn picture ever (Pictures are great, I'm addicted to pictures :D ). Two whale sharks, and about six medium sized jelly fish.

The biggest observation I can make is that it's a game that might be limited to a certain type of gamer. Namely the kind that can reap great enjoyment from doing nothing but experiencing a relaxing series of events. See: The Animal Crossing person. I mean, I'm probably in the minority of my own kind that I can actually do the 'Stare out at the ocean' thing and leave it there for a half an hour or something and enjoy it.

Still, I do have one complaint, and it's a biggie. Nintendo, for all the wonderful connections you do between your channels, not having this be able to communicate with the photo channel was the biggest mistake you've ever done. Ever. In history.

I can't even send the photos I take to a friend's Wii Message Board for corn sake, let alone bring them onto my computer and show friends that way... :(

[Spigot]

I agree completely about all of your points, Skyelan.

If you're the type of gamer who complains that CoD4 on Veteran doesn't give you enough of a challenge, Endless Ocean probably won't be the game for you :)

I haven't found any jellyfish yet. Grr... I love invertebrates something fierce. In fact, I'm kind of ticked that you can't add anemones and barnacles and clams to your encyclopedia. Sigh.

Not being able to do anything with the pictures you take is indeed criminal. I have a few really nice ones that nobody but my kids and wife will ever see. Sigh.

[Baron Samedi]

I agree completely about all of your points, Skyelan.

If you're the type of gamer who complains that CoD4 on Veteran doesn't give you enough of a challenge, Endless Ocean probably won't be the game for you :)

I haven't found any jellyfish yet. Grr... I love invertebrates something fierce. In fact, I'm kind of ticked that you can't add anemones and barnacles and clams to your encyclopedia. Sigh.

Not being able to do anything with the pictures you take is indeed criminal. I have a few really nice ones that nobody but my kids and wife will ever see. Sigh.

I don't see that as being the case. It's a manner of perspective. I can beat NGB on Master Ninja, but I enjoy just exploring In EO. I find it ironic that most gamers say, well, what's the point, if all you're doing is swimming around and cataloging fish. But it's no more one-sided than shooting everything onscreen in a shmup - only the pacing is different.

[Spigot]

I don't see that as being the case. It's a manner of perspective. I can beat NGB on Master Ninja, but I enjoy just exploring In EO. I find it ironic that most gamers say, well, what's the point, if all you're doing is swimming around and cataloging fish. But it's no more one-sided than shooting everything onscreen in a shmup - only the pacing is different.You're an anomaly though :)

Freak.

You're right though. I get the same sense of exploration and discovery from this as I do from a well paced FPS only I'm not blowing things up or killing anything.

I almost wish there was a little bit more of an element of danger as so far the most dangerous things I've found are strong currents and hot water vents. When you can swim up and pet a Great White Shark with nary a repercussion (and let's not forget my friend the Polar Bear!) then there is just something wrong... almost as wrong as my tendency to capitalize the animals I find in the game while talking about them.

[Baron Samedi]

What? Freak?

It's no worse than standing around listening to some alien ramble on for minutes in Mass Effect. Gee, tell me that's not boring.

[Spigot]

What? Freak?

It's no worse than standing around listening to some alien ramble on for minutes in Mass Effect. Gee, tell me that's not boring.It's not boring. Happy?

Heck, I'd be the happiest person alive if I could have just talked to people for the entire game of Mass Effect. Who needs that boring shooting crap? I want dialogue!!

And no... I'm not joking. Sadly.

Granted, a bit more ship to ship combat would have been nice.

[Baron Samedi]

It's not boring. Happy?

Heck, I'd be the happiest person alive if I could have just talked to people for the entire game of Mass Effect. Who needs that boring shooting crap? I want dialogue!!

And no... I'm not joking. Sadly.

Granted, a bit more ship to ship combat would have been nice.

If it was Monkey Island - ahh, now there's a rub I can get off on.

[Lon Lon Rabbit]

I just "finished" this while away with friends for a week.

It was amazing how it sucked people in, even the non gamers, who would just sit there and watch it for literally hours.

A lot of the time they fell asleep but I don't think it's because they were bored (we had plenty of things going on in different rooms), it's just so soothing...

I want to get my own copy now as even though I "finished" it (saw the credits) I haven't even found all the songs/ocean areas/companions/tonnes more.

There's still plenty to see and I can imagine myself gradually playing it when I get sick of whatever other game I'm playing, for months to come.