Author Topic: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World  (Read 18446 times)

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Offline NWR_Neal

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REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
« on: February 23, 2010, 05:54:10 AM »
Nintendo and Arika make the endless ocean even bigger and better in this sequel.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=22616

 The first Endless Ocean was very exploratory; you basically just swam around different ocean environments while performing menial tasks. There was no danger. It was just you, the ocean, and some harmless sea life. The game's sequel, Endless Ocean: Blue World, removes that feeling of safety and adds a whole lot more. Now there's a story to work through, an incredible amount of side quests, and more variety to the locales. To boil it down, Blue World is a fantastic sequel.    


The game places you in the flippers of a new recruit of the L&L Diving Service, and the main story has you and your crew attempting to unravel the mystery of the Dragon's Song. The story isn't particularly gripping, having more in common with the slow, plodding pace of a Japanese role-playing game than anything else. You even add more members to your party as you progress.    


The short main quest serves a grand purpose, though. It's a greatest hits compilation of the varied environments you travel to, giving you a taste of just about everything the game has to offer. The locales, which look great when you're swimming through them, range from the tried-and-true oceans of the original to a South American river, the Arctic, and the Antarctic. Each area is enjoyable and rewarding to explore; you find new creatures, trinkets, and more wherever you go. Some areas are unfortunately limited, though. For example, the river is extremely linear.    


Outside of the main quest, there are countless side quests to complete and treasures to collect. You can go off and use your Multisensor, which detects hidden items on the ocean floor, to find salvageable items that can be used to get Pelagos (Endless Ocean's form of currency) or complete quests, which also net you Pelagos. Another new tool, the Pulsar, is a gun that is used to heal wounded animals and calm agitated creatures. You can also take people on dive tours around different areas, searching for specific animals.    


There is also an aquarium that you unlock and become the curator of, and you can build up your marine encyclopedia and select specific animals to display in your aquarium. There are also coins hidden all over the ocean that unlock more things, all sorts of outfits and hairstyles to find and buy, legendary creatures to find, and more. There is a straight-up obscene amount of content in this game, and while it is all derived from the same basic diving mechanic, it manages to stay fresh throughout.    


The underwater controls are wonderful with the Wii Remote. You point at the screen and lead your character around, making them move forward by holding the B button. The rest of the button placement is serviceable, with almost every button used to bring up a menu at the bottom of the screen and a nice map overlay. You can also use the Classic Controller, but the dual stick control scheme doesn't work as fluidly. Blue World is obviously made for the Wii Remote.    


While the underwater controls are great, the on-shore controls remain as awkward as ever. Your rigid avatar moves slowly as you use the same pointer-based movement controls used for swimming. The main hub on land is Nineball Island. Luckily, everything there can be activated in a menu by pressing the + button. You can also pop out of the water in certain locations, and even go on shore to interact with some land-based animals.    


As players perform all these tasks they unlock titles, which are effectively achievements. There are 150 to obtain, and they are gained for completing the main story, finding different animals, and the like. Blue World is tailor-made for completionists.    


In addition to the sprawling single-player experience, you can also go online with a friend and explore the oceans together. While this was also present in the first game, you can now use the Wii Speak peripheral to talk to the other player. The standard Wii limitations, such as Friend Codes, hinder the online experience, but the use of Wii Speak is on par with how it works in Animal Crossing: City Folk. You can also snap pictures just like you could in the original, but this time you can save them to your SD card. Sadly, you can no longer use the SD card to play MP3s while you dive, so you're forced to listen to the sometimes bizarre, often Celtic music.    


For anyone with an affinity for sea life and an appreciation of gaming at a slower pace, Endless Ocean: Blue World is a must purchase -  especially since it's hitting stores for a low initial MSRP of $29.99.  Regardless, Endless Ocean: Blue World is a great game rife with content, and it's a steal at any price.

Pros:
       

  • Beautiful underwater environments
  •  
  • Large amount of content
  •  
  • It's more of a "game" this time around
  •  
  • Great Wii Remote controls


  •        Cons:
           
  • Poor on-shore controls and graphics
  •  
  • No MP3/AAC support


  •                Graphics:  8.5
           Blue Ocean looks great when it is underwater, especially as you interact with the sea life, but it is a completely different story when you're on land. Characters animate awkwardly, and everything looks muddy.

                   Sound:  6.0
           The music isn't awful, but it repeats way too often. If you like Celtic music this might be up your alley, especially when you get to the parts featuring a female singer. The removal of MP3 support is a downer.

                   Control:  8.5
           The Wii Remote controls, which make heavy use of the pointer, work well and make sense when you're in the water. However, the moment you're out of it, which happens more often than you'd think, you move awkwardly and slowly. There is Classic Controller support, but I wouldn't recommend it, as the Wii Remote controls are far superior.

                          Gameplay:  8.0
           There's a good deal of variety, but it is a bit slow-paced and repetitive at times. However, there is something fantastically alluring about the environments that makes exploring them  entertaining and pleasant.

     


           Lastability:  9.0
           With tons of extra content and 150 titles to achieve, there is a lot to do in Blue World. The main story is a bit short - about four to five hours - but with varied environments to explore and so much more, you could easily spend 20 or 30 hours with this title. The addition of Wii Speak to the online co-op is also welcome, and the multiplayer component is awesome.

     


           Final:  9.0
           Endless Ocean: Blue World takes the young franchise from an enjoyable sea life sandbox to a full-fledged video game experience, with all sorts of bells and whistles. As long as you are a fan of the titular blue world, you'll have a blast with this game.      

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    Offline BeautifulShy

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #1 on: February 23, 2010, 02:12:10 PM »
    Excellent Review!
    I will probably grab this in the coming days.
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    Offline Jonnyboy117

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #2 on: February 23, 2010, 02:48:45 PM »
    Hm, I added it to my GameFly queue yesterday, but I didn't realize that it's only $30. At that price, I may go ahead and pick it up with some Gamestop cards.
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    Offline Fatty The Hutt

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #3 on: February 23, 2010, 07:15:10 PM »
    Good review, thanks. Looking forward to picking this one up. I may even consider getting the Wii Speak. Anyone have thoughts about that?
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    Offline GoldenPhoenix

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #4 on: February 23, 2010, 09:54:01 PM »
    I'm so getting this, I hope some peeps here will play with me.
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    Offline greybrick

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #5 on: February 23, 2010, 10:00:58 PM »
    Wonderful review! I think I am gonna get this instead of FF13...

    A funny snippet from the review, " For example, the river is extremely linear." That tends to happen sometimes :) I get what you meant, but I still chuckled at your disappointment.
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    Offline GoldenPhoenix

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #6 on: February 23, 2010, 10:05:16 PM »
    Quote
    Wonderful review! I think I am gonna get this instead of FF13...

    Smart man, BTW what game is your avatar from?
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    Offline NWR_Neal

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #7 on: February 23, 2010, 10:06:22 PM »
    A funny snippet from the review, " For example, the river is extremely linear." That tends to happen sometimes :) I get what you meant, but I still chuckled at your disappointment.

    Haha! I'm glad someone caught that.

    I completely understand that rivers are like that, but it doesn't make up for the fact that it is a slightly lame level.
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    Offline greybrick

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #8 on: February 23, 2010, 10:11:31 PM »
    Quote
    Wonderful review! I think I am gonna get this instead of FF13...

    Smart man, BTW what game is your avatar from?

    That is the Wind Fish from Link's Awakening, friend. The fact that you haven't seen it means that you have an excellent game that you need to play/complete!
    Bless you, my child.
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    Offline Mop it up

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #9 on: February 23, 2010, 10:12:19 PM »
    I guess it is too much for a review, but I want to know more about the multiplayer mode. How is it different that the single player? What kind of things can you do? Can you visit every area? What features aren't available in multiplayer (like, are there still dangerous creatures)?

    Offline Mop it up

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #10 on: February 23, 2010, 10:17:28 PM »
    That is the Wind Fish from Link's Awakening, friend. The fact that you haven't seen it means that you have an excellent game that you need to play/complete!
    To be fair, I have played Link's Awakening but I did not recognize your author icon.

    Offline greybrick

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #11 on: February 23, 2010, 10:24:06 PM »
    That is the Wind Fish from Link's Awakening, friend. The fact that you haven't seen it means that you have an excellent game that you need to play/complete!
    To be fair, I have played Link's Awakening but I did not recognize your author icon.

     The fact that you didn't recognize it means that you have an excellent game that you need to replay! I kid, I guess many people didn't see it in color. I was one of the few on the playground that was rolling with the DX.
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    Offline Mop it up

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #12 on: February 23, 2010, 10:26:22 PM »
    Rather, I saw it on a nice television as opposed to a tiny, dark 100x100 image on the side of a forum to which I pay little attention. :P

    Offline TheBlackCat

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #13 on: February 24, 2010, 01:45:03 AM »
    I have it.  It is great so far.  There is so much to do.  At least in the area I am in right now there is literally treasure everywhere, I can easily fill up my dive bag in a couple of minutes.  There are lots of sick fish to fix with the pulsar, too, although I am not sure why I am doing it yet.  I am not a big fan of having to stun sharks, but otherwise all of my complaints about the original title have been fixed (except for the on-land movement, as noted in the review).  One thing the review didn't point out is that the graphics and animations have also been greatly improved, as has the distance you can travel without having to surface and move the boat.
    « Last Edit: February 24, 2010, 01:47:31 AM by TheBlackCat »
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    Offline Stogi

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #14 on: February 24, 2010, 03:26:39 AM »
    Is there anything important to actually listen for or could one just play their stereo over their TV?
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    Offline Fatty The Hutt

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #15 on: February 24, 2010, 04:37:50 PM »
    Is there anything important to actually listen for or could one just play their stereo over their TV?
    Haven't played this one yet but I do know it retains the ambient "diving" noises of the first game like the sound of your air tank (breathing) and water swishing. I think this is an important part of the game's immersion so I'm not happy with the suggestion that if I want to listen to my own music tracks, I can just turn down the game volume. Also, in the first game there were audio clues when there were areas to zoom-in on. A 'beeping" sound would go off and you could take a closer look and find smaller, rare fish or bits of treasure or collectibles. Not sure if that's the same in this sequel.
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    Offline TheBlackCat

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #16 on: February 25, 2010, 10:50:49 AM »
    Is there anything important to actually listen for or could one just play their stereo over their TV?

    You can turn the music off entirely (music and sound effects volumes can be set independently).  As for the music, I haven't encountered any situation where it actually help, but it is definitely better to be able to listen to sound effects.  For instance there is a warning when your tank is getting low (which happens much more quickly in this game than the last one), sound effects that let you know you are getting too deep (which means you use up your air much more quickly, which is how diving really works), sound effects that let you know you found something with the multisensor, sound effects to let you know how close dangerous animals are getting, sound effects to let you know when you scored a hit with the pulsar, and so on.   Most of these also have visual displays, but because your attention is probably focused elsewhere it is easy to miss the visual feedback.  It is a lot harder to miss the sound effects.  In the first game sound effects weren't really important because you didn't really do much (except when your partner found something), but in this game there is so much going on they are much more helpful.  I played with the volume off entirely for a while, and the sound effects really do help.
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    Offline Stogi

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #17 on: February 25, 2010, 10:58:29 AM »
    Wow, i appreciate the feedback. That was very concise.
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    Offline KnowsNothing

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #18 on: February 25, 2010, 01:19:07 PM »
    I told myself I wouldn't buy game since I didn't play too much of the original....but I caved.  The thought of just exploring the ocean while relaxing to an audiobook or something is just too tempting.  I should have it by the weekend, I'll post brief impressions.
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    Offline Halbred

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #19 on: February 26, 2010, 02:14:48 PM »
    I bought this last night and played it for a little while. I like it, it's very relaxing. Seeing all the undersea wildlife was a blast. I was all like "OMG WHALE SHARK!"
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    Offline vudu

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #20 on: February 26, 2010, 02:17:53 PM »
    I hear there's a hidden Plesiosaur in the game but it's hard to find.
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    Offline Halbred

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #21 on: February 26, 2010, 03:01:33 PM »
    Are you...are you serious? Don't tease me, vudu!
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    Offline TheBlackCat

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #22 on: March 01, 2010, 07:16:18 PM »
    I hear there's a hidden Plesiosaur in the game but it's hard to find.
    About that:
    It isn't the least bit hard to find.  Just make sure you keep filling in the maps, Oceana (the girl in the game) will eventually tell you where to find it.  She'll refer to at as a "black shadow" that someone using her maps found.  At first she will just mention it, but later on she will tell you exactly where it was seen.  At that point you can go see it.  It only appears briefly, though.

    There is actually a whole series of "legendary" creatures like that you can find, several of which are described as black shadows, so you may find a few before you find the pleisiosaur.  Although if you fill in the maps in order, the plesiosaur should be one of the first legendary creatures you find.  There is also an anomalocaris, which is ten times cooler than a pleasiosaur, but I haven't found it yet.  The legendary creatures generally fall into 2 categories: large, sometimes deformed versions of normal creatures, and prehistoric creatures.  Some come up naturally over the course of the game, others will be pointed out by other players or mentioned in your notebook.  Some appear automatically at a certain point in the game, some appear when you complete certain tasks, some appear when you find or buy certain items, and some appears when you do a certain action with a certain item in a certain place (they will usually tell you what to do).  Unfortunately, at least at this point, you can't put legendary creatures in the aquarium, which is too bad.  I hope they unlock that ability if I make the aquarium popular enough or do some random grunt work for Hayako.

    There doesn't appear to be any mantis shrimp, though, which really pisses me off.

    I actually just "beat" the game, in that I got through the entire story mode.  Then they did something to really made me mad. The moment you finish the story, they seal off the last area you visit, and you have to earn a million bucks before they will let you back in.  Make sure you explore the area fully, do all the mapping, and salvage all the treasure before turning the wheel in the center of the room with the white whale.  Once you do that a scripted sequence starts and you have to leave.  There is still a lot to do, and the now-bored members of my team keep sending me off on random errands for their own amusement.  "OMG I need this seaweed!!!!!", or "Someone was being chased by a black shadow in antarctica, I know what it is but I'm not telling".  Hayako in particular is annoying, she sends me off on errands and then pays me with clothes instead of money.  They are cool clothes, don't get me wrong, but I need money.  I don't even have enough yet to buy the last piece of top-level gear, not to mention buy my way back into the final area.
    « Last Edit: March 01, 2010, 07:39:31 PM by TheBlackCat »
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    Offline Halbred

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #23 on: March 01, 2010, 07:36:20 PM »
    Anamalocaris? NICE.

    I think I found an Archelon last night. Some giant sea turtle with a Hawaiian name. Probably just a big leatherback, but I'm imagining that it's an Archelon. :-)
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    Offline TheBlackCat

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    Re: REVIEWS: Endless Ocean: Blue World
    « Reply #24 on: March 01, 2010, 07:40:43 PM »
    Yeah, the description says it was just an overgrown leatherback.  As I said, there are a bunch of overgrown versions of normal creatures.  Thanatos is another example, and I have found a bunch more by this point.  I have over 80% of the creatures so far, most of those that are left are either legendary or tiny.

    By the way, make sure you keep after the blue bird.  It gets you some of the best clothes in the game (IMHO).
    « Last Edit: March 01, 2010, 07:42:56 PM by TheBlackCat »
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