Ah, Endless Ocean: Luminous! The game that makes you question your life choices and wonder if you’ve accidentally stumbled into a marine biology lecture. Let’s dive right in, shall we? Picture this: You’re sitting on your couch, Switch in hand, ready for an epic underwater adventure. You’ve got your scuba gear on (metaphorically speaking, of course), and you’re about to explore the vast ocean depths. What could go wrong? Pros: Stunning Graphics: Endless Ocean: Luminous boasts visuals so breathtaking that even Poseidon himself would be jealous. The water sparkles, the fish shimmer, and the coral reefs look like they were handcrafted by Michelangelo. Seriously, I half-expected to find a tiny Leonardo da Vinci sketch hidden among the seaweed. Educational Value: Ever wanted to learn about marine life? Well, buckle up, because this game is your ticket to becoming the world’s most knowledgeable armchair oceanographer. Scan fish, read tidbits about their lives, and impress your friends with obscure facts at parties. (“Did you know the common sea cucumber has a secret passion for interpretive dance?”) Solo or Shared Dives: You can dive alone or with up to 30 other players. Because nothing says “bonding experience” like swimming alongside strangers, all silently contemplating the meaning of existence while chasing after elusive sea creatures. Cons: Gameplay Mechanics: Hold down the ‘L’ button to scan marine life. Release it to contemplate your life choices. Repeat. It’s like playing a game of “Tag, You’re It!” with plankton. Thrilling, I know. Price Tag: Endless Ocean: Luminous costs more than a real scuba diving certification. But hey, who needs actual underwater adventures when you can pay a premium to virtually snorkel in your pajamas? Monotony: Solo dives involve diving down, tagging creatures, and continuing until you’ve cataloged every fish in the ocean. It’s like a never-ending sushi menu, but without the soy sauce or wasabi. And don’t even get me started on the “epic monstrosities” with names like STINKFIN. Clearly, the developers were inspired by a late-night sushi binge. Loading Screens: The loading screens are slower than a tortoise with a hangover. By the time the game loads, you’ll have aged a decade and developed a newfound appreciation for geological time scales. Verdict: Endless Ocean: Luminous is the perfect game for those who want to experience the thrill of marine biology without leaving their living room. It’s like Jacques Cousteau meets Netflix binge-watching. So grab your imaginary wetsuit, dive in, and remember: Life is short, but loading screens are eternal.

While the game is a little clunky and feels weird at times, i love that this came from Nintendo and is honestly a more relaxing game spent in the ocean than Subnautica. If you want Animal Crossing museum with all the ocean, its perfect.

The goal of the game is to explore the ocean and catalog fish. It is made to be a relaxing get away while also being somewhat educational as you learn about our diverse sea life. I played and LOVED the first two games on Wii with the original being my favorite. For fans of the series, if you are expecting to recapture the feeling of awe and beauty that was brought to us on Wii, you will be sorely disappointed… In this game you have 3 modes to play. Multiplayer, scan fish with up to 30 random people. Solo, scan fish by yourself. And story. Both multiplayer and solo are basically the same exact thing. Just one is alone, and one is with randoms. You’re dropped into a randomized map made by the computer that’s is procedurally generated. The game has a soundtrack but the majority of my time swimming around it is in silence other than the sound of bubbles and fish. This is disheartening because the originals had done such a good job creating a soothing and immersive atmosphere. Because of the maps being procedurally generated this means the grid map is laid out differently with randomized fish. You’ll see a lot of the same assets but just in shuffled around as far as the environment goes. Thanks to the randomized fish you’ll see a hodgepodge of different species jumbled together even though in real life you wouldn’t see them anywhere near each other. You don’t really interact with the sea life. You just scan, and scan, and scan some more. To be honest the camera constantly zooming when I scan while playing make me nauseous. Sea “life” is not very life like. You don’t really observe any interesting behaviors, they just swim robotically on their tracks. Comparing again to the originals, it was fun to explore the environment and it was beautiful. You could even interact with the marine life to a certain degree. Not this one, thanks to the way the maps are made most of it end up barren and bland. Nothing about it makes me want to explore. It gets old quickly. In the story you are told what to do by a robotic impersonal AI. Chapters are very short and mostly there for tutorials it seems. It gives you a goal and puts it right in front of you. I got tired of it quickly and did not progress far. All I can say is it felt like a chore. Pros: -Multiplayer (if you’re into that) -Lots of fish Cons: -Unrealistic marine life -Lacking soundtrack to add to the atmosphere most of the time. -Randomized maps lack beauty and often feel barren. I’ve seen the same crevice too many times. -constant zooming from scanning induces nausea -Even though there are a lot of creatures a lot of them are “rare” variants that are a different color. -Fish that should not be together and in certain areas are there. Why do I have fish that belong in a reef down in the deep crevices? Overall, I cannot overstate my disappointment. I was not immersed with wonder for the sea. I don’t enjoy the game. I wish I hadn’t bought it and could get my money back. I’ll just have to go back to the old games to scratch the itch.

As a fan of the previous Endless Ocean games I was ecstatic to hear about this one, only to find they removed some of what made the previous ones great in exchange for the addition of online, I do miss the ability to create your own aquarium as well as static maps, making discoveries of sea life seem ever more real as you visit them in their world. That being said this game still has much of what the other ones had, such as exploration (even moreso if you appreciate the ever changing map), relaxing gameplay, and the ability to visit ocean animals without leaving home or getting in the ocean yourself. I certainly do appreciate what they have done even if I miss passed on features.

[Employee of bestbuy] Endless Ocean: Luminous is an aquatic adventure that invites players to explore the ocean’s depths without any danger or violence. While it has its merits, a few drawbacks prevent it from truly shining. Pros: Stunning Graphics: The visuals in Endless Ocean: Luminous are breathtaking. The water sparkles, fish shimmer, and coral reefs appear handcrafted by a master artist. Educational Value: If you’ve ever wanted to learn about marine life, this game offers a wealth of information. Scan fish, read tidbits about their lives, and impress your friends with obscure facts at parties. Solo or Shared Dives: Dive alone or with up to 30 other players. Swimming alongside strangers can be a unique bonding experience, even if everyone is silently contemplating the meaning of existence while chasing elusive sea creatures. Cons: Gameplay Mechanics: The repetitive gameplay involves holding down the ‘L’ button to scan marine life, releasing it to contemplate life choices, and then repeating. It’s like playing “Tag, You’re It!” with plankton. Price Tag: Endless Ocean: Luminous costs more than a real scuba diving certification. Virtual snorkeling in your pajamas comes at a premium. Monotony: Solo dives consist of tagging creatures and cataloging every fish in the ocean. It’s like an endless sushi menu without the soy sauce or wasabi.