Developer: Arika
Publisher: Nintendo
Release: 2007
Platform: Wii
Genre: Sim
If observing a traffic jam makes mankind pale in
comparison to a highly organized school of shiny fish, Endless Ocean may have
stayed too true to that. Every earthly aspect of the game ranges from
lackluster to downright cringeworthy: people’s 3D models are ugly, walking
cycles are terribly stiff, jetski cutscenes are shameful... Even the human half
of the soundtrack (“voiced” by Hayley Westenra) falls short against Ayako
Saso’s magnificent instrumental background music.
But here’s the thing: if gamedev resources are known
for being finite, it’s also good to see Arika putting their money where the
heart is. As soon as the player drops below water line the state of things
change dramatically.
It’s surprising to see how good-looking the game is
despite running within Wii’s infamous last-gen hardware restrictions, and that's only possible due to some smart texture tricks applied to both animals and
environments (the later can feel empty and bland at times but are still organic
enough to hold the stage together well enough). Also, motion controls here
(specially using the pointer to play single-handed) work as a charm to elevate gameplay’s
immersion (no pun intended) and help to fully realize Arika’s vision for the series
(named Everblue in the first two PS2-exclusive entries).
 |
| It looks much better from below. |
Tech stuff aside, Endless Ocean truly shines when it
comes to meeting sea life on the spot. From small clownfish to dolphins and
beyond (even stretching the reality a bit to make it fit a small fictitious sea)
every life form is beautiful and believable--to the point of making some
special encounters really unforgettable. And such being the case, it’s not hard
to pour dozens of hours into the game while looking for different critters throughout
several locations and the seasons of the year.
Add to some “bestiary completionism” the fact that items can be salvaged from the sea bottom--while watching a beautiful map shed as its secrets are uncovered--and there's the perfect collectathon for those not
in a rush.
