Beyond Blue

For anyone who wants to be a marine biologist... this is a good casual immersion into the wonderous depths.

Beyond Blue does exactly what it set out to do. It isn't trying to compete with action oriented games but instead focuses on a part of our world so often overlooked to create an incredible sense of place, beauty, and conservation out of the people playing it.

A peaceful visit to the underwater life includes more than it might seem at first glance. Relaxing gameplay and perfect workmanship deserve your attention. [Issue#304]

Beyond Blue is a short game. Very short, actually. Its central narrative can be overcome in just over three hours, and the additional content doesn't add much more. But it is worth playing it as an experience. it succeeds in delighting and amazing players by putting the ocean world right in the center of the stage. It makes us think about our actions and responsibilities as humans in relation to this unknown kingdom, sunk in the deep ocean.

Despite its short duration and rather repetitive core gameplay loop, Beyond Blue is a beautiful, educational and well-made effort that aims to inform and raise awareness about the issues that plague the deep blue world and its inhabitants.

Beyond Blue take us for a couple of hour in the deep of the ocean. More a documentary than a game, but perfect for who want a relaxing and fascinating experience.

A calm and realistic marine-diving simulator that unfortunately never goes deeper than the surface.

The E-Line Media developers and publishers have clearly worked tirelessly to bring a heightened awareness that has a heavy focus on conservation and environmental issues that are pressing today. They have enveloped all these issues into a relaxing environment to enable people to be involved directly with these themes in the interactive and safe environment of Beyond Blue. There are no threats, which overall makes this work of art a safe space to explore in comfort at their own pace. If there is an expectation of this to be a true dive with threats and a different experience each time, it is likely disappointment will be experienced and a feeling of boredom may creep in fairly quickly, but if the aim is to relax and learn about the ocean, this truly is a wonderful title.

This underwater experience isn’t so much a game, more a beautiful simulator of a diver and a warning about humankind’s behaviour regarding its natural resources.

Though it never really rises above its simple premise, the gorgeously immersive Beyond Blue may just be as close to deep-sea diving as you can get without a wetsuit (or the stress).

Beyond Blue isn’t going to be for everyone. If you’re after action and excitement, this isn’t going to be for you. It’s a slow but rather peaceful experience and I was pretty relaxed while playing though. Imagine Subnautica in creative mode, minus the building elements, and imagine David Attenborough is narrating it. You can add or subtract a few points depending on how interested you are personally in ocean studies.

The main problem of Beyond Blue is that, in the end, it doesn't do enough to fulfill its main task: to inspire curiosity about the beautiful Blue world of the ocean and make you want to watch all the documentaries of the same name.

If Beyond Blue didn't try its best to tell a personal narrative with a cast of characters, I still would've enjoyed it despite its simplicity as a game. Even though the aquatic simulation feels too surface-level at times, I can't deny the game's beautiful imagery, education-minded ambition, or tranquil appeal.

Beyond Blue struggles as a narrative adventure game but shines as an educational tool that brings awareness and reveals some of the ocean's secrets.

Quotation forthcoming.

Beyond Blue is nice and relaxing, but it's way too short and repetitive to really shine, and maybe too aimed at a casual audience.

Beyond Blue offers a unique experience deep down the ocean, and while it feels more like a science project than a video game, it can be still enjoyed by some very specific kind of gamers, or scientists!

Should you be looking for a brief distraction or simply a game with a bare input to see most of what it has to offer, Beyond Blue provides a quaint, if a touch short, detour away from the regular catalog of current-year releases. While everything around the core presentation is not exactly extravagant or worthy of anything but a passing glance, that’s not to say E-Line Media haven’t at least made the feeling of moving about bodies of water one you can easily immerse in. An immersion that doesn’t bang you over the head with some last-minute lecture. Aided more appropriately by a well-integrated, ethereal score — complete with a tasteful selection of licensed tracks alike. The educational side of the content will naturally live or die by the player’s own personal interest on real-world sea-life. It may be far from the most complex of voyages, but Deep Blue‘s more laid back and meditative (if unremarkable) envisioning of life under the sea is sufficient enough in its intentions.