Beyond Blue

The closest thing to Beyond Blue currently out in the wild is the brilliant Subnautica, but where they differ is that one is an absolutely open, alien sci-fi fantasy and the other one is Subnautica.

Beyond Blue is a relaxing underwater adventure with a big didactic focus. If you want to learn more about sea creatures and just unwind while gaming, give it a try.

This wonderful experience is cut too short. There are only eights dive to perform, each taking only about half an hour or less even if you spend your time exploring outside the mission objectives. Beyond Blue can be easily played through in one session and there is little replay value if you already explored everything in your first go. Of course, the game is labeled as a single-player narrative experience, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s insanely short. I would have liked it to last at least twice its current running time as it’s such a beautiful and soothing experience with an important environmental message. Still, Beyond Blue is worth a try for those who respect life instead of taking it in video games. Who knows, the next time when browsing through a store for a game to buy, you may go for something more peaceful and tranquil than the latest first-person shooter!

It’s hard to criticise Beyond Blue too much, for it comes to market with the express intention of highlighting the ocean’s magic, hammering home a different type of message to most other gaming experiences. As a game it could do better, but as a journey into what is the unknown for many, then it most certainly works.

Really though, it’s all about the sea exploration, and even though the act of playing is repetitive and quite dull, there’s a good range of information in both scanning the various animals and the short documentary pieces that accompany the adventure. A little more interaction or life to sea creatures might have been nice, but if you fancy educating yourself and perhaps your kids on how important the oceans – and the life within them – are, this is a great resource.

Quotation forthcoming.

If you’re looking for an optimistic documentary-esque game about diving in the ocean, you’ve come to the right place. It’s family-friendly and just a straight outlook at the various species. If you want both sides of the story, you might be disappointed to know that the real dangers involved with actual deep-sea diving are nowhere to be found.