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Endless Ocean, official quiet long river thread (Amir0x approved)
- Thread starter stilgar
- Start date
Hello, I've been a member for quite some time yet I think this is my first post. I've been running a thread on Endless Ocean on Gamespot for quite a few months now. I'm one of two people in the thread who actually owns it :lol So coming here and reading this thread is like drinking from the well.
I even put up some of you GAFs impressions and pics (re-hosted) thanks so much for posting them. Anyhow I've been continuously putting impressions up there, but no one seems to care, I thought I'd paste them here minus the pics. (pics are in the thread here: http://uk.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=25801727 )
Impressions 1
Okay I played 3 and a half hours last night. For a game with supposedly nothing to do, this game is as much of a timesuck as Oblivion. You just lose yourself in this alien atmosphere and zone out to the tunes.
The game has the boat as a hub area, you move between different co-ordinates on a huge sea map. Then you get emails form the ocean foundation asking you to do research or take various VIPS on guided tours, find a certain fish, photograph something, train a dolphin, explore an unknown area etc. They are like mini missions.
All of this is kind of like an excuse because the basic underlying experience, the main grit of the game is basically swimming about, looking around at the fauna, animals and landscape, investigating those and chilling out to the music. Now I wouldn't ever dare dream of buying a Hayley Westenra album, but just as Enya's music suited Lord of the Rings the music here perfectly suits the game. The game does a great job of tricking your mind into a scuba diving state, the way your character floats at jaunty angles, the rhymic and pulsating sound of your own breath through your air tube for instance or the bubbles escaping in front of you.
Some of the graphics are really impressive for Wii, look up the page and you can see some pics, with more at the link. Even on standard camera mode everything is hyper detailed and really sharp. Go into first person mode and everything is just ascrisp. There is also a focus mode, where you can zoom into a plant or coral or rock face, literally anything other than an animal and the game renders it in minute detail, so good that it looks like a 360 game at that point. I don't know if it's pre-rendered or not, it moves and flows with the water so I can't call it, but either way it looks GREAT.
The custom soundtrack is essential to this game, I've already dived intoa huge ravine with the Odin Sphere theme Gone intoa Mermaids cave with the Zora's domain music Swam about the lagoon to the NIGHTS theme Even circled a whale to the Okami music
In most normal games you have those wow moments, usually when something blows up, or a huge boss appears etc. Endless ocean has those moments, but they usually occur when some massive underwater beast turns up, slowly ambling towards you in the shadows, or when you dive into a cave and a whole new area opens up.
The game teases you with these wow moments, the whales mostly. Your first encounter for instance is of a humpback whale that is migrating to a new area so you only have a brief glimps. I got the night lights and saw a sperm whale. Sperm whales feed at incredible depths where humans can't venture, on giant squid so this one came out of the night and dived into the crevasse and I couldn't follow.... until I got the deep sea diving equipment this morning
So far, for the price if you understand what you're getting: an experience - rather than a traditional gme - than you should really enjoy it. Give it time to bed in though. I love it so far, just what I was expecting. Really, go check out those screenshots and other peoples impressions in that other thread.
Impressions 2
Yes, really nice animations.A couple of the animals aren't rendered very well, this sword fish type thing you can see the joins and the hammerhead shark doesn't look great. Otherwise, when you track a fish or school of fish it looks great with the detail behind it. I love focusing on the dolphin and watching the camera swirl about following its movements.
The detail in focus mode is insane.
It's starting to get addicitive, just taking photos of the best creatures and filling up your album. And it teases you with that book filled with silhoettes of undiscovered species.
Impressions 3
I didn't realise how perfect the Zora's domain would be till I tried it. Dire dire docks from mario 64 wouldn't play If you set a track on the deck of the ship you can then switch between it and another of your choice from the ingame music. You have to pre-determine that as you descend and cant change that.
But anyhows........ Oh my....... ........ God I just got back from a trip down a deep crevasse with this deep water diving air mixture and....... That one seamless experience will live with me as one of those great gaming moments that you will always remember. Picture it, it's night, blackness and you cling to the wall and get this extremely alien feeling of vertigo as you vertically plunge down into the abyss, the light of your torch illuminating the rock wall as you descend. This choral, godly music echoes gently in the background as you go.
Then out of the dark murk a sperm whale emerges and the music reachesa high pitched crescendo and it drifts by, another tease as you can't track this one and it disappears. Then you submerge deeper and..... well I wont spoil the rest but OMG. Just wow, unlike any other game experience I've had. The whole game feels worth it just for that section.
Any how, I'm about 6 and a half hours in, uncovered just under half the map, but haven't discovered many species. You can also dive at night and day for different species and of course the missions keep coming via email.
I even put up some of you GAFs impressions and pics (re-hosted) thanks so much for posting them. Anyhow I've been continuously putting impressions up there, but no one seems to care, I thought I'd paste them here minus the pics. (pics are in the thread here: http://uk.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=25801727 )
Impressions 1
Okay I played 3 and a half hours last night. For a game with supposedly nothing to do, this game is as much of a timesuck as Oblivion. You just lose yourself in this alien atmosphere and zone out to the tunes.
The game has the boat as a hub area, you move between different co-ordinates on a huge sea map. Then you get emails form the ocean foundation asking you to do research or take various VIPS on guided tours, find a certain fish, photograph something, train a dolphin, explore an unknown area etc. They are like mini missions.
All of this is kind of like an excuse because the basic underlying experience, the main grit of the game is basically swimming about, looking around at the fauna, animals and landscape, investigating those and chilling out to the music. Now I wouldn't ever dare dream of buying a Hayley Westenra album, but just as Enya's music suited Lord of the Rings the music here perfectly suits the game. The game does a great job of tricking your mind into a scuba diving state, the way your character floats at jaunty angles, the rhymic and pulsating sound of your own breath through your air tube for instance or the bubbles escaping in front of you.
Some of the graphics are really impressive for Wii, look up the page and you can see some pics, with more at the link. Even on standard camera mode everything is hyper detailed and really sharp. Go into first person mode and everything is just ascrisp. There is also a focus mode, where you can zoom into a plant or coral or rock face, literally anything other than an animal and the game renders it in minute detail, so good that it looks like a 360 game at that point. I don't know if it's pre-rendered or not, it moves and flows with the water so I can't call it, but either way it looks GREAT.
The custom soundtrack is essential to this game, I've already dived intoa huge ravine with the Odin Sphere theme Gone intoa Mermaids cave with the Zora's domain music Swam about the lagoon to the NIGHTS theme Even circled a whale to the Okami music
In most normal games you have those wow moments, usually when something blows up, or a huge boss appears etc. Endless ocean has those moments, but they usually occur when some massive underwater beast turns up, slowly ambling towards you in the shadows, or when you dive into a cave and a whole new area opens up.
The game teases you with these wow moments, the whales mostly. Your first encounter for instance is of a humpback whale that is migrating to a new area so you only have a brief glimps. I got the night lights and saw a sperm whale. Sperm whales feed at incredible depths where humans can't venture, on giant squid so this one came out of the night and dived into the crevasse and I couldn't follow.... until I got the deep sea diving equipment this morning
So far, for the price if you understand what you're getting: an experience - rather than a traditional gme - than you should really enjoy it. Give it time to bed in though. I love it so far, just what I was expecting. Really, go check out those screenshots and other peoples impressions in that other thread.
Impressions 2
Yes, really nice animations.A couple of the animals aren't rendered very well, this sword fish type thing you can see the joins and the hammerhead shark doesn't look great. Otherwise, when you track a fish or school of fish it looks great with the detail behind it. I love focusing on the dolphin and watching the camera swirl about following its movements.
The detail in focus mode is insane.
It's starting to get addicitive, just taking photos of the best creatures and filling up your album. And it teases you with that book filled with silhoettes of undiscovered species.
Impressions 3
I didn't realise how perfect the Zora's domain would be till I tried it. Dire dire docks from mario 64 wouldn't play If you set a track on the deck of the ship you can then switch between it and another of your choice from the ingame music. You have to pre-determine that as you descend and cant change that.
But anyhows........ Oh my....... ........ God I just got back from a trip down a deep crevasse with this deep water diving air mixture and....... That one seamless experience will live with me as one of those great gaming moments that you will always remember. Picture it, it's night, blackness and you cling to the wall and get this extremely alien feeling of vertigo as you vertically plunge down into the abyss, the light of your torch illuminating the rock wall as you descend. This choral, godly music echoes gently in the background as you go.
Then out of the dark murk a sperm whale emerges and the music reachesa high pitched crescendo and it drifts by, another tease as you can't track this one and it disappears. Then you submerge deeper and..... well I wont spoil the rest but OMG. Just wow, unlike any other game experience I've had. The whole game feels worth it just for that section.
Any how, I'm about 6 and a half hours in, uncovered just under half the map, but haven't discovered many species. You can also dive at night and day for different species and of course the missions keep coming via email.
Impressions 4
I just explored the ruins and OMG, the way they have structured the central chamber, lets just say that you have to ascend upwards towards the sun shimmering down into the ocean surface above you and several.....things are swirling in the water around you including one big thing. And.... well Don't want to spoil it for you.
I didn't think they could match the abyss, that first encounter with a sperm whale but yeah, they do and it's better. I'm really getting into the photos too, it's like Pokemon snap and you find your favourite animals, get some decent poses and later develop the pictures and put them in your album. Some missions have journal writers asking you to send them photos of specific animals, I sent one back and he sent me the finished article with my pic in it. Nice touch.
One last thing, you can grab accurate and great looking screencaps with this photo tool, so why the hell are some images on the net for this game blown out of resolution? Those Neo pics are the only ones I've seen that come close to the beauty of the game in motion.
Impressions 5
The visuals acheive all that they need to. Other than the odd poorly rendered creature the experience simulates natural beauty very well. It's hard to see how they could have gotten some of the textures any better, the lighting is natural, delicate and etherial. The animation is lifelike, the audio is superb and the addition of custom soundtracks make it better. There is really nothing you can get from renting a game like this and burning a couple of hours on it then sending it back. I re-hosted the images above. When you're making your descent into the abyss at night, with your torch illuminating the cliff face, or rising towards the surface encicled by *******you wont care whether it's high def or not, it looks beautiful and wonderfully simulates the experience.
Impressions 6
the experience unquestionably works looking how it does and sounding how it does. When that NGamer review called it console psychotherapy I can absolutely understand that now. You are at peace playing this game because it nails the ocean experience exactly how it is.
Last night I explored the ruins. You move from an open map to a dungeon area and which has currents, it's like a mini-zelda dungeon minus puzzles and enemies.
This morning I discovered a new area You swim through this underwater garden, reeds brushing your face, bending to your will and then you open out into this cove of new creatures. The music is great too, all the games tracks aren't availible at the start, they gradually are unlocked the more you explore and it's getting better and better.
*Gaming gods please don't turn me into a Haley Westernra fan*
On your first encounter with a new species you will have to track it, click on it, which locks you onto the animal. Then either poke, rub or feed it to get some info. At that point an encyclopedia entry opens on screen which you can read. There are 3 parts to every animal and you have to unlock them stage by stage so it's not just inspect one animal then move on. There is replayability going back and gleaning more info. Generally the first stage of info is just a physical description. Later on you will be asked to photo a specific fish so you better start associating animals with names with enviroments.
Impressions 7
The oarfish is incredible, it lives in the extreme deep and only surfaces to die
Anyhow I just realised how the experience can vary with little things. You make "friends" with certain animals like dolphins and seals and before you dive you can choose who you want to come with you or go alone if you want. For this dive I took the arisse dolphin which had followed me out of the abyss.
I entered this cove where fish had been funnelled by strong currents. Anyhow I was listening to the court suite from the Orchestrated Phoenix wright album. And just at the pinnacle of the song, as the music swelled I turned my view to a veritable torrent of swirling Blue tangs (pictures in above post), illuminated by rays of sunlight streaming down from the surface. And at that very point, as if to put that one perfect exclamation mark on the moment, my dolphin friend Sara started chirping at the best part of the song. It's such a great moment, but entirely random, that depended on where I was looking, what point in the song I was at, what song I chose, what animal I chose to accompany me and what area I chose to dive in.
What it means is that these moments can just happen in random and varied moments depending on a combination of little things.
There was this part at the bottom of the abyss...
When I swam in the *********, inside the ***********. And through the murk this *********** appeared in my torchlight outside the ****. It was eerie, strange but so wonderful. If I hadn't been in the******* it wouldn't have felt the same.
Impressions 8
Well, you can hold B to move and simply point to where you want your diver to follow. But for longer treks you hit the minus button and he continues moving forward till you hit any other button. When close to any surface in the game you can hit the + button and it goes into a hyper detailed fixed view of terrain in which you can pick up objects or interact with tiny fish otherwise not viewable.
A is the button that you use simply to point and click on animals to investigate them. The 1 button brings up the map, thankfully you can turn while on the map to orientate yourself. Hitting the 2 button puts you in a first person view, which is really great, it gives you this floating feeling. The d-pad scrolls between option icons such ascamera, pen, food, whistle, options and end dive. It uses just the remote yet uses every button of the remote. Most of the time you are just pointing and hitting minus to move. Or pointing and clicking A.
Last night I saw a Blue Whale and whoaaaaaaaaaaaaa. OMG I just followed it for 10 minutes or so. I lost the temple though I can't remember how to get back there
For some reason my wii has lost its internet settings so I'll have to tweak things to do some co-op diving.
The oarfish is great, the game really captures its vivid silver and red colours. You encounter it in its natural habitat which happens to be totally alien to you so it's all the more memorable. I looks a bit like a chinese dragon.
Impressions 9
OK so far my only experience with friend codes was elebits and mario strikers. Those games allowed you to just import your existing wii-codes hassle free to play. Endless ocean has *groan* game specific codes *groan* ugh. Now I know why people complain. It makes no sense not to just import your wii-friends list.
Anyhow, my code for Endless Ocean is 1344 7079 3825
Oh yeah I'm stuck at the ruins. The woman keeps saying "Why dont you check out the ruins?" But I've gone over the ruins piece by piece, read every tablet I could find, picked up every artifact there is. Saw two massive ****** ******* at night surrounded by ******* fish
Anyhows.... she keeps saying check out the ruins and until I do this properly the emails are running dry, which means less guided tours and less photo requests .
EDIT: Ah, read somewhere how to do it. Nevermind.
Oh... a giant ********** showed up on the deck of the boat today
Really I'm 12 hours in or something and for £20 this is great value.
I have a new favourite animal: The Frogfish!
Its fins are like little legs! And it half walks on the sea bed, I saw it I tells you
I just explored the ruins and OMG, the way they have structured the central chamber, lets just say that you have to ascend upwards towards the sun shimmering down into the ocean surface above you and several.....things are swirling in the water around you including one big thing. And.... well Don't want to spoil it for you.
I didn't think they could match the abyss, that first encounter with a sperm whale but yeah, they do and it's better. I'm really getting into the photos too, it's like Pokemon snap and you find your favourite animals, get some decent poses and later develop the pictures and put them in your album. Some missions have journal writers asking you to send them photos of specific animals, I sent one back and he sent me the finished article with my pic in it. Nice touch.
One last thing, you can grab accurate and great looking screencaps with this photo tool, so why the hell are some images on the net for this game blown out of resolution? Those Neo pics are the only ones I've seen that come close to the beauty of the game in motion.
Impressions 5
The visuals acheive all that they need to. Other than the odd poorly rendered creature the experience simulates natural beauty very well. It's hard to see how they could have gotten some of the textures any better, the lighting is natural, delicate and etherial. The animation is lifelike, the audio is superb and the addition of custom soundtracks make it better. There is really nothing you can get from renting a game like this and burning a couple of hours on it then sending it back. I re-hosted the images above. When you're making your descent into the abyss at night, with your torch illuminating the cliff face, or rising towards the surface encicled by *******you wont care whether it's high def or not, it looks beautiful and wonderfully simulates the experience.
Impressions 6
the experience unquestionably works looking how it does and sounding how it does. When that NGamer review called it console psychotherapy I can absolutely understand that now. You are at peace playing this game because it nails the ocean experience exactly how it is.
Last night I explored the ruins. You move from an open map to a dungeon area and which has currents, it's like a mini-zelda dungeon minus puzzles and enemies.
This morning I discovered a new area You swim through this underwater garden, reeds brushing your face, bending to your will and then you open out into this cove of new creatures. The music is great too, all the games tracks aren't availible at the start, they gradually are unlocked the more you explore and it's getting better and better.
*Gaming gods please don't turn me into a Haley Westernra fan*
On your first encounter with a new species you will have to track it, click on it, which locks you onto the animal. Then either poke, rub or feed it to get some info. At that point an encyclopedia entry opens on screen which you can read. There are 3 parts to every animal and you have to unlock them stage by stage so it's not just inspect one animal then move on. There is replayability going back and gleaning more info. Generally the first stage of info is just a physical description. Later on you will be asked to photo a specific fish so you better start associating animals with names with enviroments.
Impressions 7
The oarfish is incredible, it lives in the extreme deep and only surfaces to die
Anyhow I just realised how the experience can vary with little things. You make "friends" with certain animals like dolphins and seals and before you dive you can choose who you want to come with you or go alone if you want. For this dive I took the arisse dolphin which had followed me out of the abyss.
I entered this cove where fish had been funnelled by strong currents. Anyhow I was listening to the court suite from the Orchestrated Phoenix wright album. And just at the pinnacle of the song, as the music swelled I turned my view to a veritable torrent of swirling Blue tangs (pictures in above post), illuminated by rays of sunlight streaming down from the surface. And at that very point, as if to put that one perfect exclamation mark on the moment, my dolphin friend Sara started chirping at the best part of the song. It's such a great moment, but entirely random, that depended on where I was looking, what point in the song I was at, what song I chose, what animal I chose to accompany me and what area I chose to dive in.
What it means is that these moments can just happen in random and varied moments depending on a combination of little things.
There was this part at the bottom of the abyss...
When I swam in the *********, inside the ***********. And through the murk this *********** appeared in my torchlight outside the ****. It was eerie, strange but so wonderful. If I hadn't been in the******* it wouldn't have felt the same.
Impressions 8
Well, you can hold B to move and simply point to where you want your diver to follow. But for longer treks you hit the minus button and he continues moving forward till you hit any other button. When close to any surface in the game you can hit the + button and it goes into a hyper detailed fixed view of terrain in which you can pick up objects or interact with tiny fish otherwise not viewable.
A is the button that you use simply to point and click on animals to investigate them. The 1 button brings up the map, thankfully you can turn while on the map to orientate yourself. Hitting the 2 button puts you in a first person view, which is really great, it gives you this floating feeling. The d-pad scrolls between option icons such ascamera, pen, food, whistle, options and end dive. It uses just the remote yet uses every button of the remote. Most of the time you are just pointing and hitting minus to move. Or pointing and clicking A.
Last night I saw a Blue Whale and whoaaaaaaaaaaaaa. OMG I just followed it for 10 minutes or so. I lost the temple though I can't remember how to get back there
For some reason my wii has lost its internet settings so I'll have to tweak things to do some co-op diving.
The oarfish is great, the game really captures its vivid silver and red colours. You encounter it in its natural habitat which happens to be totally alien to you so it's all the more memorable. I looks a bit like a chinese dragon.
Impressions 9
OK so far my only experience with friend codes was elebits and mario strikers. Those games allowed you to just import your existing wii-codes hassle free to play. Endless ocean has *groan* game specific codes *groan* ugh. Now I know why people complain. It makes no sense not to just import your wii-friends list.
Anyhow, my code for Endless Ocean is 1344 7079 3825
Oh yeah I'm stuck at the ruins. The woman keeps saying "Why dont you check out the ruins?" But I've gone over the ruins piece by piece, read every tablet I could find, picked up every artifact there is. Saw two massive ****** ******* at night surrounded by ******* fish
Anyhows.... she keeps saying check out the ruins and until I do this properly the emails are running dry, which means less guided tours and less photo requests .
EDIT: Ah, read somewhere how to do it. Nevermind.
Oh... a giant ********** showed up on the deck of the boat today
Really I'm 12 hours in or something and for £20 this is great value.
I have a new favourite animal: The Frogfish!
Its fins are like little legs! And it half walks on the sea bed, I saw it I tells you
Impressions 10
The abyss is an oh my god moment. But then I went to the ruins in marige atoll and had a better one.
The original music is actually very good I would listen to it first then start using your own tunes. The selections they have made suit the enviroments and the experience they are trying to present.
I've yet to hear an owner of the game complain. I guess if you only play shooting games or sports or fighting then you might not get into this. But I can't understand a person like that buying Endless Ocean to begin with.
I keep saying it because to me it's important: the game is at a budget price and well worth the money. There are so many wow moments, it's different, you don't grin ear to ear because you just sliced the arms off a tentacle boss with a samurai sword, you don't say "wow" because you've just got 3 consecutive headshots. You say wow because you turn a corner and catch that one moment of perfect beauty. You say wow because it's unlike anything you've experienced before. You say wow when you turn a corner and a wonderful new area opens up.
OMG why did no one tell me that the Mermaids cave was actually a tunneled series of sections? Wow, some of the rock formations are blissful. Try getting to the top of the room in the Great Column and heading straightdown Entered the stalactite area
And I just had my first intimate encounter with a north atlantic right whale.
Z.....OMG it swam right towards me and I got a photo of its whiskers Also a story seems to be developing with this woman I work with. Anyone read Moby Dick? This game may just have the ultimate payoff. 12 and a half hours in, 95% of the map covered, about 2/3 of the species discovered. Haven't done many night dives, but now I figured out the ruins, the diving requests have picked up.
I uncovered like 95% of the map so I thought that there was nothing else left to see, nothing that could suprise and enthrall me like the abyss or the central chamber of the ruins in marige atoll. Then last night I finally have the chance to explore the inner chambers of the mermaids cave. I only saw the first chamber before, but each cave is a different delight. I squealed like a delighted child when I sawthislast night (don't worry it's not a screenshot). Chamber after chamber it keeps getting better until the final one where the music changes and you get a new track and it was.... it was like stepping into a fantasy movie or something, I could not stop grinning ear to ear at what I was seeing. I ambled around that chamber for a good 20 minutes looking around. I just realised that all the songs that are ??? in the pre-load menu are unlocked when you enter new areas. That means that despite me uncovering 95% of the map I still have 4-5 dive sites undiscovered left, maybe inner sections like the abyss, mermaids cave, or the ruins. I still haven't seen killer whales or Great Whites.
Last night I went back to the abyss to search for something and I came across a sperm whale again, that was like the 4th time I'd seen it in this setting. This time I followed it up to the green sun above and it was amazing, towards the end it even flipped onto its back so I was riding along its belly and it even seemed to look down on me. AMAZING
It's out in europe and I still don't see many reviews, I think I have about 4 reviews I've seen and 2 of those were import reviews. I'm enjoying the game so much I'm posting out of genuine enthusiasm.
Oh oh, I found the final ruins chamber and you're searching for like relics from the ancient civilisation and in this final room suddenly this eerie voice started chanting which was creepy because it was a night dive too. Another one of those 'moments' but it was all part of the song. And on that note, the tunes keep getting better too.
What songs are your favourites? Benidictus in the abyss is breathtaking. I like Shenadoah, can't stand amazing grace. Love the two I unlocked last night, Hine no Hine? And River something?
And that's it. Then I got suspended from gamecrap for criticising their shitty reviews :lol
The abyss is an oh my god moment. But then I went to the ruins in marige atoll and had a better one.
The original music is actually very good I would listen to it first then start using your own tunes. The selections they have made suit the enviroments and the experience they are trying to present.
I've yet to hear an owner of the game complain. I guess if you only play shooting games or sports or fighting then you might not get into this. But I can't understand a person like that buying Endless Ocean to begin with.
I keep saying it because to me it's important: the game is at a budget price and well worth the money. There are so many wow moments, it's different, you don't grin ear to ear because you just sliced the arms off a tentacle boss with a samurai sword, you don't say "wow" because you've just got 3 consecutive headshots. You say wow because you turn a corner and catch that one moment of perfect beauty. You say wow because it's unlike anything you've experienced before. You say wow when you turn a corner and a wonderful new area opens up.
OMG why did no one tell me that the Mermaids cave was actually a tunneled series of sections? Wow, some of the rock formations are blissful. Try getting to the top of the room in the Great Column and heading straightdown Entered the stalactite area
And I just had my first intimate encounter with a north atlantic right whale.
Z.....OMG it swam right towards me and I got a photo of its whiskers Also a story seems to be developing with this woman I work with. Anyone read Moby Dick? This game may just have the ultimate payoff. 12 and a half hours in, 95% of the map covered, about 2/3 of the species discovered. Haven't done many night dives, but now I figured out the ruins, the diving requests have picked up.
I uncovered like 95% of the map so I thought that there was nothing else left to see, nothing that could suprise and enthrall me like the abyss or the central chamber of the ruins in marige atoll. Then last night I finally have the chance to explore the inner chambers of the mermaids cave. I only saw the first chamber before, but each cave is a different delight. I squealed like a delighted child when I sawthislast night (don't worry it's not a screenshot). Chamber after chamber it keeps getting better until the final one where the music changes and you get a new track and it was.... it was like stepping into a fantasy movie or something, I could not stop grinning ear to ear at what I was seeing. I ambled around that chamber for a good 20 minutes looking around. I just realised that all the songs that are ??? in the pre-load menu are unlocked when you enter new areas. That means that despite me uncovering 95% of the map I still have 4-5 dive sites undiscovered left, maybe inner sections like the abyss, mermaids cave, or the ruins. I still haven't seen killer whales or Great Whites.
Last night I went back to the abyss to search for something and I came across a sperm whale again, that was like the 4th time I'd seen it in this setting. This time I followed it up to the green sun above and it was amazing, towards the end it even flipped onto its back so I was riding along its belly and it even seemed to look down on me. AMAZING
It's out in europe and I still don't see many reviews, I think I have about 4 reviews I've seen and 2 of those were import reviews. I'm enjoying the game so much I'm posting out of genuine enthusiasm.
Oh oh, I found the final ruins chamber and you're searching for like relics from the ancient civilisation and in this final room suddenly this eerie voice started chanting which was creepy because it was a night dive too. Another one of those 'moments' but it was all part of the song. And on that note, the tunes keep getting better too.
What songs are your favourites? Benidictus in the abyss is breathtaking. I like Shenadoah, can't stand amazing grace. Love the two I unlocked last night, Hine no Hine? And River something?
And that's it. Then I got suspended from gamecrap for criticising their shitty reviews :lol
maxmars said:
Make sure you drop your friend code in the online forum (there's a thread for endless ocean) so we can dive together.
Where is this forum you speaketh of? So far all my Euroscum GameSpit buddies are too lax to actually get off their asses and buy/play the game. I just got mario galaxy too so I'm going to be pre-occupied for a while. BTW I still haven't come across the great whites? Where are they? And I'm having a few problems when the send you a request for a pic of a tiny fish only visible in focus mode. With some animals they give you a specific location, otherwise it says that this blue and yellow angelfish is located in coral all year round. I went to 3 different coral locations and didn't see jack?
gamingeek, if you look hard enough you will see that a subforum of this very forum is the online forum. All scheduling of online activities should go there.
Here's the direct link: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=206774
Here's the direct link: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=206774
Thanks for the impressions man, the game is indeed amazing (even though i haven't had -and won't have due to work/Mario Galaxy- time to play it these days).gamingeek said::lol
No. Can't you tell? I hate it
I just can't wait to see the abyss and the giant squid, god i've wanted that for so so long... and it's awesome that finally the time has come, and especially with a game that has a scientific/documentary vibe to it.
35/40 on famitsu is more than well deserved here.
Souldriver
Member
Why aren't there any reviews for this game yet?
Souldriver said:
There are, I posted them in my thread, see the link by scrolling up. NGamer did the import review months ago, then the re-reviewed it via gamesradar for the UK release. Famitsu reviewed it obviously and then N+ and ********* I believe reviewed it. I put it all in that thread. I don't understand why there are more reviews for it, maybe because it released at a budget price reviewers prioritised other more high profile games?
EDIT: Are you not allowed to say game brink???
well I preordered it. Along with No More Heroes I have decided to extend my Wii games collection once again :lol My aunt actually gave me the money to buy this after seeing video and pictures of it. she fell absolutely in love with the concept and cant wait to try it. The same thing happened with my mom after seeing Mario Galaxy. This system basically pays for itself over time :lol
straydog1980
Banned
why is the american release delayed so much as compared to the jap/pal release?? WANT THIS...
yup...gamingeek said:
but i havent been there for ages
================================
So a few impressions
1. Graphics are amazing
first i thought it was jaggy and that the water was not deep enough (and the ocean is far from endless)
but after i discovered a place called blue hall (if im not mistaken with the name) i was instantly hooked.... and the game just got better from that..
especially the pre rendered parts of the game (basically close ups of corals and stuff) are well done and the poligon fish are really immerged in the pre rendered environment it looks amazing
2. the variety of fish is amazing..
there must be about 150 different kinds of sea animals.. from seagul, seaslug to mantaray..
i even saw some dolphines and sharks..
its kinda dull to become friends with them since its just giving some bait and patting them.. but at the same time its damn relaxing.. even sharks are so peaceful in this game it is just the perfect meditation game
3. SD MP3 support is great..
I usually hear the goldberg variation from Glen Gould... it fits perfectly :lol :lol
I haven't tried the online diving yet, I'm not sure if it's worth it. You can't talk to eachother?
I suppose I could show someone around an area they hadn't seen before? Where is this ghost ship?
I completed the game last night, and by completed I mean seen the end credits, the game is far from over yet. Wonderful end moment though I wish they had made a new model for the.... (well that's a suprise I'm not ruining)
I suppose I could show someone around an area they hadn't seen before? Where is this ghost ship?
I completed the game last night, and by completed I mean seen the end credits, the game is far from over yet. Wonderful end moment though I wish they had made a new model for the.... (well that's a suprise I'm not ruining)
:lolgamingeek on the other forum said:Be sure to check out this video of two Japanese girls rubbing penguins.
Anyway, nice impressions. Welcome to neogaf, and all that.
I think I've hooked my dad on the game. I showed him how you can dive around in one of those bonding and house repair get-togethers we have been doing for quite some time now.
I hit the jackpot by coincidence: we found a shell. He loves everything related to nature and amongst other things had been a seashell collector/nut for the longest time, but due to space and health constraints he had to drop the habit a few years back. Nonetheless he instantly identified the shell and from that moment on asked some suspicious questions and wanted to try it by himself. Petted some fish, hugged some walls, rammed the boat in a futile attempt to get on board more than once. Sadly enough he couldn't find more shells (I doubt there are more) and got tired/confused by the controls quickly. It seems gaming by proxy is the way to go for him. He asked whether we could play "that diving game" again another time. I doubt he'll ever buy a Wii, but I have to say that was the first time where I've seen him show an interest in a videogame ever since he played Super Mario World on the SNES.
Wii sports and SMG didn't work, although he seemed undecided on the latter. 
OBrant: Damn you guys and your abundance of videogame time.
I'm still at the egg galaxy in SMG, the first third in Endless Ocean, in Etrian Oddyssey I'm stuck at the Stalker FOE in B3F, in MP3 I just recently advanced to the screw attack, my friends keep pestering me about more gaming get-togethers where we'll only play multiplayer games, my dad and the house demand considerable amounts of time and my life in general keeps eating up more and more gaming time. I simply cannot fit all my gaming needs into what precious little time I have left. It's a nice thing to get stressed out about, but on the other hand I'll never get anything done like that.
To make a long story short: Can anybody here please lend me some extra time?
farnham said:
Nah all you can do is select your one SD card song for the dive. Then when you are submerging select a game disc track and let that come on. Then at least you can quickly flick to the options and flick between your chosed SD card track and your chosen in game track.
I didn't like it at first but it's actually a nice idea, it means that each dive feels unique to the song you assign to it.
I have no clue, but I'd wager a guess that Audacity can do that. It's open source and works under Windows and Linux (dunno about Macs though).farnham said:
If you're a Linux guy you can do it faster and without that annoying GUI though.
More footage:
Endless Ocean Whale Shark
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze53m5HMWWg
Endless Ocean Whale Shark 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz5-l51uSrk
Endless Ocean Whale Shark
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze53m5HMWWg
Endless Ocean Whale Shark 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz5-l51uSrk
Anyone seen the
ghost ship yet? I got the e-mail but still to spot it on the seas!
It's a pity I haven't come across any sunken treasure ship but, there's still some fun places to explore such as the Abyss with all its "alien" fishes. Not to mention they seemed to have modelled the ruins after the real Japanese pyramids so that was a good experience!
It's a pity I haven't come across any sunken treasure ship but, there's still some fun places to explore such as the Abyss with all its "alien" fishes. Not to mention they seemed to have modelled the ruins after the real Japanese pyramids so that was a good experience!
Hey people, why don't we dive together one of these evenings? I post from time to time on the official thread in the online forum, please do the same if interested.. I do plan to keep this game around forever, so don't assume it's out of fashion (at least for me).
Same as Mario Strikers Charged but that's too OT here.
Same as Mario Strikers Charged but that's too OT here.
peetfeet said:
You don't get to meet strangers in this game, any dive must be planned in advance by going here:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=206774
or making your own thread in the online forum. I understand you may already know this, but others may not so I took the time to write it again.
As for the compass.. I paused single player mode for a certain game just came out (SMG), but I also am curious about some items. The compass, of course but also the cassette tape.
Good game, especially for the price it's at. If you think Animal Crossing is boring, this probably isn't for you, but if you don't mind a more relaxed style of play you'll probably find it as inexplicably compelling as I do. Controls are fantastic, making it one of those too rare examples of a game that not only works, but works better on Wii. There's seems to be plenty to do and the missions while simple, are oddly rewarding.
It's not perfect; the game does feel just a little too loose at times and the presentation, gorgeous box art aside, looks a little dated. Voice chat would be nice and the graphics could be more consistent but these are little niggles rather than major complaints. If you own a PAL Wii and are in need of something a little less intense for those few hours of the day in which you're not playing Super Mario Galaxy, definitely consider this.
It's not perfect; the game does feel just a little too loose at times and the presentation, gorgeous box art aside, looks a little dated. Voice chat would be nice and the graphics could be more consistent but these are little niggles rather than major complaints. If you own a PAL Wii and are in need of something a little less intense for those few hours of the day in which you're not playing Super Mario Galaxy, definitely consider this.
I dont know where to find the ghost ship or this glowing white dolphin supposedly off the west coast of rockland. I've searched for hours.
I did my first online dive yesterday. It was fun-ish. I wouldn't say its the best game to play in multiplayer as it's a game where you just kind of explore on your own for hours on end. I showed a friend some things he hadn't seen yet to wet his appetite. The lack of voice chat makes things a smidgen difficult but between the canned messages and the light pen, we were okay.
I really need to find this ghost ship, and a yellow tailed catfish. Any ideas?
I did my first online dive yesterday. It was fun-ish. I wouldn't say its the best game to play in multiplayer as it's a game where you just kind of explore on your own for hours on end. I showed a friend some things he hadn't seen yet to wet his appetite. The lack of voice chat makes things a smidgen difficult but between the canned messages and the light pen, we were okay.
I really need to find this ghost ship, and a yellow tailed catfish. Any ideas?
Cosmonaut X
Member
maxmars said:As for the compass.. I paused single player mode for a certain game just came out (SMG), but I also am curious about some items. The compass, of course but also the cassette tape.
Isn't the compass meant to help you find the
ghost ship
ghost ship
Dunno about the cassette, but I just found a
shark tooth necklace
Magu Tapah, the giant Great White
Just checked DVD Crave out of the blue to see if they had the UK version in, saw Mario Galaxy UK version has been shipping and almost cried.. but then searched up Endless Ocean and it's available and at $60 AUD to boot! Yum!
So I think the Galaxy will wait a week while I divulge into diving.
So I think the Galaxy will wait a week while I divulge into diving.