Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep

The sequel to 2008’s Endless Ocean is here and is once again developed by Arika. Is this diving-sim capable of netting the interest of gamers that aren’t into the under-water activity? Or does it have enough substance to appeal to all gamers?

The game starts off with a revisit to the previous year as your character joins the R&R Diving Service; a convenient way of “reliving” your diving tutorials. I suppose a game has to teach you the controls some way or another and this is as good as any.

If you’re not aware of the original Endless Ocean, …Adventures of the Deep is its sequel and a “diving-simulation” that’s designed to let you plunge into six different oceans and interact with the creatures that inhabit them. The premise is to explore sunken wreckage; searching  for hidden treasures, documenting sea-life,  as well as spending time ashore with various non-aquatic animals.

The controls are fairly simple; point the Wii Remote on-screen to determine which direction you want to face, and holding the B button down to swim in that direction. This is the same method used to walk around when you’re on shore too. I assume this rather simplistic approach is an attempt to draw in as many types of gamers as it can; although I can’t help but wonder if it becomes a detriment to the overall experience or not. Also supported is the Classic Controller.

When you encounter new species, you can log it to your book and bring up their details for review. This, of course, serves as a major part of the game as it’s similar to Pokemon games but minus the combat.  Maps are broken up into squares and the more areas you explore, the more your map gets filled in. Filling in areas on your maps will reward you with money; which can be spent on various new diving equipment and reef decorations. Fully-completed maps can also be sold, which also brings in more money.

There are no weapons as such in this game, what you do have is a device called a Pulsar which is used to treat wounded animals. This can also be used to calm aggressive creatures down, as opposed to attacking them physically.

Your diving experience increases as you spend more time underwater. Depths reached, distance covered, and duration underwater are all factors that determine how much experience you gain. Your salvage level increases as you find more items and get them appraised; so keep an eye out for them as there’s plenty to collect. There’s a fair amount of customisation available as diving equipment, coral decorations, even name titles can be individualised.

The main gripe I have with the controls is the use of the 1 button to bring up the map when diving. Having to swing your thumb down to press it naturally “wobbles” the Wii Remote and thus makes your character needlessly look about. Assigning it to either the left or right button on the d-pad would have been much better. This game does support the Classic Controller so for the majority of people, that’s probably more enjoyable to use.
Also, the way in which you point the Wii Remote to look around can be a fiddly at times. It’s not so responsive when you want to inspect close-up areas and you find yourself unintentionally performing a 180 degree flip when all you want to do is change the direction you’re facing. For the most part, navigation underwater is fine, just not as fluid as it could be.

You can decide to make your dives at different times of the day. As natural features like whirlpools make certain areas inaccessible, tend to disappear at night. This adds a bit more depth to the game as there’s more to take into consideration when setting off to the oceans.

There’s no multiplayer mode as such, the game is largely designed to be enjoyed on your own with much emphasis on exploration and collecting. However, there are a number of things you can do via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Friend Codes can be exchanged, allowing you to visit each other’s Nineball Island (the hub of the game) and to go on dives together. The game also supports the Wii Speak peripheral.

There are numerous quests to embark on, as well as side missions to occupy yourself with should you want a break from the main game. You can use the camera to take pictures and store them in the album, or export them to your SD card. Magazines that will offer payment for submissions of photographs of specific animals that they are after.
Another way of generating income is taking customers out on tour guides. They’ll want to see particular creatures and you’ll have to find what they want.
Reports of animals behaving oddly can also be looked into. It’s up to you to find the animals in question and cure them using the Pulsar. Successfully treating all species in one single diving session will earn you money.

Graphically, this game has a lot of detail to admire and offers a fair bit of realism to make the whole experience more authentic. Those of you who scuba-dive for real should be able to appreciate the underwater atmosphere that is created. Instead of the usual two-axis set of movements that’s found in the majority of games, you’re dealing with a true 3-dimensional gaming environment that is understandably apt for a diving-sim. This game pulls it off very well; with murky fields of vision emphasising the vastness of the underwater world.
The manner in which shoals of fish swim around are also very authentic-looking. However, it can sometimes be a bit tricky to accurately click on the smaller, more nippy ones. Therefore you resort to multi-clicking the A button just so you can identify and log them.

Despite its minor flaws, Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep is a very enjoyable game if you fancy something set at a slower pace. Gamers that like exploring and collecting should find this title very appealing. If you own the first game and wondering if you should buy this sequel, I would say it depends on how much of a fan you are of this genre. Not much is different, apart from this instalment feels more structured in the quests that are set. If you don’t own either, then this one is probably more worthwhile with everything feeling more defined. It seems the developers took note of what improvements could be made from the first game, and made them with this one.

With the choice of where you want to dive,and what you want to accomplish, this game doesn’t fall victim to a linear approach to progression. Although there is a narrative to follow, there is a certain element of freedom that mirrors the diving-philosophy quite nicely. If you want to take a break from the main duties of the game, you can opt to take part in one of many side-activities. Asides from a teenage diving partner, you also have a dolphin that you can train and have as your diving companion. There will be certain “puzzles” that particular diving partners can help you solve so think about who (if anyone) you want to take out with you. As you progress, there will also be other human companions, as well as other marine animals that you can dive with; each with unique skills that will prove to be handy.

I personally enjoyed this game as it offers something different from the usual fast-paced action games that seem to be everywhere. I also like games that offer lots to find and collect without the whole thing getting stale and boring. The main bulk of the game can be described as “go here, find this” in a superficial kind of way, but it manages to hold attention without things descending into a chore. As relaxing as this game can be, it can throw in moments of alarm as predatory sharks make their way towards you with the sole intention of harm. There are also bursts of splendor as massive sea mammals like whales calmly make their way past your field of vision, emphasising the scale of everything. Very nice.

I’m not sure how accurate the descriptions of the marine biology are, but for younger gamers with an interest, parents should be happy if their kids are investing time into a title like this. Even adults should find something captivating in Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep. Well done, Arika, for producing a sequel to a game that many might scoff at; and a fine sequel that is too.

+ Nice crisp visuals
+ Lots of animals to find and plenty of items to collect
+ Asides from the main game, plenty to get on with
+ A very unique game belonging to a unique series

- Melodramatic soundtrack might annoy some
- Controls can be fiddly at times

Score – 8/10