What parents need to know
Endless Ocean Luminous is the 3rd game in the Endless Ocean series. It is an underwater exploration game in which the player embodies a diver hired for a scientific research project. The game offers two complementary game modes, the story mode and the exploration mode. The first five chapters of the story mode are available from the beginning of the game and act as a tutorial, teaching the mechanics of the game. Subsequent chapters of the story mode are unlocked as the player progresses through the exploration mode.
The player’s objective is to scan the seabed and sea creatures to list species and learn more about the animals that inhabit the ocean. As they explore, they discover new species, or species that are theoretically extinct, and try to unravel the mysteries of the ocean and the ancient civilization that left traces of its existence at the bottom of the water. The goal of this exploration is to allow the team of scientists accompanying the diver to find a way to protect the coral reef that is disintegrating in an underwater cave.
The ocean changes with each dive and offers different levels, with mysterious environments, caves, wrecks and ruins to explore, and over 500 different marine species. In addition to the animals to be identified, the seabed is dotted with treasures to discover in order to advance the story.
The exploration mode can be played solo or online, with each dive accommodating up to 30 divers. Players can help each other out by covering more ground, and leaving tags on treasures so that other players can easily find them on the map. Discoveries allow divers to earn coins that can be used to customize the diver’s equipment and purchase animations for the online mode. Everything can be purchased or unlocked easily through exploration and there are no microtransactions.
A Nintendo Switch key of the game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes, but this does not influence our opinion of the game.
Details
Level of experience required
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Almost all texts are accompanied by audio reading. The language level is accessible and the dialogues are simple and straight to the point. Text does not disappear from the screen until the player clicks to move on to the next dialogue, allowing time to read everything properly. The game can be enjoyable and informative for children who have a less advanced reading level as well.
The goal of the game is to explore and gather information in order to save a deteriorating coral reef. The game promotes discovery and education and encourages cooperation, offering a bonus of points for teamwork and rare discoveries.
The game does not present any major challenges, there are no enemies to defeat or obstacles to overcome. The controls are simple and the 3D camera can be fixed in the options for players who are less skilled with camera handling.
Local game modes
Locally, there is the story mode, which is scripted and guided, and the single-player exploration mode.
Online Game Modes
There is an online exploration mode, which is identical to the single-player exploration mode, but can accommodate up to 30 players in the same level. The appeal of the online mode is that you progress faster, since other players can put tags on their discoveries, saving you from having to explore everything to make good progress, earn more money and achieve your secondary objectives.
Expansions/Add-ons (DLC)
For the moment, there is no DLC.
Our opinion
Endless Ocean Luminous is a relaxing and enjoyable game. There’s no big challenge, the online mode is quiet and welcoming (no chat, no mic, no waiting in a lobby before the game), and the story mode is cute. The first levels are more of an introduction that offer very little playable content, and are more to provide guidelines to the solo or online exploration. The story is definitely closer to fiction than educational content; Apart from the descriptions of the animal species, which are informative, everything else is bathed in fantasy and fairytale. So, if you’re looking for a realistic game to feed your scientific mind, you may be disappointed. The game is light and fun, both solo and online, and the story can appeal to an audience of all ages, although it is clearly aimed at a younger audience. For both adult and teen players, the main draw is the exploration and the relaxing side of the game.
The only real problem; the camera movements, the repetitive sounds, and the open, monochrome environment can quickly dizzy and cause discomfort if you’re sensitive to it and playing on a large TV. If you’re going to be playing for extended periods of time, we suggest exploring the accessibility options in the game’s settings to find more comfortable options.
