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Review: Endless Ocean (Wii)
Score: 85
OK, if I wanted to be facetious, I'd say that "this is Nintendogs, but with sealife and a Clannad soundtrack." But, as you might expect from the score, there's more to Endless Ocean that this.
This is part game, part experience, part education. I'll start with the experience though, which is sumptuous - while you're below the surface, there's an incredibly portrayed, beautifully lit ocean ecosystem to explore, with corals, ship wrecks, plus fish and sea mammals of all kinds. It's really quite stunning.
There's a super digital soundtrack too, think Titanic/Clannad, ambient and nearly all instrumental. And it's matched to your surroundings and diving area.
Each time you surface for air, you're given emails to read on your luxury boat, giving out optional missions, from photographing something rare to escorting another diver. The missions can be in any one of 8 separate areas, each with its own characteristics and sea inhabitants.
When above the sea, you can dress up your character in suitably fetching wet suits and other attire and generally chill out, talking to other human (well, Wii-generated, at least) inhabitants, though this part of the game is a bit stilted and under-developed.
But once you're below, during the day or night (with light from your torch), any awkwardness is forgotten and it's all smoothness and relaxation.
And don't worry if you come across a shark or whale, there's no danger whatsoever. Not very realistic, but then you wouldn't want your blood and guts spilled across the waves, would you?
Highly recommended!