Latest Endless Ocean Game Fails to Impress
The latest game in one of the most forgotten Nintendo franchises, Endless Ocean, has launched to a poor reception from critics and fans. Endless Ocean: Luminous comes to the Nintendo Switch nearly fifteen years after the last entry on the Wii but, unfortunately, it appears that this relaxing diving game has more clunk, restrictions and, most notably, boredom included in it than with previous entries. As a result the game is currently sitting at a weak 62% on Opencritic with only 20% of critics recommending you try it.
Image by Nintendo
One review site that was particularly let down by this surprise series revival was Gamespot- who awarded the game a 3/10- implying this release is more of a repetitive job than a relaxing experience:
“Endless Ocean: Luminous could have been a realistic SCUBA sim with all the treacherous hazards that real underwater divers need to consider, a relaxing chill-vibes game that's mostly about finding fish with your friends[…] instead, it takes the enormity and glory of earth's largest and most mysterious region and turns exploring it into a dull, repetitive chore.”
The belief that this game is simply boring is one that continues with many other reviewers. The Sixth Axis were disappointed as seen in their 5/10 review in which they disliked how dull the game became almost immeditaly upon playing:
“Everything about Endless Ocean: Luminous makes it a particularly Nintendo game: the chunky menu layout, the soothing AI voice, the tranquil music and the laidback vibes. That’s emphasised by the notion that this is a deeply unusual piece of software, and one that you wouldn’t find coming from the other major console manufacturers. It’s a shame then that, unless you’re an avid fan of marine facts, it’s interminably dull.”
Image by Nintendo
With nothing interesting to actually do, Endless Ocean: Luminous feels like a drag for most who have played it. This sentiment is continued by fans of the series- who have given the game an average 5.3 on Metacritic. This release could have been the perfect relaxation simulator but, instead, with a clunky interface, choppy performance and less incentive to play compared to previous entries, this is a disappointment on essentially every level.
