So far (1 evening of play) it seems to be a really good game, it’s instantly relaxing and manages to be fairly compulsive and interesting. The water is done really well in several different ways. Underwater in the lagoon the water dims just the right amount to make it feel like a private pool. The droplets running off your visor and evaporating when you surface are just spot-on.
It makes me want to play Wave Race 64, which still has most excellent water. Available on the Wii virtual console apparently.
I’m just left wondering:
1) Why even a pacific diving simulation game has an annoying bint of a side-kick; and,
2) When it’s all going to be revealed that the fish are actually a new military genetically modified breeding program for aqua-metroids, and there’s a lost pirate research vessel buried on the ocean floor. In other words: When do I get my plasma cannon?
code monk 
2008-06-11 at 08:27:04
The other day I completed the “main mission” of Endless Ocean (I’m guessing you haven’t learned about this yet, given your comment (1).
It’s very rare that I complete a game. It needs to have:
compulsion
a smooth learning curve & good progression of challenge
can be picked up and played for just a few minutes
I can think of many games that I got hooked on, but that then broke one of the above for me. Resident Evil IV (failed on second point: annoying boss. I found the bosses largely detracted from my enjoyment of the rest of this).
I completed just after 17 hours, but am still playing: I still have a fair few species to tick (and you know what a list ticker I am), and am still getting tasks. I find myself wanting to play: writing this is making me look forward to when Felix has gone to bed tonight and I can get some more diving in.
We’ll have to fix a sync time, so we can try buddy diving!
Lego Indiana Jones next, maybe …
2008-06-11 at 10:27:28
I love it, it’s exceedingly mellow. I think Joe got bored after a couple of weeks, but I’m hoping we’ll play some in our three weeks together this summer.
2008-06-17 at 03:04:23
Every now and again I come back to it and play some more.
I’m disappointed that it seems to be entirely lacking in otters, however.
2008-06-19 at 09:53:26
I reckon one of the species in the species log has a silhouette that looks a bit like an otter. I’ve been hoping it was going to be an otter.
I seem to be at the stage in the game where I’m just ticking off species. The woman on the boat (Kat?) better be happy when I finish. I can feel my interest in the game starting to wane though.