Endless Ocean Luminous is a wonderfully relaxing title that makes up for its repetitive nature with its laid-back vibe and an enormous number of sea creatures to find. It’s not an especially exciting game, but it’s a pleasant title to wind down with at the end of a long day.

Endless Ocean Luminous
Developer: ARIKA
Price: $50
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
MonsterVine was provided with a Switch code for review.

I have only a vague understanding of Endless Ocean from hearing about the series’ previous titles when they were released in the late 2000s. I’m always game to try a more chill game though, so the idea of exploring the depths while zoning out in the sea was appealing. While it’s not the most thrilling or involved game around, it’s a calming little game.

The main objective of Endless Ocean Luminous is to scan different life forms that dwell underwater while exploring the titular immense sea. You can dive with others online or by yourself, and though doing it by yourself is potentially a slightly more zen experience, seeing others swim around does make the large abysses you explore feel a bit less lonely. Given that most communication is done through waving and tagging items, there’s no pressure or expectation to contribute anything to or even acknowledge other players, so anyone who’s wary about online being very involved can have just as chill a time with others.

I was impressed with just how many fish and crustaceans there were to scan – especially as each one has its own description that the in-game A.I. (named Sera) can read to you if you so desire. Each creature is rather detailed, making the discovery process a consistently rewarding one. Finding rare creatures is also surprisingly exciting given you’re just observing them rather than catching them or anything of the sort.

“The soft sounds and ambient aquatic noise make it especially easy to lose yourself in the laid-back vibes that come with scanning fish and picking up submerged knick-knacks.“

In addition to fish-cataloging, you can find all sorts of objects under the sea in Endless Ocean Luminous. From genuinely impressive treasures to junk or goofy relics, it’s enjoyable to excavate these things while marking them for other players to find. The loop of seeing a fish to scan, then a nearby glint of treasure to examine, and then another fish (on repeat) is a neat one that can lead to time flying by without you even noticing.

Luminous features solid visuals, from the detailed fish to the vast ocean itself. I didn’t run into any major performance issues or stutters, even when playing with others on rather large oceanic maps. The sound design is pleasant, with the soft sounds and ambient aquatic noise making it especially easy to lose yourself in the laid-back vibes that come with scanning fish and picking up submerged knick-knacks.

The Final Word
Endless Ocean Luminous isn’t the most active or engrossing game, but its soothing atmosphere and relaxing gameplay do make for a unique experience. If you’re looking for a more chill title to slot between bigger and wilder games, you can do worse than this one.

MonsterVine Rating: 3.5 out of 5 – Fair

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• Source: https://monstervine.com/2024/05/endless-ocean-luminous-review/