These are well produced and genuinely fascinating – I watched them all, twice. You’ll also unlock a suite of educational videos to watch that serve to unpack the themes of a game. It’s also a very generous offering, with the eight dives giving you a significant and increasingly varied environment to explore. There’s certainly limits to the repetitive nature of Beyond Blue, but the atmosphere, visuals and storytelling will keep you playing through to the end. Perhaps something to be returned to in a sequel? It’s a curious omission, as having to activate different suit modes to find certain creatures would have been a nice touch. One mode emitted ultraviolet light so some sharks could be seen, but it was a feature that was never used again. Mirai’s swim suit can also switch between four different colour modes which, curiously, does very little. When clearly so much time and effort has been lavished on Beyond Blue’s visuals, why you would want to cover them up with such an unsightly HUD is beyond me. To scan the visor must be activate, which inexplicably blocks off about a third of your screen. ![]() It’s a neat and satisfying mechanic, though it’s not without its issues. Taking a cue from the Metroid Prime series, Mirai’s scan visor allows you to lock on and scan any creature in the game, unlocking additional information both on-screen and also to digest in a long form dossier format back in the sub. ![]() The drone is surprisingly fiddly to control, but thankfully these sections are brief and never outstay their welcome. Once you get there, your sea drone will enable you to scan different parts of the creature. You’ll use a radar-like device to track points of interest (usually a pod of whales), home in on their location by following sounds, and then you’ll set off to go find them. Don’t expect to be doing underwater acrobats, as swimming forwards slowly or quickly is the extent of Mirai’s abilities. Manoeuvring Mirai beneath the waves just feels right, she moves gracefully and the controls are tight. Gameplay is, as you’d expect from a walking – sorry – swimming simulator, a little on the non-existent side. There’s no real peril to be found – even swimming with sharks is magical rather than murderous – this is a game that is relaxing, peaceful, surprisingly emotional and, at times, almost meditative. It’s a sedate narrative that ebbs and flows like the sea itself, gently nudging you towards its satisfying, but all too soon conclusion. There’s no clunky dialogue here, but there’s also not a lot of plot either. Voice acting is of a high standard throughout, with a great script and a cast that does an exemplary job of being entirely believable. In Sir David’s place is Mirai’s two-person research team and younger sister to listen to and natter with, both during a dive and also between missions when you return to the submarine. The only thing missing is Sir David Attenbrough’s iconic tones narrating the events unfolding around you. Playing Beyond Blue feels like being inside an episode of Blue Planet II. Who knew watching Sperm Whales sleeping could be so magical? Watch anyone else sleeping and it’s a bit creepy, but watching whales sleep? Life affirming. There were moments, deep into the game, where I had a palpable sense of wonder. ![]() Sea creatures move, hunt and play as you would expect thanks to their peerless animation. Fortunately, they have absolutely delivered.
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