Endless Ocean
common sense media says
Engaging scuba-diving simulation with no danger.
parents & educators say
- 50% say there are positive messages
- 50% say it's educational
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is a scuba-diving simulation game where nothing bad can happen. You can't run out of air, no fish will attack or harm you, and you can't get lost at sea. The game simulates nature and lets children experience what it's like to swim underwater at coral reefs and ancient shipwrecks. The Wii controls are simple enough that even a 5-year-old can play it.
Educational value:
An excellent way to teach children about fish and animals that live in the sea.
Violence & scariness:
Not applicable.
Language:
Not applicable.
Consumerism:
Not applicable.
More on Endless Ocean
Review It
Based on 4 parent & educator reviews:
- 50% say there are positive messages
- 50% say it's educational
Most useful reviews by all members
Mr.Cuddles
teen, 16 years old
teen, 16 years old
A Calming Game
If your kids are looking for a game that has no violence or language, buy Endless Ocean. This game has a really soothing tone to it. The point of the game is to swim around and get to know different fish. Your kids don't have to worry about polution and people dumping garbage in the ocean. There is no other sharks eating fish and no blood from ther fish. But if you are religious, there is one song that is religious, but that is the only kinda bad part of the game. My opinion is get the game and enjoy it. If you want to know the it is Amazing Grace. :-)
Flag as inappropriate
was this review useful?
|
|
DPNorman
kid, 13 years old
kid, 13 years old
Masterful, amazing, stunning, and incredible.
Endless Ocean for the Nintendo Wii is an intriguing game that may result in a change of the definition of the video game. Traditionally, video games are a challenge in which you try to overcome certain obstacles in an attempt to meet a certain goal. Endless Ocean has none of that. Instead, the gameplay in Endless Ocean has a new, innovative idea which has not been seen much in the gaming world: do whatever you want. And although some people may take this very game as an insult to video gaming, I think that in terms of originality, this game is in a class by himself. The story in Endless Ocean is about a woman named Katherine Sunday, who despite being an expert on diving, she will never actually do it herself, and the reason has to do with her family but its revealed late in the plot and I dont wish to spoil anything. The important thing is that you are diving and she is helping you out and guiding you. You can advance the plot by exploring certain areas and finding items, or you can just go wherever you want. If you dont care about the plot, you dont have to do it. There are only one or two areas on the entire map that need to be unlocked. Other than that, you can go wherever you want, whenever you want. Its relaxing. The game will give you sidequests from time to time. You may meet a dolphin and if you do you can train it to become your diving partner and come with you on your dives. After about an hour of gameplay you will unlock an aquarium. You can put any seagoing animal into it and you can change the animals in the aquarium at any time, not to mention the fact that you can swim with the fish in the aquarium as well. The game will send you emails giving you requests to give a tour of an area of to take a picture of an animal, but if you dont feel like doing them, you dont have to. In fact the game is so relaxed, there is even an option on the boat to gaze out at the ocean. Its a brilliant idea for a game to have this many options, and even better is that no one is forcing you to do any of these. Do it if you want to. And, being that this is an educational game, you can click on fish to learn their information, if you want to. But the underlying fact is that, yes, you WILL want to do it. Because everything about the gameplay itself is also amazing. The graphics are STUNNING, detailed and UTTERLY BRILLIANT. The music is calming with some great tracks from Hayley Westenra. And the environments themselves are ABSOLUTELY worth exploring. There is a deep sea abyss, a ruined village, a cave structure, a pirate ship, and more. Its unbelievable how much the makers of this game did to make it great. You can even play online with friend codes, which almost no educational games even include. The game is almost PERFECT. Parents, I assure you that everything in this game is completely appropriate for children. There is ZERO chance of you dying. It will never happen, NONE of the animals can attack you. The kids will not be scared, but they will be quiet. Their mouths will likely be wide open, in awe of what is before them. If you are a parent and you are looking for a game to buy for your kids, then I must ask you. Why did you not already buy this game? Buy it immediately. You dont even need to ask your children if they will like it. They wont. They will love it. This may be the best game the wii has to offer.
Flag as inappropriate
was this review useful?
|
|
dolphinz2121
teen, 14 years old
teen, 14 years old
Endless Ocean was the first game for Wii I recieved. I instantly fell in love with it. It's often been called "the most overrated or underrated game of the century." Either you love it for the calming aspects and the stunning graphics, or you hate it for the sheer boringness.
Endless Ocean involves your character, (a person who can be changed with three skintones, gender, two hair styles per gender, two wetsuits and two hair colors, but don't worry, you can unlock more options later on in the game.) who works as an amateur biologist who liveson the sea in a sailboat called "Gabbiano." Along with Katherine, the boat's witty but often mysterious guide, you go on scuba missions and explore Manoa Loi. The graphics underwater will take your breath away. You can explore limestone caves, coral reefs, shipwrecks, and trenches. Hundreds of animals that appear in different seasons can be found and logged in Katherine's "Marine Encyclopedia" including dolphins, sharks, manta rays, walruses, birds, a variety of fish, and even a polar bear!
Clients can also request tours underwater (if they give you 3 stars or higher, your reputation and therefore your amount of clients improves). You can also take snapshots for local magazines and papers and customize the local aquarium's display whenever you feel like doing so (however, you can only add previously discovered animals.)
Finally, Endless Ocean has incredible educational value. By reading the descriptions of each marine creature, many (including me) have gained an invaluable knowledge of various animals.
Like stated before, if a calming, simple game is one you want, Endless Ocean is the perfect game for you and will keep you glued to your TV for months. However, if you're a hardcore gamer and enjoy seeing blood, gore, and guns, you'd better sit Endless ocean out.
Flag as inappropriate
was this review useful?
|
|
love2
parent of 19 year old
parent of 19 year old
do not buy
this game is difficult to play even for adults! and it is very boring! i do not recomend it to anyone of any age!
Flag as inappropriate
was this review useful?
|
|
Smurfette711
parent of 10 year old
parent of 10 year old
Serene and educational :)
I love this peaceful, fun game. The kids love discovering new sea life and learning about animals. The music is beautiful and soothing. Positive messages include caring for the environment and being kind to animals. There is some minor peril at times but kids can easily avoid that by just exploring and finding treasure.Some of the reviews say it is boring. This game is not loud, flashy, or bloody. There are no guns, no monsters and no bad guys. This game is more like trip to a day spa as opposed to going sky diving....LOL
Flag as inappropriate
was this review useful?
|
|
drama movie fan
teen, 14 years old
teen, 14 years old
bp
the game was boring and really hard to play
Flag as inappropriate
was this review useful?
|
|
bdd458
teen, 15 years old
teen, 15 years old
Sweet
I got this last year. I haven't played in awhile but I love it. My favorite is the shipwreck. If you think it is boring you are out of your mind.
Flag as inappropriate
was this review useful?
|
|
A Wonderful Game!!!
My daughter loves all things related to the ocean. So for Christmas last year, my son bought her this game.
Both of them love playing this!! I even started an account, and played for a while. The game introduces the controls and the environment in a kid-friendly, easy to follow manner. The animals are life-like and friendly. And we all just have fun playing it.
Flag as inappropriate
was this review useful?
|
|
amyhscott
adult
adult
Beautiful, relaxing, educational... and FUN!!
We bought this game for my son, and WOW does he love it! (And so do I.) In this game, you are a scuba diver aboard a boat in the open seas. Your job is to identify all of the sea life listed in your encyclopedia. You have a guide aboard the boat, Katherine, to help you along. You also receive email messages that give you different missions, such as photographing a Blue Tang for a nature magazine. All of this is done in a no-stress, non-timed environment. None of the animals can hurt you, so you can feel free to get as close as you want even to sharks!
The game is appropriately titled, because Endless Ocean takes a very long time to finish! We haven't managed that feat yet, which is a good thing for us. There are sooooo many different creatures to discover.
Another fun thing about this game is that once you find a dolphin, you can train it to be your partner. The dolphin can then do tricks and even go diving with you.
The thing that most impressed me with this game is that the ocean animals actually live in the depths of the ocean where real ocean animals live. You get to travel deep into the Abyss, explore coral reefs, and even see sea vents exploding! The creatures are very realistic, and the game itself is just beautiful! Even the music is beautiful... sort of New Age, relaxing, Celtic-type tunes.
My child has learned more than I could ever expect him to remember from simply reading books about ocean life. Each creature that you "touch" and identify gives you facts about the animal. The educational value is awesome! He's become quite an ocean expert since playing this game, and I couldn't be more pleased.
Flag as inappropriate
was this review useful?
|
|
An independent voice for families
Advice on the big issues
Already played it? What do you think?
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
