When I submerged myself in the blue waters of Endless Ocean Luminous for the Nintendo Switch, I more or less knew what to expect, and that is the very first thing anyone even mildly interested in the relaxing submarine exploration title should keep in mind. In my case, I played the 2007 original on the Wii (and saw my own mum complete it fully) which, by relying on the casual nature of the platform and its controls, ended up becoming a million seller.
I say this because, if you expect content, or, ahem, depth, to compensate for some of the game's clear limitations, you'll sink in disappointment right away. And to this, it doesn't help that the first couple of hours are very, very weak.
The outdated interface that tries to harken to the Wii's, the confusing HUD elements, the ugly scenery, the doll-like character models, or the voice acting which, while I understand tries to imitate an AI, has me wondering if it's just poor/cheap VA or straight poor/cheap AI. All this, together with an extremely slow, clumsy, and intermittent tutorial (instead of, you know, letting it flow), almost made me abandon the game.
<video=684213 >
It wasn't smooth sailing, but I kept going as I love marine life and underwater mystery. I'm no expert, just curious, and I can enjoy a relaxing, casual experience for a change (this is no sim where you have to worry about oxygen, for example, and you won't find the challenge nor the danger there is in Subnautica or Sea of Thieves). And when you put some more time into Luminous after the disastrous start, some of Arika's expertise begins to show off.
It's mostly about the animals. While the sea scenery (both geometry and textures) look blurry and lacking detail, fish, molluscs, crustaceans, mammals, and more look beautiful and feel alive. Most of the enjoyment you'll get from this is given by just observing marine life going about its day in its own ecosystem, discovering all the 500+ species, and taking pictures for both your own photo album and your Switch's screenshot collection, to then share on social platforms.
I also love the fact that they go the extra mile by adding a bunch of extinct species (my fossil-collecting dad will flip out when I show him the area where I found ammonite and the like) and even a touch of mythology.
The map you explore isn't extensive by itself, but even if it feels like an expanded swimming pool at times, the size is just right for vehicle-less scuba diving. Now, the single most innovative thing about this game is that it introduces some procedural generation so that every dive will be different. This, I would say, makes sense only when you know a given map like the back of your hand, as it ruins the notion of known places and corners yet to explore if you generate a new dive every time.
The other important addition is the possibility to share a single dive with 29 other players. I couldn't try out this new feature during the review process, but I can say that the need to exchange 6-character group dive IDs in order to create or join others heavily detracts already from what should be, again, a smooth experience. Ironically, it's one of those things that still feel old and from the Wii era.
However, and even if the story mode isn't precisely engaging despite revolving around necrotised coral and ancient magical tables, I kept diving for a good while. There's something relaxing yet uplifting about combing the map, collecting stuff and scanning new species. I have some issues with the colour code for the scanning system and knowing which common or rare specimen had been scanned before (the titular Luminous refers to the light every fish adds to your purpose), and I also miss the one-handed, pointer/motion-based controls that made the original so accessible, which could have been perfectly implemented here. But I kept swimming, some times together with those amazing creatures.
So yes, exploring the Veiled Sea feels at parts as archaic as some of the relics you'll find buried in its sands (that's when you don't find the third watering can in a row), and I don't feel like the 'modern' additions add that much excitement to the original formula. I think systems could be much better fine-tuned, a more elaborated storytelling could elevate exploration, and there's some contradiction between graphics not making the impact you'll expect in 2024 yet controls not feeling as natural as in 2007. But, and this is a big but, if you love, or are very curious about marine life, and if you're looking for a casual water exploration experience (I think it lacks excitement to be called an adventure), this works like a relaxing, occasionally fascinating interactive documentary that will pacify your own mind and body before going to bed.