Dive into the ocean and track sea creatures in the endless deep. Learn more in our Beyond Blue review!

 

Beyond Blue is a single-player narrative adventure that takes you deep into our planet’s beating blue heart.
Set in the near future, Beyond Blue explores the mysteries of our ocean through the eyes of Mirai, a deep sea explorer and scientist. Become a part of a newly-formed research team using groundbreaking technologies to see, hear, and interact with the ocean in a more meaningful way than has ever been attempted.

Features:
An evocative narrative with full voice cast – Anna Akana (YouTube), Mira Furlan (Lost, Babylon 5), Hakeem Kae-Kazim (Black Sails, Hotel Rwanda), and Ally Maki (Toy Story 4)
Exploration and adventure within an untouched world
A captivating and entertaining soundtrack featuring an original score and music from Miles Davis, The Flaming Lips, The Edisons, and more
Sixteen unique mini-documentaries called Ocean Insights that feature original footage and interviews with science’s leading ocean experts
Embracing the same inclusive development process that was used to create Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna), E-Line’s BAFTA award-winning game about Alaska Native culture, the company partnered with BBC Studios (developers of the acclaimed Blue Planet II), OceanX Media, world-class game makers, and some of science’s leading ocean experts to craft an experience that reflects the awesome wonder and unbounded mystery that infuses our planet’s beating blue heart.

 

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Beyond Blue from E-Line Media is a really chill game coming from E-Line media. The game has been inspired by the Blue Planet II documentary. After my playthrough, I can’t disagree with seeing the inspiration and how it helped to shape and mold this wonderful experience!

In Beyond Blue, you play as Mirai, a marine biologist. She works for a research team named OceanX, and you basically have a neat gameplay loop of going out for a swim scanning underwater creatures. Once you are done, you can go back to the sub and check out info about the creatures you scanned. It’s a good loop that feels rewarding because of the experiences along the way.

Swimming around feels really intuitive. Now, this takes place slightly further in the future, but this isn’t an actual sim, but a relaxing adventure through the ocean. Beyond Blue treats this as a journey, so it’s conflict and combat-free, really allowing you to focus on the task of exploring the giant ocean in front of you. I loved this approach since it made it possible for me to focus on scanning all the underwater lifeforms and learning more and more about them.

It’s those moments that stand out when playing Beyond Blue. The times when I was swimming and needed to stop just to enjoy the tranquil beauty before me. I play games at such a frantic pace, I sometimes don’t take time to breathe in my surroundings, but that is what Beyond Blue is all about. Slow down, and appreciate what’s around you. I still vividly remember swimming up next to a whale since it felt special. Beyond Blue is at the ready with many moments such as this one.

 

I thought the voice acting for Mirai – and the other characters – was really done well. It really helped draw me into the game further. Honestly, the quality was much better than what I expected going in. I’ve already talked about how great the game looks. It’s on the Nintendo Switch ported from PC and more powerful consoles, so I did see an occasional dip in the framerate every now and then, and there is a reduced draw distance. I did play both on Handheld Mode and on my TV. I will say that I actually think, in this case, the TV is the way to play it. When you are exploring the ocean, you should be able to enjoy the huge visuals in front of you, and I don’t think the Nintendo Switch’s smaller screen does this one justice.

Beyond Blue is a short and sweet experience. It can be beaten in one or two sittings at most, but it’s not about the length, but the journey you take with it. Take your time, see what’s under the ocean, explore, scan, and enjoy the undersea creatures. Take a swim with Beyond Blue on Nintendo Switch for $19.99. You won’t be disappointed.

Disclaimer
This Beyond Blue review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by E-Line Media.