Endless Ocean Luminous Reviews
Endless Ocean Luminous offers a relaxing diving experience, but its repetitive mission structure and shallow story mode limit long-term motivation. While the multiplayer focus and serene atmosphere may appeal to some, the lack of variety and reliance on random dives make the overall experience frustrating at times. Also, the story mode is much more a tutorial mode than a full-fledged story mode.
Review in German | Read full review
The ocean is something particularly fascinating. There are endless possibilities for exploring various angles of the ocean in a game - from the wonder present in such different ecosystems, to the sense of dread that that vast unknown space can bring - and there are several games that do this very well. Unfortunately, however, Endless Ocean Luminous chooses the most boring angle possible: introducing you to the ocean through a barely interactive experience that requires you to complete tedious tasks in order to progress, and which results in something that seems less about exploring the ocean than about a brief dip in a pool with fish.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
It has been slim pickings for Nintendo fans recently in terms of first-party content. Even so, I would only recommend Endless Ocean Luminous to fans who are already madly in love with marine life and to whom spending countless hours swimming and scanning sounds like a relaxing evening, and not simply a meaningless grind.
There are some positives to Endless Ocean Luminous. The game is very chill and has an enjoyable atmosphere. Every now and then, some background music will start up as you’re swimming along and I had fun and enjoyed myself more when it did. I didn’t hate the game and I do believe it performed as expected, I didn’t have any unexpected problems. Nevertheless, in the end, this game was extremely bare bones, quite shallow and not at all what I think old fans would want from a new Endless Ocean. It’s not a horrible game, but I expect better from this series and a $49.99 price tag. I’m disappointed in what they decided to release. You may find this to be an enjoyable enough carefree adventure should you find it on sale in the future. Still, I don’t know that I can honestly recommend picking it up if you’re an old fan of Endless Ocean from the series’ Wii days.
A really strong title for those who have a love of Endless Ocean’s many trappings. The sealife on show is fantastic and researching them by scanning and cataloguing feels quite satisfying. Storymode presents a fairly expected and oddly structured set of missions that are not too shabby but do feel impacted by the interim menus and grinding to progress. It’s a serviceable game with lofty goals that it doesn’t quite meet meaning it lacks the long lifespan that was being aimed for.
Unfortunately, Endless Ocean Luminous could convince only to a limited extent. The variety of creatures and especially all the special beings are great. Yes, the ULs are a super idea too. But the whole concept around it with random maps, grinding, and weak technology simply clouds the overall experience.
Review in German | Read full review
Endless Ocean Luminous is a good option for those who love marine life and exploration with beautiful visuals, but its repetitive gameplay and poor in-game store can quickly become boring.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Endless Ocean Luminous continues the relaxing series, changing a few things but keeping the core mechanics in place. It's easy to lose yourself in this environment, though newcomers like myself might enjoy it moreso. I genuinely enjoyed my time in the water and will continue diving for some time to come.
At the bottom of the sea we find a different experience, but one that quickly plays all its cards and is only recommended for fans of maritime exploration who are looking for as little challenge as possible.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
A practically non-existent story and some navigation problems are not enough to make this adventure go down the drain. With an immensity in the catalogue, the most sublime feeling of freedom and a realistic setting, this title is a great treat for marine enthusiasts and could even attract new explorers and perhaps go further, inspiring a new wave of scholars in the field.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Endless Ocean: Luminous is a very niche title; some will love it while others won't, although, in my opinion, it's a decent diving experience on the Switch. There's definitely some fun to be had with others online, which is the best part of the whole game. Although the magic from the original hasn't made the cut here, leaving Endless Ocean: Luminous adrift at sea.
Endless Ocean Luminous is a game to de-stress, explore and learn. The scope is small and the approach is contemplative, designed for the player that loves to collect. So don't expect anything more than that.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Endless Ocean Luminous offers a tranquil underwater experience with hundreds of marine species to scan and admire, especially enjoyable in multiplayer. However, its repetitive gameplay, lack of meaningful progression, and cryptic objectives leave solo players adrift in a sea of missed potential.
Review in Finnish | Read full review
At the end of the day, if you're not playing Endless Ocean Luminous to look at and learn about oceanic creatures then you won't enjoy it as there is little else to it. While not necessarily a bad game, it becomes less and less fun the more you play it and I wouldn't exactly call that the hallmark of a good game either. 🤿
Endless Ocean Luminous isn’t the most active or engrossing game, but its soothing atmosphere and relaxing gameplay do make for a unique experience.
Endless Ocean Luminous' highs come early, with a relaxing atmosphere and excitement of seeing new sea creatures and learning about them. Those highs quickly drop off and what you're left with is an often frustrating, bland game that completely abandoned what made the series special in the first place.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Endless Ocean Luminous, warts and all. It’s not a game that would be my first recommendation for most, but it is something that I wish everyone gave a chance. There’s a lot to love in any project that has this kind of purity of vision. Even if it’s vision to a fault.
The most beautiful part of the game is the soundtrack, which makes the experience much more serene. When I enjoyed the game, I had the music turned up during a dive. The ambient score was stunning and made the journey relaxing.
Endless Ocean Luminous is not for everyone, but does offer a very rich and soothing experience for those willing to take the plunge.
Endless Ocean Luminous caught a lot of attention amongst fans of the series when announced. Those who enjoy long, peaceful diving sessions may well feel at home with Endless Ocean Luminous. It's a formula that, on paper, had a lot of potential to have opened up the flood-gates (pun intended) for a comprehensive diving experience - especially with the capabilities of the Nintendo Switch. Initially it's a bright and intriguing but drifts off into the mundane fairly quickly.