Beyond Blue Reviews
I still stick by my feeling that this isn’t a game but an educational tool but it’s a bold attempt and overall it does work well, anyone with an interest in the Ocean will find plenty to learn and discover and for that alone this is worth being applauded. If you want a chillout experience with some great mood melodies and you have a thirst for education, Beyond Blue is worth a look. For anyone else, it is probably not going to float your boat.
Beyond Blue lets you swim alongside marine biologists from the future, tagging and learning about the creatures that occupy our world's oceans.
Based on diving and following different marine species and with a strong educational and contemplative component, Beyond Blue also provides a plot that lets players discover more about its lead character. Beyond Blue's simple gameplay and concept also ends up becoming its main shortcoming, as there could have been a lot more to this, especially regarding the exploration of the submarine world, and the game's graphics that fall behind the threshold of what is required for such an experience.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Beyond Blue is a pleasant swim through the ocean if you’re looking for a stress-free gaming experience. The plot feels a bit silly and the game was at its best when it focused more on education and learning about the ocean. Most of which is outside actually playing the game but there are still wonders to be found in its exploration. Beyond Blue is a game that reminded me just how beautiful the ocean truly can be. I’ll probably never get to actually do a dive in real life. But this game gave me a nice opportunity and I’m grateful for that. Let us just hope the sea life can stay that way even in the not too distant future.
Beyond Blue is a brilliant combination of artistry and education, putting the ocean on its pedestal. The documentary format feels informative without being pushy, except glitches and mind-numbing gameplay overshadow it.
A very relaxing and enjoyable experience, specially for those ocean-lovers who will dream with the release of a VR version of it.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Despite offering a very fun and fascinating 3-hour experience, Beyond Blue offers little more than a repetitive experience without great imagination. After all, it is a calm and fascinating experience that brings us to know better the ocean and its Ecosystems. If the player seeks for a comforting experience by the ocean this is the right choice, but if the player is looking for a well-crafted game, with a complex plot this may not be the best option.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Beyond Blue is a welcome bonus experience, correctly priced and manages to get the balance between being an educational title as well as a solid gaming experience as well which so few others have successfully done. I truly hope to see follow up titles or content for this game as the wonder of Ocean life was ever present just as it was with Blue Planet series of documentaries.
The problem is there is no urgency to play, no intense draw. Beyond Blue is just not riveting. It does not pas the “is it fun” Test.
Beyond Blue is a concise experience. You can finish it in about two to three hours, and you can 100% it in less than five. While I really enjoyed all of the educational value that the game provides, if you don’t happen to be interested in the real-world ocean, there isn’t any reason for you to play this game.
Beyond Blue takes you to the very depths of Davy Jones' Locker for a serene experience of our ocean's natural beauty - but players be warned, this swimming simulator is heavy on the sea critters, light on gameplay. Wait for a sale, unless you're a marine biology enthusiast.
As expected, there's some beauty in Beyond Blue, but it falls flat on the creative and narrative side.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Beyond Blue serves as an educational piece as well as a great opportunity to relax and enjoy the depths of the ocean through technology that is fresh and exciting. I would like to see plenty of more content in the game though if possible.
Beyond Blue is neither fish nor whale and remains in every respect a trial dive, which as a game as well as an interactive documentary only scratches the surface of the possible. It's not about exploring and getting to know this fascinating habitat by yourself, but, as in underwater tourism, about grazing spot by spot and scanning as many animals as possible on the way. I appreciate the work that goes into Beyond Blue. But the bottom line is that it's just a trial dive with an omnipresent guide.
Review in German | Read full review
In summary, Beyond Blue captures the sense of adventure via exploring the depths of the ocean better than any marine themed game that I’ve played. The sense of scale, detail and realism is such an incredible feat. Other than the exploration, I also enjoyed the aspects of the game spent with Mirai within her submarine, but I wished that this part of the game had been expanded further to help pad the game out a little more. E-Line Media has accomplished their goal of creating a beautifully engaging game, whilst also acting as an educational tool with the compelling Ocean Insight documentaries. If you have any interest in nature, in particular marine wildlife, then there is no better game than Beyond Blue.
Beyond Blue is a very interesting narrative experience, which exposes the great disseminating power that video games can have, a field little explored in them, and that places us in front of one of the most beautiful and unknown environments on our planet.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Beyond Blue is a calm, immersive and deeply didactic proposal, with a very simple gameplay that encourages us, little by little, to fall into their networks. Thanks to a visual section that portrays with great beauty the marine environments and their animals and a very remarkable voice casting, it is impossible not to fall exhausted at your feet. Of course, the proposal is short, because in about 3 hours (something more if we investigate in depth its scenarios) we will have realized its history. E-Line knows how to blur, like few others, that fine line that separates the didactic from the playful: a video game as rich in knowledge as it is absorbing in its playable part.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Whether you're looking for a chill, non-violent ocean adventure or an educational product for kids, Beyond Blue does both surprisingly well. Just don't expect an action-packed experience.
An aquatic adventure that tells a powerful story, carries an important message and teaches as well as entertains, Beyond Blue is an excellent game.
There’s something strangely endearing with Beyond Blue that’ll keep you playing through to the end. The simplicity of its scan/travel gameplay loop does become tiresome by the end but the calming, meditative state of exploring the ocean and watching these creatures in their natural habitat is worth persevering for. The story has some nice emotional beats too and the characters each have their own motivations and a decent level of depth. It may not be as good as Subnautica or Abzu but it does have the edge over those games when it comes to educational content. For that alone, Beyond Blue is well worth playing through and a reminder of how precious and beautiful our watery world really is.