Beyond Blue Reviews
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.
If you want to learn more about the ocean, this would be a great experience for you. If you want a beautiful, relaxed experience about fish, Beyond Blue just about misses the mark on that, unfortunately.
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 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.
Uncovering world of ocean is impressive visual experience, but gameplay is not very amusing.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Beyond Blue offers a unique experience deep down the ocean, and while it feels more like a science project than a video game, it can be still enjoyed by some very specific kind of gamers, or scientists!
Review in Persian | Read full review
Should you be looking for a brief distraction or simply a game with a bare input to see most of what it has to offer, Beyond Blue provides a quaint, if a touch short, detour away from the regular catalog of current-year releases.
Beyond Blue has noble intentions, with an urgent and vital message about our impact on the Earth. However, it doesn't do itself justice. Although there is some decent content in here – videos, music, sound design, gameplay, narrative – those parts do little to support or enhance one another. Gameplay is soothing but one-note, the video documentaries don't frame the missions and neither are well connected to the narrative. While there are moments of majesty in exploring the ocean, the limited draw distance and pop-in frequently interrupt the awe. Edutainment's a hard one to pull off, and Beyond Blue feels less like an awesome rock concert about dolphins and more like your science teacher trying to do a rap.
Beyond Blue is an overtly educational game that has a message worth sharing. The experience is pleasant enough, but other games manage to convey the majesty and beauty of the ocean more elegantly.
Beyond Blue is an adventure that will not be remembered for its gameplay, but it's something different from what we usually see in gaming and brings a strong message with it.
Review in Italian | 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
If you're the type who likes to relax with the calming sites and sounds of an ocean life documentary, Beyond Blue will allow you to get more interactive with it. The educational and narrative moments don't fully gel with the undersea exploration, and the visuals get murky on the Switch, but that won't matter when you're exploring these deep, safe waters.
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.
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 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
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.
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.
The E-Line Media developers and publishers have clearly worked tirelessly to bring a heightened awareness that has a heavy focus on conservation and environmental issues that are pressing today. They have enveloped all these issues into a relaxing environment to enable people to be involved directly with these themes in the interactive and safe environment of Beyond Blue. There are no threats, which overall makes this work of art a safe space to explore in comfort at their own pace. If there is an expectation of this to be a true dive with threats and a different experience each time, it is likely disappointment will be experienced and a feeling of boredom may creep in fairly quickly, but if the aim is to relax and learn about the ocean, this truly is a wonderful title.