Endless Ocean Luminous

Endless Ocean Luminous
Developer:	Arika
Publisher:	Nintendo
Platform(s):	Nintendo Switch
Release date(s):	May 2nd, 2024Worldwide
Genre(s):	Simulation, Multiplayer, Adventure
Mode(s):	Single player, online multiplayer
Ratings:	PEGI: 3+ CERO: A (All ages) ESRB: E (Everyone) ACB: G USK: 0 FPB: PG SMECCV: A (Todo Público) ClassInd: L (Livre) GRAC: All TESRI: G (General Public) IMDA: General Gmedia: 3 UAEmedia: 3
Media:	Nintendo Switch Game Card Digital Download
Input Methods:	Joy-Con Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

Endless Ocean Luminous (known in Japan as Forever Blue Luminous or フォーエバーブルー ルミナス) is the third release in the Endless Ocean series, first revealed in a Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase on February 21, 2024.

It was released worldwide on May 2nd, 2024, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch family of systems.

Gameplay

Endless Ocean Luminous sees the player exploring an uncharted ocean known as the Veiled Sea. This region contains over 500 species, both new and returning, several of which are thought to be long-extinct or mythical. The creatures inhabiting the Veiled Sea are covered in a mysterious bioluminescent algae, which obscures their true appearance until said algae has been collected and removed by the player. Various underwater biomes are explorable, such as coral reefs, kelp forests, polar regions, underwater magma flows, and deep-sea trenches.

The Veiled Sea changes with each dive, along with the in-game time of day. Once a stage's map has been filled to at least 80% completion, a Dive-Site ID of said stage can be created, allowing for the player to return to the stage on another dive, either alone or with other players online.

Endless Ocean Luminous' main menu.

This game also greatly expands upon multiplayer, in which players can dive together by using shared-dive IDs. Up to thirty people can dive together using the same shared-dive ID, and if the current session has fewer than thirty people in it, up to ten random divers may also join in on the current session, with no ID required. Each shared dive will only last up to an hour. When diving together, players can add tags to points of interest, such as creatures or treasures, which will show up for other players on the map. A selection of emotes can also be used underwater in order to communicate. The map of the stage is cleared by all current participants - appearing in color for sections the person playing has cleared, and in grayscale for sections cleared by other players.

"P" is acquired by salvaging, filling out the map, and collecting bioluminescent algae from creatures, which is converted into a usable currency after each dive. This currency can be used in a number of ways, including purchasing different color schemes for the player's diving gear, stickers, and emotes.

Returning mechanics include taking photographs, salvaging, and a marine encyclopedia.

Characters

• Player Character: The silent diver whom the player controls. They are a new recruit to the Project Aegis initiative.
• Daniel: A cocky senior Project Aegis researcher who is on the hunt for hidden treasure in the Veiled Sea. He often joins the player on their quest and enjoys teasing them.
• Sera: An AI companion who guides the player through the game's controls and relays information between them and HQ.

Controls

Input	Result
Left Stick	Swim Navigate menus Move camera (while camera is open)
Right Stick	Move camera Move map (when zoomed in on map)
D-Pad Up	Navigate menus Change perspective (while camera is open)
D-Pad Down	Navigate menus
D-Pad Left	Navigate menus Apply filter (while camera is open)
D-Pad Right	Navigate menus Apply filter (while camera is open)
Button	Confirm Warp to player (while map is open) Audio playback (while focused on creature)
Button	Back Dolphin kick Cancel scan (while holding )
Button	Open/close map Move frame (while selecting emotes/tags) Switch display (while using creature log)
Button	Open emote/tag menu Zoom in/out (while map is open) Filter log (while using creature/salvage log)
Button	Remove GUI
Button	Open menu
Button	Scan creatures Navigate menu (while map is open)
Button	Swim upwards Navigate menu (while map is open)
Button	Open camera Take photo (while camera is open)
Button	Swim downward

Story

Spoilers for Endless Ocean Luminous ahead!

Chapter 1

The game opens with the player being welcomed to Project Aegis, an organization dedicated to exploring the Veiled Sea. Sera guides them through various mechanics such as movement, scanning and tagging creatures, and salvaging. The player also meets Daniel, who quickly starts a friendly rivalry with them and provides some helpful advice. The player is guided through a cave to the World Coral, which has been deemed vital to life in the surrounding waters and is currently decaying. Upon exiting the cave, a massive coelacanth swims past, causing several tremors in its wake, though the player escapes unharmed. While exploring further, the trio discovers a mysterious stone tablet that contains 99 mysteries pertaining to the Veiled Sea. Soon after, the same giant coelacanth reappears, albeit noticeably less agitated. Despite Daniel and Sera's apprehension, the player manages to scan it safely, cleansing its body of the same luminous bacteria that coats all of the local life. Dubbing this creature Raja Emas, the group puts together that removing this algae may help them prevent the death of the World Coral. The tablet soon starts to glow, proving Daniel's theory right that solving the 99 mysteries will lead to something. Sera decides to name it the Mystery Board.

Chapter 2

This chapter cannot be accessed until the player scans 500 creatures. When the local crown-of-thorns starfish population surges, HQ is concerned that their habit of devouring coral might put the World Coral at risk. The player and Daniel are tasked with scanning ten specimens each in order to send the data to HQ. Soon after that's done, they are sent to explore a polar portion of the Veiled Sea, though communications with HQ are blocked while on the way back to the ship due to the tech being frozen. Daniel soon spots a glow in the depths, and the party goes to investigate it. Upon arrival, the duo finds a mostly dead coral outcrop resembling the World Coral. Sera sends through a transmission from HQ, revealing that there is indeed more than one World Coral. The much lesser-known one in the depths was killed due to unstable deepwater currents, destroying the local ecosystem along with it. HQ has deduced that if Project Aegis does not accomplish its goal, then all life on the planet may cease to exist. Despite a brief panic from Daniel, the player is determined to save the day after the Mystery Board starts to glow.

Chapter 3

This chapter cannot be accessed until the player scans 3,200 creatures. The player and Daniel are sent to examine the World Coral in the Canyon, which appears notably healthier given the light it's consumed. However, Sera notes that the light is not enough, as seismic activity has severed the groundwater channels that carry nourishment to the coral. Daniel gets the idea to fix them, but not before the duo is tasked with exploring the Ancient Sea. This area contains a set of ruins populated by prehistoric creatures, who it turns out are the main reason behind the Veiled Sea's concealment from the public. Upon scanning an Anomalocaris, HQ grants the duo permission to explore further north. The player and Daniel bear witness to a Leedsichthys, whom Sera explains is harmless to them, before divulging Project Aegis' plan to open up the Veiled Sea to the public. Before long, HQ's next transmission sends the trio to a freshwater area.

Chapter 4

This chapter cannot be accessed until the player scans 6,000 creatures. Sera guides the player and Daniel to a freshwater portion of the Veiled Sea, complete with a cave system. There, the trio finds a stray Commerson's dolphin who appears malnourished. The player gets the idea to lead it back to its pod and does just that, finding more Commerson's dolphins who have sought refuge inside a ruin-covered cave. As Daniel backs out due to being called to the surface, the player stays behind the explore the cave, finding some ancient Oannes scriptures on the wall. Thanks to Sera's translation, the party puts together that they may need to solve the Mystery Board's ninety-nine mysteries in order to progress forward. Later on, the group discusses the recent buzz at HQ surrounding their recent exploits. Sera then decides to tutorialize the player on photographing sea life. Daniel is quick to make this into a competition, seeing who can snap the best pictures, starting with one of a flame angelfish followed by a clown triggerfish. Once the training is done, Daniel looks at the Oannes' scriptures in the player's camera, before noting how it might connect to the treasure he's after. Sera reminds the duo that they still need to fix the geological veins that supply the World Coral with light.

Chapter 5

This chapter cannot be accessed until the player fully completes the Mystery Board. With all ninety-nine mysteries solved, Sera observes that the Mystery Board resembles a map, suggesting that the player and Daniel head to the marked spot. Along the way, Daniel divulges everything he knows about the Oannes' treasure he is on the hunt for, and he reveals that he is mainly pursuing it due to the conflicting stories surrounding it. He also tells the player about how he got into treasure hunting: after an old friend of his got sick, preventing them from diving together, he started to collect salvages to take his mind off of it, when he found an Oannes' relic for the first time and became hooked on the hobby. With some nudging from Sera, he also admits that he's grown fond of his research work since he now has a new diving companion. Eventually, the trio arrives in the precarious Valley of Sorrows, where there is no sign of treasure. However, the player spots an old metal rod, which Sera determines is a valuable Oannes artifact despite Daniel's disappointment. As the rod is sent back to HQ for examination, the waters suddenly grow dark as a down current pushes the player and Daniel down into the depths. The player wakes up near an underwater magma floe, with Sera revealing that they were pushed to safety while Daniel was whisked away. The Mystery Board and the mysterious rod are missing as well, though the player quickly finds them inside a small cave. Inside the cave is a community of sea creatures suspiciously gathered around the dead World Coral, as the player hears some ancient words in their head. The rod is revealed to be a turning fork, amplifying the sounds made by the wildlife to draw in more animals. Soon, Raja Emas is lured over too, creating a series of tremors that dislodge the underwater veins and bring the World Coral back to life. Sera suggests that the player report back to base, as HQ has a status update on Daniel.

Chapter 6

This chapter cannot be accessed until the player scans 12,000 creatures. A few months after the World Coral is saved, Sera details the ocean's renewed health, as well as that of Earth, effectively completing Project Aegis' mission and prompting the organization to disband. She asks the player if they're willing to continue protecting the Veiled Sea and beyond, before Daniel arrives, revealed to have recovered after the previous down current knocked him unconscious. He also reveals that the player's heroics have made them world famous, with the tuning fork (now named "Lanza Oannes") having been placed in a museum. Sera figures that the Oannes must have predicted the planet's downfall, with Daniel theorizing that the Mystery Board was a test to see who was capable of preventing it. Ready to continue protecting the planet, Daniel challenges the player to a ten-minute salvage contest, but is turned off by the punishment Sera suggests for the loser. He and the player instead decide to just go and explore the ocean.

Spoilers for Endless Ocean Luminous end here.

Updated Mechanics

Befitting its status as a sequel, Endless Ocean Luminous makes several changes to the mechanics of previous games in order to craft a unique gameplay experience. Below are some of the most notable changes from Endless Ocean 2.

Diving

• Autoswim mode has been replaced by the new dolphin kick mechanic, allowing players to propel themselves forward with a quick burst of speed.
• On-land gameplay has been completely removed, alongside the ability to peer above the surface.
• Transitions between different biomes are completely seamless. Players can now dive from the ocean's surface to the deepest depths or into cave systems with no loading screens in-between.
• Players can now view their identified creatures and acquired treasures mid-dive.
• The player no longer has an air meter, allowing a dive to last as long as desired.

Creatures

• The vast majority of returning creatures have had their textures updated to better reflect their real-world counterparts. However, some models and animations are reused.
• Creatures are now focused on by scanning the surrounding waters as opposed to selecting the creatures individually. This allows multiple species to have their descriptions accessible at once.
• Legendary Creatures have been replaced by UMLs, rare creatures native to the Veiled Sea.
  • All returning legendaries from previous games have been recategorized as rare variants of their base species, and multiple specimens can spawn on the same map.
• The new Creature Dive mechanic allows the player to form an entourage of creatures to follow them around, much like they would in Endless Ocean if pampered enough. This replaces the partner mechanic from previous games and lets the player temporarily befriend any creature they'd like instead of just cetaceans.
• Interactivity with animals has been heavily reduced. Players can no longer touch, ride, feed, or heal creatures, although they can still take pictures of them.
  • Likewise, the concept of dangerous creatures has been removed. Wildlife is no longer able to harm the player, although some creatures will still react threateningly if hovered around.
• Creatures now come in a variety of sizes, reflected in their in-game models. Each individual has a different size listed, and achievements exist for finding the minimum and maximum size of each species.
• Zoom Mode has been completely removed. Many smaller creatures who would exclusively be found in these spots in previous games are now found on the main map.

Other

• Day-night cycles are now seamless and in real-time. Rather than choosing the time of day before a dive, days pass automatically while underwater.
• The Multisensor is absent, resulting in the salvaging mechanic getting overhauled and streamlined. Salvage items are represented by glowing spots on the ocean floor, which can then be dredged up by holding down to fill up a circular gauge. The speed at which the gauge is filled determines the worth of the item, and the item itself is immediately identified once found. The player will also receive P for each salvage upon nabbing the item without having to appraise it first.
• The Camera is usable from the start of the game, alongside all available filters, and can now be used to take selfies and third-person photos.
• Due to the game's procedural generation, spots and landmarks no longer have names.
• Musical cues are now randomized as opposed to being tied to specific events or locations.

Credits

Main article: List of Endless Ocean Luminous Staff

Promotion

In the weeks before Endless Ocean Luminous' release, trailers and screenshots featuring the game were posted to Nintendo's official social media accounts in several regions, such as Nintendo UK's X account, and Nintendo of Australia and New Zealand's Instagram account.

My Nintendo Rewards

Several rewards relating to the game were made available on the My Nintendo online loyalty program before release, with seven sets of mobile and desktop wallpapers available to download in total. The first of these wallpaper sets costs fifty My Nintendo Platinum Points to obtain, and features a calendar for the months of April and May, with the release date of the game highlighted in yellow. Closer to release, four more wallpaper sets were released, requiring no Platinum Points to access. The last batch of wallpapers were made available six days after the game's launch, each costing fifty Platinum Points.

My Nintendo Wallpapers

A promotional image of the printable field journal.

A promotional image of the printable origami whale, along with its instructions.

On May 1, Nintendo of America announced on their X account that a series of custom profile icons featuring divers and creatures from Endless Ocean Luminous would be available for purchase, in exchange for My Nintendo Platinum Points. These profile icons were made available in four waves, starting on May 1, with a new set replacing the previous set once every week until May 29.

On May 2, the day of the game's release, two "printable" rewards were also made available on the My Nintendo website, each costing thirty Platinum Points. These rewards can be downloaded as .pdf files after purchasing, and are intended to be printed out. The first of these rewards is a six-page field journal decorated with promotional images, and the second is instructions to fold an origami whale, available in four languages.

Pre-Order Bonuses

Some game retailers offered unique pre-order bonuses for Endless Ocean Luminous. Amazon Japan offered a set of seven bromide to those pre-ordering through their service, while GAME.co.uk advertised postcards with fun facts on the back. Online game retailer Game.es offered a promotional poster for pre-ordering the game, using an expanded version of the artwork used on the game's box art.

A promotional image for Amazon Japan's Luminous pre-order bonus.

A promotional image for GAME.co.uk's Luminous pre-order bonus.

An image of Game.es's Luminous pre-order bonus.

Tetris 99 Crossover

The image posted to Nintendo of America's X account to announce the 40th Tetris Maximus Cup.

Tetris 99, also developed by Arika, is hosting its fortieth "Tetris Maximus Cup" event as a crossover with Endless Ocean Luminous. Users playing the game between May 10 and May 13 will be made to use a limited time Endless Ocean theme, which includes a unique background, sound effects, and Tetrominoes themed after the game. Once a player has accumulated 100 points by playing online battles during the event, they will be rewarded with the Endless Ocean theme, which can then be selected and used at any time once the event has concluded.

Giveaways

A promotional photo of the underwater camera awarded in Nintendo of Korea's giveaway.

From May 2 to May 24, Nintendo of Korea launched a giveaway of fifty Endless Ocean Luminous branded underwater cameras, eligible to Korean citizens. In order to enter, a photo taken in-game must be submitted by applicants through a Google Form, along with retweeting the post announcing the giveaway. After the entry period ended, fifty winning participants received emails from Nintendo of Korea, requesting mailing information so the prize could be delivered. Several submissions were selected to be displayed on the Korean Nintendo website.

Reception

Review Ratings

Publication	Rating
Metacritic	62/100
IGN	(US) 4/10 (ES) 7/10
Nintendo Life	5/10
Digital Trends	2.5/5
Press Start	6/10
Silicon Era	5/10
Video Games Chronicle	3/5
Jeux Video	11/20

Endless Ocean Luminous has had mixed reviews by game review sites, generally being perceived as a calm, relaxing game that may appeal to those interested in marine biology, but with little broader appeal.

Positive aspects highlighted in most reviews include the tranquil aquatic atmosphere and open-ended nature "devoid of roadblocks", allowing for open exploration. The amount of content in regards to creatures has also been praised, with over 500 creatures providing plenty of content for those invested in completing the marine encyclopedia.

However, several criticisms arose due to the "anemic" story that is "a grind to complete", and lack of activities aside from scanning creatures, salvaging, and taking photographs. It is a definite departure from the previous games in the Endless Ocean series, with many series staples, such as the aquarium and the ability to interact with sea life, being absent. This has prompted several critics to deride the game as "boring" and "lacking soul", as opposed to the first two games in the series.

According to Famitsu's sales chart for April 22 - May 5 2024, Endless Ocean Luminous sold 28,345 copies from May 2 to May 5, earning it third place in the outlet's bi-weekly ranking of Japanese software sales.

After its first week of sales, online game outlet Nintendo Life reported that Endless Ocean Luminous was ranked tenth in the United Kingdom's game sales charts.

Event Dives

Main article: Event Dives

Throughout the course of Endless Ocean Luminous's lifespan, various "event dives" have been held online. These event dives are special events in which certain occurrences - including unusual schools of sea life, or increased spawn chances for rare creatures - will take place in a pre-determined dive area. These events last only for a limited time.

Notes

• Several models and textures for creatures used in Endless Ocean Luminous are taken from a defunct Japan-only mobile fishing game developed by Arika, called "サカナコネクション", or "Sakana Connection".
  • Arika's previous diving games have also re-used models and textures from previous games they worked on, such as Endless Ocean porting over many of its creatures from Everblue and Everblue 2.

Videos

Endless Ocean Luminous - Announcement Trailer - Nintendo Switch

Endless Ocean Luminous – Overview Trailer – Nintendo Switch

Endless Ocean Luminous — Sounds of the Sea — Nintendo Switch

Endless Ocean Luminous — Launch Trailer — Nintendo Switch

External Links

• Japanese Promotional Page
• U.S. Nintendo Store Page
• U.K. Nintendo Store Page