Can the sisters reconnect with each other despite being oceans apart? The two had been close ever since their parents died while both were young, but their grandmother’s illness and Mirai’s distance has put a wedge between their relationship. On dry land, Ren, Mirai’s sister, struggles with taking care of their ailing grandmother and navigating the college experience. While Mirai aims to solve the mystery behind her favorite pod, Andre yearns to know more about the sudden appearance of sea turtles, and Irina speaks at length about the medicinal possibilities of sea floor bacteria, there’s family trouble brewing above ground. Just keep swimming, just keep scanning!īeyond Blue’s storyline, although it has some parts that are to be expected, is surprisingly human. Scanning soon becomes all you do, both to drive the story forward and to collect all possible pieces of information.
Some, like the octopods, only have two to scan, there are others with a dozen or two. There is an objective to collect them all, meaning you’ll have to comb the waters to scan each individual animal. Using Andre’s AR scanning system, Mirai can collect information on all the life forms living under the sea. I definitely felt excited to check out every possible nook and cranny, as something new was certain to be around every corner.Īlthough Mirai pretty much lives and breathes sperm whales, there’s a lot more to these dives than just her favorite animals.
There are points where I felt apprehensive, thinking that a wrong turn or swimming too far in a certain direction would mean death for Mirai. The different levels of lighting make even the same areas feel completely new depending on the time of day, and the deeper you go, the more alien the landscapes become. You really do feel like you’re under water, and the environments are a massive part in conveying that. Movement is also nice and fluid, which is absolutely necessary considering the environment, as not a single second of gameplay is spent above water.īeyond Blue’s aesthetics are pleasing while the visuals speak for themselves, the ambiance is an obvious selling point. Admittedly, the scanning and advanced scanning took a minute to get used to, but given enough time the controls become second nature.
F and R buttons will also come in handy, as they manage interacting and cancelling interaction, respectfully. The right mouse button brings up the AR view, which, by clicking the left mouse button, assists Mirai in scanning the various lifeforms across the ocean. Although Andre’s focus is with sea turtles and Irina has a particular interest in the possibilities brine pools have to offer, the pair lend all their assistance to Mirai as she follows her favorite pod, stumbling upon a veritable underwater mystery as the days go on.Ĭontrols are easy enough to pick up WASD controls movement, shift controls swim speed, and the mouse controls direction. Andre is the tech wiz, and Irina is the founder of a bio-tech company which researches cures for various diseases. As Beyond Blue unfolds, we learn just as much about the characters’ dynamics as we do marine life, with parallels running throughout.īeyond Blue’s premise is to be expected for an educational game - Mirai has been studying a specific pod of sperm whales, and her colleagues, Andre and Irina, assist her. Of course, the team of scientists are human whose issues do not stay surface-level, and we learn a great deal about Mirai, her sister Ren, and their grandmother, who suffers from Dementia. Mirai Soto who, along with her colleagues Andre and Irina, will study a pod of sperm whales and collect biosamples from other organisms to aid in medical research. Available on PC, iOS, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, players will take on the role of Dr. It was natural, then, that I’d inevitably jump at the chance to review Beyond Blue, an educational game focusing on life and death in the ocean.ĭeveloped and published by E-Line, Beyond Blue is a story-driven educational game centered around one marine biologist’s fascination with sperm whales. On the other hand, I’m all for diversity of experience in gaming, so when a road less traveled - or a concept less explored - comes across the review inbox, I can’t help myself. On the one hand, I’m kind of okay with that - truth be told, I’m both mystified and terrified of the deep blue sea, so playing games when I’m surrounded by it ups my anxiety. Although there are admittedly some big names on the scene, ocean exploration games are few and far between in comparison to other genres.
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