I really wasn’t sure what to expect with Endless Ocean Luminous. I genuinely love swimming and have always been intrigued by the concept of scuba diving—not to mention I’ve opened up a lot more over the years to chill,

Endless Ocean Luminous successfully fulfills a deep sea diving fantasy with plenty of fish to discover and mysteries to unearth.

Endless Ocean Luminous is the third game in a series I have never played, but that hasn't mattered a bit. It's a diving game and I can barely swim, but that hasn't mattered a bit. It's a game in which nothing much happens,

Endless Ocean Luminous focuses on diving into uncharted waters to study and shoot marine life. It’s a bit like New Pokemon Snap, except you can freely explore in all directions. A grid-like map tracks where you’ve been, and displays topographical information like routes blocked by rocks.

While the story sounds heavy on the surface, Luminous (like its predecessors) is a strictly cozy affair. There's no death or any real fail state in this game. Even the ocean's most dangerous creatures are docile for reasons explained by the narrative. Players are welcome to explore at their leisure for however much time they want.

Whereas the two Wii titles featured predesigned locations, however, Luminous instead focuses mainly on procedurally generated areas. The game’s main two single-player modes are Story and Solo Dives, and the latter is clearly the main focus by some distance (and it can also be played online with up to 30 players).

Luminous guts the best parts of the series' previous entries in favor of chill, but repetitive busywork.The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your Inbox

One of the more popular third party games of the Wii era returns, with a multiplayer mode for 30 people and over 500 fish to photograph.