Dolphin Spirit: Ocean Mission

If you ever played the Endless Ocean series on the Wii, this game is very similar to that in terms of diving mechanics. It's actually the only modern game that I've found to come close to the series. Instead of it being a big treasure hunt or searching for mythical creatures like in EO, you help clean up the trash that litters the island and surrounding areas after a storm. In the process, you learn about the local animals and the effects of humans on the environment. You heal sick creatures and can take pictures of them to build up your encyclopedia. You also have a dolphin buddy that will swim around with you and help you access certain areas on your map. It's a super chill and cozy game. You can definitely have the TV on in the background if you want. You have unlimited oxygen, and no animals can hurt you. I finished the main game in < 5 hours. I probably could've done it quicker if I hadn't been so focused on picking up all the trash. However, you can still play the game after you've completed the main quest. You definitely need a controller to play. I just plugged my PS5 controller into my laptop and played it that way. I also have a smart TV, so I could play on my laptop while having it connected to my TV via bluetooth. Pros: - No oxygen constraints - No animals can hurt you - Easy and intuitive diving mechanics with a controller - You can take photos to build up your encyclopedia and learn about them - Multiple side quests - Dolphin buddy is cool - Easy game for kids to play - Easy objectives - Picking up the trash is satisfying Cons: - Only 4 diving maps - They are all similar in terms of creatures and general appearance of the surroundings - Not a lot of different kinds of creatures - No character customization (you either pick male or female) - Short game - Need a control for good gameplay Overall, I'd recommend the game. It was fun, chill, and it helped scratch the EO itch that I've been missing.

The keyboard and mouse controls are horrible and you can't rebind them.

Dolphin Spirit: Ocean Mission attempts to be a relaxing and educational experience but unfortunately the end result is a clunky, unpolished mess. - The options menu has little to offer so you are left with clunky controls and no decent accessibility options. - Without a jump mechanic, prepare to get stuck on a lot of objects and small gaps which should easily be reached or avoided. - Land is frustratingly bare bones and animals behave like wind-up toys instead of wildlife. - The game incorporates real world conspiracy theories and contentious issues as "facts". It shouldn't be played by children for educational purposes. - There are hilarious clipping and blocking issues galore. - The user interface is generally not intuitive and made worse by unchangeable controls. - The camera doesn't seem to register animals in non-accessible locations at all for logging. - The gameplay itself is dull and mostly comprises of going from a to b, clicking on something, then going back to a. - The game actually crashed several times during loading screens. - How come Dolphin can swim through rock but I can't? :( Overall: I understand why people would be drawn to Dolphin Spirit: Ocean Mission, and I appreciate the anti-littering messages but there are countless cozy games worth playing over this.

This is a really cute and cozy hidden gem of a game! Like others have said it definitely has an Endless Ocean vibe. I like its attention to detail with the wildlife and ecology, and it's giving a message about conserving the environment and how it's important to preserve nature. If I had a kid I'd definitely nudge them to play this too, I think one could learn some positive things while also enjoying their time with the game itself.

[b]~*~2024 is the year of the Backlog!~*~[/b] Its janky, its weird, its obviously edutainment for kids, and its the closest thing to an [i]Endless Ocean[/i] Steam port I'll probably ever get. Its educational aspect is really good. They showed their work on the different sea creatures, their environmental roles, and how various conservation-related issues relate to them. They even made sure that your friendship with the little dolphin is respectful (he stays out in the wild, you never actually ride him (more like you get towed by him; still not a good idea to do with random wild dolphins, but hey the devs are trying), stuff like that; he's a magic dolphin, they really didn't need to model healthier human/dolphin interactions with him but they did anyway). That makes me smile. So does the overall visuals and the characters; simple, but sweet all the way around. Only thing is, the keyboard controls are atrocious and you can't change them in any way. Maybe the worst case of "PC controller needed" I've seen in awhile. Don't make me use a controller, this ain't a console I'm playing on. So if we include the controls, this is a 6/10. If we don't, its a solid 8/10. If you are the type of ocean nerd to go to yearly beach clean up programs for fun, its a 10/10.

Pretty basic but I support the overall concept. Very much aimed at kids. Definitely use a controller instead of K & M and grab on sale.

Примитивизм во всём. Графически, геймплейно, озвучкой, сюжетно. Игра напомнила знаете что? Кто из старичков - должен помнить такую, Ankh - вот это прям ОНО, сеттинг только другой. 20 лет спустя видеть такую хрень - позор. Расписывать тупорылых статичных истуканов-персонажей, задания "собери у дяди-эколога срач во дворе" (!!!), звуки воды, отсекаемые ровно через сантиметр локации - это вот прям что-то с чем-то. ГГ, наяривающий в маске без ограничений по времени и не способный всплыть в любом месте, а только у цепи лодки - это что-то за гранью. Дешёвка и примитивизм. "Это какой-то... ПОЗОР!" (с) Швондер.

Cozy, realaxing. Cute Dolphin. Cannot pet the dog.

Dolphin Spirit is a very good adventure game where you spend your holidays at your grandpa's house on a paradise island which had unfortunately been damaged by wastes. Takes somes pictures of flora and fauna and discover few secrets to clean up the island, the underwater and save the animals... It's a really beautiful story, the graphics are really good and the soundtrack is relaxing. I highly recommend it!!! 🩵🐬🩵

[h1]Experienced on the Meta Quest 3. VR Review Only!![/h1] You can view my VR gameplay here: https://youtu.be/COYAoJ96Gek This is one of the better VR experiences using the UUVR mod by Raicuparta. It just works out of the box. If you don't know about the UUVR mod, all you really need to know is that it is completely free. You can download Raipal (search for it) and it'll let you know which games in your Steam library have a game with an available VR mod with Raipal. It's as simple as clicking install mod (UUVR Mono Modern) then clicking play. The only real issue I noticed was that optimization was not the best. I was getting variable frame rates from 90 to 45 frames per second. Unfortunately, there really are not graphical settings to alleviate this, other than changing resolution. However, the VFR did not effect gameplay other than making the character run faster at times. Other than that issue, sometimes it can be difficult seeing the corners of the UI. However, I was able to play without any issues. I recommend using a gamepad (Xbox One Controller). Game looks great in VR. Honestly, if the developer made a VR port for the Quest, this game would sell like hot cakes there. [b]VR Rating 8/10.[/b] [quote]If you enjoyed my review, please consider joining my Steam Curator group [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/Oculus_WMR]Oculus Rift Reviews.[/url][/quote]