Reef Shot

[b]Reef Shot[/b] (Photography Adventure) [i]Game provided for Curator review[/i] Options include separate sliders for Music, SFX and Voice, Resolution, Language and Controller Sensitivity (if applicable). Partial controller support - only responds when you are on your dives. Save Photos is OFF by default, but I can't find where those photos might be stored, so it didn't really matter. No saving during chapters. You'll have to complete the chapter you're on to save your progress. This is a flawed title, which I enjoyed to a point. There is a short tutorial telling you the basics of the game, and a lot of hand-holding. This isn't an exploration game where you can take your time and look at everything, as you have defined tasks that have to be completed before you run out of air. You CAN get more air, but you'll have to "buy" it, and if your don't have enough stars to purchase it (I'll come back to this,) it's level-over and you'll have to restart that section from the beginning. [b]The Basics:[/b] On your dives you will be tasked with taking photographs of different kinds of sea life, as well as artifacts that you come across along the way. You can see the items/fish that you need to take pics of at the bottom right of the screen. Later on you'll see some stars under each pic representing the photo quality required in order to pass the task. Movement is slow, but [b]you CAN swim more quickly[/b] by holding down a button. I'm not sure which button for the keyboard, but on the controller, you have to push down on the directional stick - a bit unwieldy with the other things you have to do, but at least the option is there! The story is thready and unrealistic, but good enough that I wanted to keep playing. [b]How to earn stars:[/b] Stars are earned by taking photographs. The better the quality of your photos, the more stars you'll earn. To get the best quality photos on fish, the motion-sensor has to be at three bars, AND it has to be in focus. This isn't that bad in the beginning, but as you get better-quality cameras, it becomes increasingly difficult. At my last upgrade, there was a swiftly-changing focus meter that I had to monitor, along with the motion sensor and moving with the fish, and in the end, it became well-nigh impossible for me to complete the shots with high enough quality for the game to accept them, and then there's the problem of running out of film... For the archeological finds (still pictures), there is no motion sensor to tell you the quality of your shots. Even worse was the chapter where I had to take 3-star quality pics of something, but there were at least twelve of those things present, and no indication of which ones I should be taking the pics of! :gah: [spoiler]They were gravestones[/spoiler] It only got worse from there, as sometimes the shots don't count unless you take them at the right angle. [b]Spending stars:[/b] There are quite a few things that you can spend your stars on that will make the game easier, but you have to EARN them first. [list] [*]Extra photos [*]Refill air tank [*]Find artifact [*]Find fish [*]Auto-focus [*]Unlock bonus tasks (not required to finish the chapter) [/list] [b]What would make the game better:[/b] [list] [*]Ability to turn off HUD for screenshot-taking [*]Casual mode (no air or film restrictions) [*]Ability to PAUSE the game. As it stands, you can bring up the menu, but it doesn't pause... You'll still run out of air. [/list] [b]Achievements:[/b] There are 17 Achievements, but you MUST complete the bonus tasks in order to get them all. I will give this game a passing grade because I enjoyed what I was able to play of it, but my frustration with the latter levels definitely colors my overall feelings about the game. If the devs address the issues with the game, I will happily give it a stronger recommendation, but for now, it's a "proceed with caution."

[quote][b]This review was made possible by[url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/indiepromo] IndiePromo. [/url] [/b] [i]I received a reviewing copy of this game for free. However, my review is honest.[/i] [/quote] [i]Skip to the bottom for my Final Thoughts[/i] Reef Shot is an underwater photography/exploration game recently re-released on Steam (initially released in 2012). Reef Shot is a combination of games like Pokemon Snap and ABZU, however, has aged horribly. [h1]Graphics[/h1] Like I just mentioned, Reef Shot was initially released in 2012 so don't expect new looking graphics. That being said, the graphics are still just mediocre for its time. Although you obviously can't expect AAA graphics for an indie game, the graphics are below average and overall look boring. The environment is composed of mostly the same textures spread out over a weird looking underwater terrain with lots of jagged edges. Due to the overall lack of different textures throughout the whole game, the visuals become very repetitive and thus boring. My biggest complaint about the visuals in Reef Shot is the camera movement. I had to close the game after an hour to rest my eyes because the game was giving me motion sickness due to the awful camera movement. It might not be the same for everyone (perhaps it's just my monitor?) but personally, it made the game very hard to play. [h1]Audio & Soundtrack[/h1] The music in Reef Shot is surprisingly well done. It fits the casual theme of the game and is quite relaxing. The music is similar to hotel lobby music but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. At times I found the music to be quite cheesy but for the most part, it was nice to listen to. The voice acting is... decent to say the least. Rénee, the voice you hear the most, is pretty well done with a few weird lines of dialogue here and there. The narrator at the beginning and end of the game, however, is horrendously done and had me cringing the entire way through. [h1]Gameplay[/h1] Like I mentioned in my introductory paragraph, Reef Shot is an underwater photography walking game/simulator similar to what you would get if you somehow combined Pokemon Snap and ABZU. You spend the entirety of the game underwater, swimming at a mind-boggling slow rate (which was infuriating) taking pictures of the fauna and artifacts you come across. To be honest, taking pictures of the wildlife at the beginning of the game was alright, didn't feel out of place and helped me get used to the photography mechanic of the game. However, the story flow was constantly interrupted by forced fish photography that was necessary to progress in the story which seriously hindered the overall smoothness of the gameplay. Reef Shot is also horribly optimized. Despite being released 6 years ago, my computer actually struggled in some levels while absolutely demolishing in others. While I don't have a supercomputer like some might have, I have a pretty decent rig and I can run most AAA games at 60 FPS+. In some levels I was getting over 300 FPS, however, on some other levels, I was getting a nearly unplayable 20-40 FPS. The lack of a real options menu was also a detriment to my overall perception of the game because I was unable to play around with the settings to try to fix the horrendous FPS I got on some maps. [h1]Storyline[/h1] You play as Scott, an underwater diver/photographer who works alongside Rénee and Professor Hernandez in finding the lost city of El Dorado (which just so happens to be underwater, perhaps they mixed it up with Atlantis?). You start off in a regular expedition capturing photos of fish however you quickly discover clues that eventually lead you to the lost Mayan city of El Dorado with Rénee awkwardly translating Mayan glyphs you come across. The story is a nice addition to the game, and because the game is a walking simulator, gives you something to think about while you're swimming in the open ocean and through caves. I completed the game in around 2 hours with another 30 minutes of revisiting a level. [h1]Final Thoughts[/h1] Reef Shot is one of those games that I would give an "In the Middle" option if it existed. Overall Reef Shot is a mediocre walking simulator but has aged horribly. The game's horrible camera movement gave me motion sickness after an hour of gameplay, forcing me to take a break before continuing on to be the game in about 2 hours. If you wish to purchase Reef Shot then I highly suggest you wait for a sale. Rating: Graphics: 6.0/10 Audio: 7.5/10 Gameplay: 7.0/10 Storyline: 7.5/10 Overall: 7.0/10 [quote]Like the review? Consider checking out and following[b][url=http://store.steampowered.com/curator/31837076/] My Curator Page [/url][/b] for more! [/quote]

Here lies a game that could be good with enough time put into it. As it stands, it is an average escape into a world within our grasp with all the enthusiasm of a school-sponsored field trip. Nice enough in its presentation, it could use much more work in terms of world-building and character development, if not giving a reason for the viewer to care about anything that happens at all. Reef Shot is a nice shot, yet blurry from age and a lack of development. Only those with a background in scientific fanaticism, and a penchant for a more story-driven video game experience, should be willing to take that initial dive. + Good visual appeal + Almost corny enough to be charming + Effectively immersive soundtrack - No reason to care outside of innate curiosity - Areas become repetitive quickly - Renée Read the full review at https://www.keengamer.com/article/17567_reef-shot-review

Качественный симулятор подводного плавания. Геймплей: Играть будем за фотографа который должен сделать несколько снимков под водой. Курировать вами будет женский голос, вот она и расскажет вам, что и как нужно сфотографировать.Но не стоит использовать пленку без дела, так как у вас ограниченое количество кадров. Фотографировать нужно будет как и животных, водорослей так и затонувших обьектов, к примеру самотелы, или древние сооружения. За каждые правильные фотографии вам будут выдаваться звезды, за которые вы сможете приобрести полезные перки: дополнительный воздух, помощь по обнаружению обьектов и другие. Еже есть дополнительные миссии, обнаружить которые можно с помошью перков. Игра имеет несколько миссии, и можно сказать что данная игра линейная, по выполнению всех заданий уровень заканчивается. Графика и музыка: в этом плане в игре все реализовано превосходно, в общем здесть и добавить не чего. Управление в игре то же на удивление качественное. Присутствует обучение, в котором сможет разобраться даже игрок не знающий английского языка (в игре только английская и немецкая локализации). Присутствуют достижения и коллекционные карточки (что очень редко на сегодняшний день) Еще вы можете посмотреть обзоры на другие игры: http://store.steampowered.com/curator/25737869/ Так же подписывайтесь на нашу группу с халявными раздачами: https://steamcommunity.com/groups/freeekeys

I paid $2.24 for Reef Shot. That might have been a fair price. I had a small idea what I was getting into - some kind of mashup of Afrika on PS3 and the Endless Ocean series on Wii with far lower production values. Unfortuntely, Reef Shot eschews the laid back, kinda open world, collectathon-with-light-story format of those games and strives for something more like a mobile device find-the-things-in-the-picture idea. It's unfortunate, and, by the fourth level, it's just annoying and not worth pursuing. It's irritating enough to search for the photography targets as they are drip-fed to you, unable to approach the dive how you would prefer. But then the game feels the need to pile on immersion-breaking rhythm game timing challenges as well as weird, exceedingly gamified resource limitations. Who, in this day and age, can't fit more than 35 shots on a digial camera? Why am I buying additional oxygen, autofocus uses, and film (!?) with in-game currency while still underwater? It's so dumb that it boggles the mind. I wasn't expecting a hardcore simulation here, but the game's internal logic is so bizarre that it's distracting, and the emphasis on twitch gameplay and resource management over exploration and enjoyment is a crazy choice, given the way the game is framed and themed. Reef Shot very much suffers from its own mechanics, as well as unfavorable comparisons to Subnautica and Abzu, which far exceed its depiction of underwater life in both higher and lower fidelity presentations.

:)

This is just not a good game. The environments are very sparse and poorly designed. There's only a few plants here and there, with just a lot of featureless grey rock everywhere else. Barely any sea life. In fact the only fish you'll see are the ones that were specifically put there for you to take a picture of. Swim off the path and you'll see just...nothing. Completely linear. The waypoints guide you from one place to the next and there's nowhere else to go and nothing else to do. Even worse is the "manual focus" mechanic introduced later in the game that requires you to perform a quicktime action every single time you want to take a picture. Oh and it's only 1:30 hours long. Do yourself a favor. If you're interested in these types of games go play Everblue 1 & 2 on the PS2, or the Endless Ocean games on the Wii. Those are the games this game tries and fails to copy.

Reef Shot by Nano Games is an unconventional indie title that leans into a quieter, more reflective style of gameplay, choosing exploration and observation over action or intensity. Set beneath the ocean’s surface near Robinson Crusoe Island, it places the player in the role of a diver-photographer whose main task is to capture images of marine life while gradually uncovering hints of a larger mystery tied to submerged ruins. The game’s identity is built around this dual focus, combining a relaxed simulation of underwater photography with a light narrative thread that gives the experience a sense of direction. The central mechanic revolves around navigating underwater spaces and taking photographs that are evaluated based on framing, timing, and subject visibility. This creates a gameplay loop that is easy to grasp and immediately accessible, allowing players to focus more on observation than on mechanical complexity. There is a certain satisfaction in lining up a well-composed shot, especially when dealing with moving creatures or environmental conditions that slightly complicate the process. However, the system does not evolve significantly over time. Once the player understands how to maximize photo quality, the challenge plateaus, and the game becomes more about repetition than discovery. Progression is structured through a series of dive missions, each with specific objectives tied to photographing certain species or points of interest. While this gives the game a clear framework, the tasks themselves often feel similar from one mission to the next. The addition of upgrades, such as tools that assist navigation or extend diving capabilities, provides some sense of advancement, but these enhancements rarely change how the game is played in a meaningful way. Instead, they serve more as quality-of-life improvements than as elements that reshape the experience, which can make the overall progression feel somewhat static. Where Reef Shot stands out most is in its atmosphere. The underwater environments are designed with a strong emphasis on mood, featuring soft lighting, drifting particles, and a palette that captures both the tranquility and mystery of the ocean. There are moments when the game genuinely succeeds in creating a serene, almost meditative space, particularly when sunlight filters through the water or when deeper areas introduce darker, more enigmatic tones. Despite this, the world can sometimes feel sparse, with limited environmental activity and a lack of dynamic elements that would make it feel more alive. The audio design complements this atmosphere with subdued, ambient tracks that reinforce the sense of calm exploration. Rather than drawing attention to itself, the music quietly supports the player’s experience, allowing the visuals to take center stage. However, the soundscape does not extend much beyond this, and the absence of more varied environmental audio can make the underwater setting feel less immersive than it could have been. Narrative elements are delivered sparingly, mostly through guidance from a remote companion and occasional hints about the ruins you are investigating. While this provides context, the story remains thin and never fully develops into something deeply engaging. Reef Shot ultimately feels like a game that prioritizes mood and concept over depth and longevity. Its relaxed pacing and straightforward mechanics make it approachable and easy to enjoy in short sessions, especially for players who appreciate slower, non-competitive experiences. At the same time, its limited variety and lack of evolving gameplay systems make it difficult to stay invested over the long term. It offers a pleasant but fleeting journey, one that is more about the act of being there than about achieving or mastering anything substantial. Taken as a whole, Reef Shot is a modest but interesting experiment that succeeds in creating a calm and visually appealing underwater experience, even if it falls short in terms of gameplay complexity and lasting appeal. It is best suited for players looking for something quiet and undemanding rather than those seeking depth or challenge. Rating: 6/10

The game is about diving around underwater scenes searching for stuff the game tells you about (fishes, ruins, etc) and take decent photos of them, meaning you need to find the right angle, zoom, etc to have your pic rated with more stars. From time to time it's hard to understand what or how you need to take a pic to have better rating, fishes move a little too much in the later levels but the game is short (in three hours you can do everything) so probably it was made just to create a bit of challenge. Overall i liked the experience, maybe bigger levels with no or less air limit (a bit annoying but as i said levels are quite short so it wasn't much an issue in the end) would also have helped enjoy it more.

This is a first person 3D diving simulator where you dive reefs with a camera and must take photos of various fish and underwater wrecks and artefacts to progress to the next level. The underwater environments are very sparsely populated for a game that must rely 100% on visual appeal, which is a real let down. Also, mild spoiler here, in the first level you must take a photo of a P51 Mustang, but it has invasion stripes despite clearly being underwater in the Pacific ocean. This kind of bizarre historical inaccuracy is mindbendingly disrespectful to veterans. Also it's just not worth $13, it's kind of boring and should look a lot better than it does.