Underwater Shenmue

[Green Gibbon!]

I got Forever Blue. I'm never totally sure what's going on at any given time because I can't read as much Japanese as I pretend I can, but I know I'm this dude on a boat with this bespectacled chick named Katherine who can't swim. (I'm sure some tragic back story will come to light later on.) The boat is frequented by at least 5 different species of penguin who don't really do anything but waddle around on the deck looking cute. Maybe it should be swabbed or something.

It's pretty different from Everblue, which was mainly about exploring sunken ships and collecting treasure. This time the emphasis is on sea life. All the fish (and mammals and reptiles and birds) you encounter are added to a sort of encyclopedia. I would call it educational, except that to garner information on fish you have to actually poke at them with your hand. I'm pretty sure it's not safe to pet a hammerhead shark, but (also unlike Everblue) there's absolutely no way to die. You don't take damage at all. You just swim. It's that chill.

I got a dolphin. I named it Lum. Katherine wanted to name it Ichigo, which is stupid. What kind of name is Strawberry for a dolphin? Katherine is insane, but she's hot so I keep her on board. I can make it jump in the air by waving the wand (the dolphin I mean, not Katherine). I can dive with it, too, but it usually just abandons me.

Events sprout up continually. You get these emails from some dude named Torman or something who I assume I work for. As you complete quests you get new equipment and an expanded diving range. It's a pretty big area. I've played for 4 or 5 hours and I've only explored, like, one-twentieth of the map.

I'm totally digging it. It's ridiculously chill. There's no overarching goal except to dive and grope fish. The main theme is this new-agey wish-I-was-Enya vocal song that makes me giddy. You can also upload your own MP3 music from an SD card, though I've yet to figure out how to listen to it on a dive. (There's an option for it in the menu, but it's still blanked out. I guess I need a special piece.) You can even sit on your deck chair and gaze forever upon the low-poly shores in the distance.



What do you do if you're wearing a wetsuit and have to pee?

[Isuka]

Tough shit... err, urine.

I got a dolphin. I named it Lum.

And how are you going to name your tigerfish when you get it, then?

[Zeta]

Are there any SAILORS in the game?

[Esrever]

I was really (pleasantly) surprised to hear this game was getting a US release. I just think it sounds neat!

How are the controls, GG? Do they feel any better than the old waggle-free method?

[Shadow Hog]

Are there any SAILORS in the game?

Damnit, I was about to say that. >:\

Sounds pretty abstract. To be honest, I've never played any of the company's games, so I'm not 100% sure what to expect... I mean, I've played <i>Mega Man Network Transmission</i> and have been tempted to try <i>Street Fighter EX</i>, but seeing as those are primarily Capcom-based, that's probably not truly indicative of their work, now is it?

[Oompa Star]

What do you do if you're wearing a wetsuit and have to pee?

Just go right there like you would at a swimming pool.

[Delphine]

You may not realize the function of a wetsuit.

[Isuka]

That being, guarantee your wee wee's safety while being around sharks... and something about your body's heat preservation when underwater, but nothing too important.

[Opa-Opa]

Nice. I'm actually deep diving this weekend. I'll try to find out where Fukuhara-san is in the mean time.

[spon]

Picking this up here next month, and I'm pretty much going to get absolutely toasted while listening to high concept jazz