History VideoGame / EndlessOcean

* BigCreepyCrawlies:

** There's also the [[spoiler:anomalocaris, a truly massive insectoid creature that floats outside the windows of Valka Castle, not really doing anything but also truly outside the realm of interactivity. The trailer for ''Luminous'' later makes a point that yes, you can swim up to and pet it this time]].

* LateArrivalSpoiler: The trailer for ''Luminous'' uses the anomalocaris as the first example of how the game will be handling legendary creatures, [[spoiler:almost certainly ribbing on how the second game handled its introduction as a cutscene-only encounter]].

* NotSoExtinct:
** In Blue World, at least three animals, [[spoiler: the plesiosaur, the ''Anomalocaris'', and the orthocone]] are supposed to have been extinct for millions of years, but they're found alive and well. They're encountered in cutscenes, but can't really be interacted with.
** ''Luminous'' makes this a selling point for the Veiled Sea, with [[spoiler:an unblocked anomalocaris]] and a mosasaur swimming up to the player in the reveal trailer.

** The specific event flags required to trigger the Whale Ornmanet quest in ''Blue World''. While they're general enough that most players will find it eventually without much thought, pinning down the actual triggers was an unanswered mystery for over a decade. It's since been figured out that the correct criteria is to complete the main story and watch every cutscene related to a whale species.

* GuideDangIt: Getting OneHundredPercentCompletion in these games can be a nightmare without a walkthrough, given how large the areas are, coupled with the first game's penchant for [[RandomEncounter randomizing item/fish locations]]. Unlocking the missions to recruit more cetacean partners in the second game isn't immediately obvious, either.

* NotSoExtinct: In Blue World, at least three animals, [[spoiler: the plesiosaur, the ''Anomalocaris'', and the orthocone]] are supposed to have been extinct for millions of years, but they're found alive and well. They're encountered in cutscenes, but can't really be interacted with.

* BigCreepyCrawlies: [[spoiler: The Grave Keeper is about twice the size of its already enormous friends.]]

Not to be confused with ''The Infinite Ocean'', a fairly creepy point-and-click adventure game about the first ArtificialIntelligence. Compare ''VideoGame/{{Abzu}}'' for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 and Steam.

A third installment, ''Endless Ocean: Luminous'', was confirmed on February 21, 2024 for the Platform/NintendoSwitch for release on May 2, 2024. Touted features include up to 30 players online, a hub region called the Veiled Sea which changes each time you dive, and over 500 species of animals to encounter.

A third installment, ''Endless Ocean: Luminous'', was confirmed on February 21, 2024 for the Platform/NintendoSwitch for release the following May. Touted features include up to 30 players online, a hub region called the Veiled Sea which changes each time you dive, and over 500 species of animals to encounter.

* NotSoExtinct: In Blue World, at least three animals, [[spoiler: the plesiosaurus, the anamalocharis, and the orthocone]] are supposed to have been extinct for millions of years, but they're found alive and well. They're encountered in cutscenes, but can't really be interacted with.

* MagicMusic: The Song of Dragons is an in-universe example: humanity obsesses over its meaning and origin, and it's become known as a harbinger of doom wherever it is heard. [[spoiler:It's actually a musical key known by all whales that guides people to and unlocks the Okeanides ruins...and subsequently drives the whales within mad to seal it up again.]]

* SurpriseCreepy: Don't let the lack of combat and mostly serene atmosphere fool you, these games have some awfully scary parts.

%%* NotGoodWithPeople: Kat, first variety.%%What variety?

* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins: All over the [[SlippySlideyIceWorld Weddell Sea]] in ''Blue World''. There's two legendary penguins hanging around: Big Bobby, a human-size emperor penguin, and Snowball, an albino rockhopper penguin. Both appear only during certain weather conditions; Big Bobby is only found in clear weather, and Snowball is only found during snowstorms (making her harder to see).

* HotScientist: Kat and Hayako as both quite easy on the eyes, and Kat even dresses fairly minimally, just wearing a life vest and a pair of jean shorts.

* SmallTaxonomyPools: Averted, in as much as time, budget, and disc-space would allow.

* CelebrityPower: Notable New Zealand vocalist Music/HayleyWestenra provided nearly the entire soundtrack for the first game; her song "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvuZ9j9gzlQ Prayer]]" was used for early demo display purposes, as well as being the unofficial theme for the final product.
** The Irish group Music/CelticWoman provides some songs for ''Blue World''. (Which Hayley was a part of for a nearly a year).

* DubNameChange: Several locations and legendary creatures have different names in the American and European releases. For example, in the legendary giant sturgeon is named "Lady Dorothea" in the American release and "Divine Gift" in the European release.

* TheGoomba: Bicolor parrotfish are a nonviolent version of this. They appear practically everywhere.

** The main plot is centered around the mysterious Song of Dragons, said to bring misfortune to those who hear it, and its relation to a mythical treasure connected to an ancient civilization. [[spoiler: This does end up going more into the mundane territory, with (mostly) realistic explanations for the strange occurrences. That's okay, though, the rest of the game has plenty of stuff that leans more towards magic!]]

** A sidequest revolves around following a bird that speaks to you, and seemingly you're the only one that can hear them.

%%* {{Meganekko}}: Kat and Hayako again.

* CelebrityPower: Notable New Zealand vocalist Music/HayleyWestenra provided nearly the entire soundtrack for the game; her song "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvuZ9j9gzlQ Prayer]]" was used for early demo display purposes, as well as being the unofficial theme for the final product. The group Music/CelticWoman provides some songs for ''Blue World''.

* DubNameChange: Several locations and legendary creatures have different names in the American and European releases. For example, the legendary giant sturgeon is named "Lady Dorothea" in the American release and "Divine Gift" in the European release.

* FriendlyPlayfulDolphin: The games naturally feature dolphins and larger cetaceans from various locations. You can befriend certain dolphins. When players get to nineball island in ''Endless Ocean Blue World'' they can teach tricks to a dolphin.

* PopStarComposer: Music/HayleyWestenra of Music/CelticWoman provides the soundtrack to this game and its sequel.

* FrigidWaterIsHarmless: Two dive locations of ''Blue World'' are in the Arctic and the Antarctic. There is a handwave about body gel that helps with cold weather, and special air tanks or something, but no mention of a dry suit. Considering the character's costume can be changed to a bikini (for women) or just a pair of trunks (for men), you can very well go diving in those places thusly garbed and suffer no ill effects.

* InUniverseCamera: When in third-person mode, any kelp, small fish, etc. pushed aside by the camera are actually due to Kat's "unmanned, remote-controlled minisub" following you.

* PirahnaProblem: Piranhas are enemies in the second game, though they are a bit more realistic since they won't hunt you down well outside of their domain and aren't a big threat.

* AnInteriorDesignerIsYou: ''Blue World'' lets you spruce up Nineball Island with various pieces of furniture, as well as stock a nearby reef with corals and kelp. You can even gain titles by getting all the pieces.

* BadassCrew: While not in the traditional sense of the trope, in terms of diving expertise the second game's FiveManBand is perhaps the best in the world. Consisting of a retired adventurer with more years of experience then the rest of the crew put together, one of the world's leading marine biologists, a world renown salvage expert, and two lifelong pro-drivers.

* CoOpMultiplayer: When the Wii's online service was active, players could trade friend codes in both games to visit and dive with one another. ''Blue World'' even supported the Wii Speak peripheral with some copies being bundled with it.

* ForScience: It is implied in the [[spoiler:''Anomalocaris'']] article/trivia that the one that GG and the player character encountered at Valka Castle was revived in a genetic experiment, and somehow was released into the wild.

* [[SeaMonster Giant Swimmer]]: You can ride whales and dolphins through the ocean, though you can't control where they go. In ''Blue World'', your dolphin partner ''can'' follow your directions, which is necessary in the freezing regions until your equipment improves.

* SeaMonster: The Ancient Mother. She returns along with a whole slew of Legendary Beasts [[spoiler: including an actual plesiosaurus]] in Blue World.

* SpeciesLostAndFound: In Blue World, at least three animals, [[spoiler: the plesiosaurus, the anamalocharis, and the orthocone]] are supposed to have been extinct for millions of years, but they're found alive and well. They're encountered in cutscenes, but can't really be interacted with.

* UnderTheSea: Do we really need to explain this one? The games are set underwater -- the vast majority of the story is spent exploring the depths of the oceans.

* {{UST}}: Some hints of it between the player character and Kat.

* WideOpenSandbox: The first game blocks off locations that you need gear to explore, but you are otherwise allowed to swim all around the Manoa Lai Sea and fill out the map before you even start following the plot.

* WorkplaceAcquiredAbilities: Oceana illuminates all nearby zoom-in spots and can offer tours of landmarks; Gaston notifies you of nearby salvagables and [[ItemCaddy holds onto five extra items]]; Hayako provides a radar of nearby species and allows for reviewing of special fauna behaviors (read: {{cutscene}}s); and the helper dolphins swim you around faster and can locate specific types of salvagables.

* GenderEqualEnsemble: L&L Diving Service is initially comprised of Jean-Eric Louvier and his granddaughter Oceana, and it adds Gaston Gray and Hayako Sakurai over the course of the story. Your character tips the balance in either direction, but if you play as a male, you can still consider it equal if you also include recurring independant merchant Nancy Young.