Line #62 VideoGame/EndlessOcean


1	[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Endless_Ocean_Coverart.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:256:Dive in.]]
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4	''Endless Ocean'' is a WideOpenSandbox AdventureGame mixed with a scuba diving sim by {{Creator/Arika}}, which simulates a series of scuba dives on an incredibly diverse coral reef. It became legendary for completely eschewing combat of any kind.
5
6	You, the player character, are a professional diver assigned as a "marine correspondent" to the fictional South Pacific island of Manoa Lai (Manaurai in the European release). This job generally involves looking at a lot of fish, and finding out information about them. The only character you actually get to interact with is your marine biologist assistant, Katherine. Along the way, you discover ancient ruins, caves, deep waters, and lots of MisplacedWildlife (though they at least made them all real fish).
7
8	There's a sequel entitled ''Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep'' (known as ''Blue World'' in the US), which allows players to choose from several dive spots around the world instead of being limited to a fictional South Pacific Ocean, including [[SlippySlideyIceWorld the arctic and antarctic]] and a [[BubblegloopSwamp section in the Amazon River]]. Dangerous animals can now actually attack the player, requiring the divers to make a quick escape or use equipment to pacify them before becoming [[strike:alligator]] caiman, piranha, or shark food.
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10	A third installment, ''[[VideoGame/EndlessOceanLuminous 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.
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12	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 Platform/PlayStation4 and Steam.
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14	----
15	!!This game provides examples of:
16	* AbsurdlyHighStakesGame: Jean-Eric won Nineball Island through the billiards game it's named for. In other words, he's a [[{{Pun}} pool shark.]]
17	* AcceptableBreaksFromReality: Many aspects of the game's diving are dangerous in real life, but the game would be frustrating to play if the dangers were played straight.
18	** Normally diving hours are restricted. Divers are forced to use tables to calculate the amount of hours they can safely dive on a day, depending on the depth and time they already spend underwater. None of the characters follow these rules; in RealLife they would all get serious illnesses.
19	** With the exception of a few plot-related sequences, you can always go back to the boat, no matter the circumstances; even when on threshold of running out of air, surrounded by aggressive creatures, or underground. Real-life divers cannot take that kind of liberty with their air, especially as surfacing too quickly has its own problems (mainly decompression sickness, an ailment that Jean-Eric actually suffered from, leaving him unable to dive again, though other NPC divers are just as exempt from this problem as the player).
20	** In the second game, the player (and other diving companions) can swim far away from the boat, even though in real life this is usually risky (hence why in the first game, the player cannot swim outside a diving radius surrounding the boat).
21	* ActionizedSequel: Well, considering how the first game had literally no action, not that that's a bad thing, ''Blue World'' certainly doesn't have to try too hard to be more heart-pounding... And yet, it does! You have a pistol-like device called the Pulsar that can calm and pacify hostile marine life, such as sharks and piranhas, and said hostile marine life actually attacks you. There's even a FinalBoss, as noted below!
22	* AdventureFriendlyWorld: The first game is structured to act as a playground for several varieties of diving within a single location. The Manoa Lai Sea is home to the Great Aqua Cave (cave diving), the Abyss (deep diving), and Ship's Rest (wreck diving), as well as Mo'ia Atoll for the expected Atlantis comparison. ''Blue World'' expands on this by featuring the whole world and adding ice diving at the poles and muck diving in South America.
23	* AlbinosAreFreaks: Inverted; a decent amount of the legendary creatures are simply albinos of their respective species, but are respected rather than feared in the myths and research surrounding them for their appearance. The Leviathan plays it straight, though, being a MobySchtick.
24	* AllInARow: How your diving partners follow you. In the original game, you could make fish follow you by petting them a bunch of times after you've already learned all the facts about their species.
25	* AmazingFreakingGrace: One of the songs in the original, played when the player arrives at Mo'ia Atoll for the first time.
26	* AndYourRewardIsClothes: You frequently get new wetsuits, hairstyles, and scuba tanks as gifts from guided tour patrons or photography editors.
27	* ArbitraryHeadcountLimit: You can only have three dolphin partners in the first game; befriending a new one beyond that will force you to kick one of them out. They're not lost forever if you change your mind, though.
28	* ArtisticLicenseBiology: Largely averted, though it does crop up here and there. Greenland sharks are very slow swimmers and have never been known to prey on humans (though considering where they live this could be due to the two species almost never meeting), and goblin sharks don't have their jaws extended at all times, to name two examples.
29	* ArtisticLicenseChemistry: In 2, you find quite a lot of the lapis lazuli stone underwater with the explanation that a ship sank there in the earlier 20th century carrying a cargo of it. The only problem is that lapis lazuli ''dissolves'' in water.
30	* ArtisticLicenseOrnithology: White-bellied parrots are shown with three toes pointing forward and one pointing back, instead of two in front and two in back.
31	* AscendedToCarnivorism: In ''Blue World'', you can feed any animal you encounter above the water with fish, even the marine iguana (which is a herbivore in real life).
32	* {{Atlantis}}:
33	** Mo'ia Atoll vaguely fits this, being an underwater structure, though the possibility of it being a natural structure similar to the Yonaguni Monument[[note]]A real-life rock formation in Japan that as a result of repeated earthquakes, has fine lines running along it that create the illusion of a man-made structure[[/note]] is tossed around, something the player has to prove otherwise via finding all the stone tablets hidden in the ruins.
34	** Okeanides in ''Blue World'' is unambiguously shown to be a sunken city, courtesy of being both hidden away underwater and [[spoiler:being where the whales used by the Okeanides culture, the Singing Dragons, are found]].
35	* AwesomeYetImpractical: In the first game, dolphin partners were cool and all, but had no real use -- they tended not to follow you very well unless you blew the whistle every few yards (and took forever to come to you from across an area if you let them alone for a while before calling them), and riding them was neat, but couldn't be controlled, so you just go to watch yourself go in circles until you let go, with the only benefit being that sometimes they would identify useful zoom spots. They were made much more useful in the sequel where they could now be controlled better.
36	* 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.
37	* BearyFriendly: Polar bears can be encountered on the Gabbiano in the first game, and on ice in the Arctic Ocean in ''Blue World'', and in both instances, they are portrayed as being very docile (when real polar bears are very aggressive to humans).
38	* TheBeastmaster:
39	** The PlayerCharacter. In the first game no animal will attack you, not even sharks, and small fish will actually tag along with you if you play your whistle near them. While sharks become aggressive in the second game, cetaceans seem to respond to you much more favorably [[spoiler:just like they did for the ancient Okenaides people]] and several will help you if you befriend them.
40	** [[spoiler:The Okenaides and the Mo'ia Atoll people could control cetaceans through songs, and formed the first world-wide civilization with their help.]]
41	* BigCreepyCrawlies: In ''Blue World'':
42	** [[spoiler:The Grave Keeper is about twice the size of its already enormous friends.]]
43	** 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.]]
44	* BigFancyCastle: Valka Castle is a rare underwater example.
45	* BizarreGamblingWinnings: Jean-Eric Louvier won an ''island'' in a game of nine-ball. It's appropriately named Nineball Island.
46	* BlackoutBasement: Both games' abyssal zones, lit by nothing but your portable flashlight. Hugging the sea floor is almost a requirement just to keep your orientation.
47	* BraggingRightsReward: The legendary creatures in ''Blue World''. Many of them are only found in a single area that is either difficult to reach [[spoiler:for example, the giant sturgeon Lady Dorothea/Divine Gift is at a wreck surrounded by great white sharks]], or requires a specific diving partner/time of day/moon phase/item. Or they might just be tough to handle (half the time, you're too busy running away from [[spoiler:Thanatos]] to photograph him). Finding any particular creature earns you a title.
48	* ButThouMust:
49	** In the original game, Katherine will ask you to help her find the [[spoiler:Ancient Mother]]. Turn her down, and the next time you return to the boat (or at the very least, exit your cabin), she will ask you again, the process repeating until you say yes to her.
50	** In ''Blue World'', after you and Oceana find [[spoiler:the plesiosaur]], Oceana decides she's not going to publicize this discovery, and asks if you agree. You can say "I do" or "No I don't," but if you pick no, Oceana will just say "Really?" and ask you the question again. And again. And again.
51	* CanineCompanion: You can find a shipwrecked blond Labrador on one of the islands of Gatama Atoll; bringing him back to Nineball Island will prompt Oceana to name him "Snorkel" ("Goldie" in the European translation), and interacting with him opens up a sidequest.
52	* CaptainErsatz: Leviathan from the second game -- an albino sperm whale with a reputation for attacking ships, with a fanatical captain hunting him down in to get revenge. [[Literature/MobyDick Sound familiar?]]
53	* CartographySidequest: Oceana wants to start a map-making service, and she'll pay you for swimming around each of the areas, with a special bonus upon full completion.
54	* TheCatfish: [[spoiler:Magu Tapa and the Ancient Mother]] in the first game; ''Blue World'' has '''many''', including an actual catfish that has [[AmazingTechnicolorWildlife turned golden in color]].
55	* CelebrityPower: Notable New Zealand vocalist Music/HayleyWestenra provided nearly the entire soundtrack for the first game; her song "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LilirwVMt58 Prayer]]" was used for early demo display purposes, as well as being the unofficial theme for the final product.
56	** The Irish group Music/CelticWoman provides some songs for ''Blue World''. (Which Hayley was a part of for around half a year).
57	* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Ichiro Enoshima/Ken Kaimoto from ''Blue World'', who has an introduction that makes him seem fairly important before he disappears from the rest of the game after the player settles into the aquarium. It seems that he was originally planned to have a much larger role, but Hayako apparently took most of it over.
58	* 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.
59	* ContinuityNod:
60	** ''Blue World'''s notebook mentions, in the entry about the Pelago Commonwealth, that [[spoiler:a new species of whale]] was discovered in the Manoa Lai region two years ago; two years separated the releases of the first and second games. It's also mentioned in passing that Hayako helped [[spoiler:catch and release a giant whale.]]
61	** Also, Nancy sometimes mentions that she wishes she could send you her stuff via e-mail; this is the manner in which ''everything'' was received in the first game, despite the impossibility (such as a wetsuit being sent as an e-mail attachment).
62	* CoolBoat: The ''Gabbiano'' in the first game, which the loading screens are quick to remind you is [[BilingualBonus Italian for "seagull"]]. It functions as your base of operations and can set up anywhere with sufficient space in Manoa Lai.
63	* CosmeticAward: "Titles" in ''Blue World''.
64	** Earning enough titles earns you the Poseidon diving gear. Includes a mini whale shark as an air tank for extra awesomeness!
65	* DerelictGraveyard: The Ship's Rest area in the first game, a hidden shipyard guarded by [[spoiler:Magu Tapa]], and most of Ciceros Strait in the second, guarded by whirlpools and a whole lot of sharks (including Thanatos).
66	* DisneyDeath: [[spoiler:Oceana's father]] was mentioned to be dead from attempting to explore the Zahaab Region Depths for the Okeanos Temple. However, a certain sidequest implies that [[spoiler:he survived, but lost his memory for a good part of the game.]]
67	* 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.
68	** In the first game the main area is called Manoa Lai in the NTSC release and Manaurai in the PAL releases.
69	** The [[spoiler:Ancient Mother]], named in the NTSC release, is referred to as the [[spoiler:White Mother]] in the PAL release. The [[spoiler:Black Harbinger]] found in ''Blue World'' ends up matching up better as a counterpart to the latter name.
70	** The second game is titled Adventures of the Deep for PAL, Blue World for NTSC; and Forever Blue: Call of the Ocean in Japan.
71	* EldritchOceanAbyss: Both games have levels themed around diving into deep ocean trenches and meeting animals such as goblin sharks and sperm whales.
72	* EnemyScan: Using your ''hand'' to fill the Marine Encyclopedia.
73	* FakeLongevity: In the first game, you had to find each creature on three separate days in order to learn all three sets of facts about them to complete the Marine Encyclopedia. ''Blue World'' shortens this down to everything being learnable in a single encounter, but also introduces money that has to be earned through work to spend on new gear. [[spoiler:Not to mention saving up ''a million'' pelagos in order to open Okeanides back up to casual exploration.]]
74	* FanService: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. If you purchase swimwear in ''Blue World'' that doesn't consist of a wetsuit and have your character wear it, you can have him/her partake in a ShowerScene using the facilities behind the Nineball Island cabin.
75	** Or, if you don't need your character to be washing to appreciate it, you can take your character on a dive in the swimwear. Then you can go ashore, and look all around. Or hey, if the front is all you need, looking at the character wearing it in the equipment menu is sufficient.
76	* FastForwardMechanic: A location is provided to allow the player to move rapidly to another time of day and forwards in time with regards to things like missions.
77	* FictionalCountry: The series primarily takes place in the Pelago Commonwealth, a FictionalCounterpart for the Republic of Palau, a Micronesian island nation.
78	* FinalBoss: Surprisingly, ''Blue World'' has one: [[spoiler:a huge goblin shark called the Okeanos Guardian, with [[FlunkyBoss a pair of goblin shark cronies at his disposal]]. In addition to the usual shark TailSlap, the Okeanos Guardian can also reactivate the traps in the BossRoom, forcing you to restart the room's puzzle.]]
79	* FireForgedFriends: The crew in the second game may start out as just business and research partners (not counting Jean-Eric and Oceana), but they definitely end up as this by the end.
80	* FirstPersonSnapshooter: A mission type in both games involves taking photos of various ocean fauna to sell to magazines or just to show interested clients, in exchange for cash or other rewards.
81	* FishingForSole: There's an awful lot of trash hidden in unexpected parts of the ocean, such as empty juice bottles found near sealed containers of valuable ingots. But then, of course, this can definitely be TruthInTelevision depending on how often a given location gets human traffic.
82	* 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.
83	* {{Foreshadowing}}: The [[spoiler:Ancient Mother]] is foreshadowed by such things as the skeleton at the bottom of the Abyss, and Kat's comments when you assemble the Whale God Mirror. Mo'ia Atoll is also mentioned in passing during the Great Aqua Cave's backstory.
84	* FriendlyPlayfulDolphin: The games naturally feature dolphins and larger cetaceans from various locations. You can befriend certain dolphins. On the Gabbiano in the first game and when players get to Nineball Island in ''Endless Ocean: Blue World'', they can teach tricks to a dolphin.
85	* FrigidWaterIsHarmless: Two dive locations of ''Blue World'' are in the Arctic and the Antarctic. This is initially subverted during the player's first visit to the Arctic, where their oxygen depletes faster and they need a dolphin partner to get through the place. This is only then played straight where, upon the first time the player arrives in the Antarctic, the player receives a body gel for the cold weather (serving as a handwave to how they can survive in the frigid water and finally making the Arctic water harmless) and special air tanks, with only a mention of a dry suit, albeit with no visual changes. Considering the character's costume can be changed to a bikini (for women) or just a pair of trunks (for men), you can go diving in those places thusly garbed and suffer no ill effects.
86	* GaiasVengeance: Thanatos' trivia wonders if his emergence is Mother Nature's revenge for humanity's DisproportionateRetribution against shark attacks.
87	* 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. Likewise, if you play as a female, you can consider it equal if you include Snorkel the dog.
88	* GenkiGirl: Oceana, at times, especially when it comes time to explore new places.
89	* TheGhost: Alfred Thorman, your benefactor in the first game, only ever communicates with you via e-mail. Other characters like Audrey Thorman and Douglas "Doug" Banner also only appear in this way.
90	* GhostShip: The large brown vessel which transports you to and from Ship's Rest, which you enter via ''the big gaping hole in its hull below the water line" to access it. In Ship's Rest itself, you can see the wreckage of the exact same boat right in the sand below where it's floating. It's actually really eerie, especially at night.
91	* TheGoomba: Bicolor parrotfish are a non-violent version of this. They appear practically everywhere.
92	* GreenAesop: Rears its head more often in the sequel than the original, but present either way.
93	* GuideDangIt:
94	** 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.
95	** The specific event flags required to trigger the Whale Ornament 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.
96	* HeroicMime: The player character doesn't speak outside of dialogue trees in the first game; Kat and your business clients have all the speech. ''Blue World'' finally lets them respond properly, but we're not privy to exactly what is being said outside of what is summarized in the dialogue options.
97	* HouseboatHero: The first game confines your base of operations to the ''Gabbiano'', with its enclosed cabin serving as your bed space and ostensibly where you eat.
98	* HowWeGotHere: ''Blue World'' opens on the player character interacting with several "strangers" and being guided towards a massive underwater ruin... and then the backstory kicks in for the rest of the game.
99	* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: In ''Blue World'', [[MaddenIntoMisanthropy this becomes Oceana's philosophy]] by the midway point of the "Help Me!" sidequests. She forgives humanity after the final quest in the set after helping keep some whales from breaching.
100	* ImplacableMan: Or shark, rather. Thanatos is completely immune to the pulsar gun, and he will not stop attacking until you leave his turf. Exploring his territory in Ciceros Strait is a royal pain. His presence in a sidequest where the player must distract him while a guitar is fetched from the ocean doesn't help.
101	* 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. The sequel just straight up doesn't have an explanation.
102	* InUniverseGameClock: Different creatures can appear depending on when you dive. Furthermore, the first game actually cycles through a whole year which further alters what you can find, as animals enter and leave Manoa Lai depending on the seasons. ''Blue World'' adds phases of the moon to the mix.
103	* InterfaceSpoiler: The Marine Encyclopedia contains silhouettes of each of the creatures. Only the legendary creatures are exempted with [[spoiler:Magu Tapa and the Ancient Mother's entries]] only being added once you find them. ''Blue World'' spoils its legendaries off the bat, although it repeats the omissions with [[spoiler:the Anomalocaris, Cameroceras, and Sea Serpent]].
104	* ItCanThink: Thanatos's trivia entry practically spells out how he's intentionally malevolent, but the fact that he stalks the player in Valka Castle and would rather toy with them when they're basically right where he wants them shows enough proof in-game that he's not just some old shark.
105	* {{Iyashikei}}: At the end of the day, you're playing these games to enjoy the underwater environments and engage with the various creatures, all set to lovely Celtic music.
106	* 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.
107	* JustToyingWithThem: A cutscene in Valka Castle has the player dead to rights when Thanatos passes by, and he even lunges at them before pulling back. With only single-paned glass standing between the two, this is the only logical explanation for why Thanatos doesn't just destroy them right then and there, [[ItCanThink and handily foreshadows the fact that there's more to him]]. Even after this cutscene, he still silently watches the player through some of the windows, and at night he cranks down the subtlety just to get them quaking in their flippers.
108	* LastLousyPoint: The Yatabai Blenny is legendarily hard to find.
109	* LoadingScreen: The first game shows a dolphin swimming in place in the bottom left. ''Blue World'' instead has a row of juvenile penguins waddle, hop and slide across the bottom of the screen.
110	* LostLanguage: Within Mo'ia Atoll, you find several tablets inscribed with an ancient Pelago writing. If you can find enough pieces of a nephirite slab, it can be deciphered.
111	* LuckBasedMission: Anything involving a zoom-in point which doesn't [[NoticeThis shine beforehand]] in the first game. This includes a number of the smaller creatures and roughly half of the salvage items.
112	* LyricalDissonance: The title screen theme for ''Blue World'', [[https://youtu.be/AyB98SG1SNg "Carrickfergus"]], is a beautiful, peaceful theme fitting for a game like this, but near the end, [[spoiler:the narrator tells that she is the only surviving person out of everyone she ever knew, and the final part of the song seems to be narrated days before her death]].
113	* 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.]]
114	* MagicRealism: The incredibly varied wildlife, all of the sea's animals being tame and friendly to humans, and the Manoa Lai artifacts and legends all seem to be best explained by something other than science.
115	** The sequel fixes the MisplacedWildlife aspect, and the main plot is more AlternateHistory than magic, but the side quests include chasing a magic blue bird that can appear anywhere in the world, fetching items for a tiki idol, and "The Voice of the Night Sky" rewarding you for finding constellation coins scattered all over the world.
116	* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: There are shades of it in the first game, but ''Blue World'' is practically ''fuelled'' by this.
117	** The main plot in ''Blue World'' 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!]]
118	** The vast majority of the legendary creatures and their implied backgrounds lean more towards magic. A jet-black manta ray implied to be [[spoiler:a ghost of a long-dead prince]], a massive great white shark that's theorized to be [[spoiler:a full on reincarnation of a vengeful, angry deity]], an albino spectacled caiman thought to be [[spoiler:a spirit of wind that can be merciful or vicious]], it goes on and on.
119	** A sidequest revolves around following a blue bird that speaks to you, and seemingly you're the only one that can hear it.
120	* MeaningfulName: Thanatos is named for the Greek god of death of the same name. He is notably described as being iron-hearted and ruthless, making him an ideal namesake for a powerful and actively malicious Great White, and who may very well be not of the material realm.
121	* MellowMantas: Mantas are among the first creatures you'll see in both games, gliding majestically through the water without bothering a soul. Blue World even lets you watch a cutscene of a squadron of mantas engaged in a courtship "dance".
122	* MisplacedWildlife: ''Lots'' in the first game. Averted in ''Blue World'', which has varied, round-the-globe environments to host all those fish.
123	** ''Blue World'' also makes sure that, in the event that an animal ''does'' show up where it shouldn't, the characters [[LampshadeHanging point it out]] and puzzle over how it might have gotten there. One sidequest actually has you rescuing some Atlantic tarpon, a type of saltwater fish, who've wandered into a freshwater river and have become very sick as a result, and the first time you go there you find a ''minke whale'' trapped upstream.
124	** All your dolphin pals except for the tropical ones get misplaced once they follow you home to sunny Nineball Island. Particularly the river dolphin. [[spoiler:The river dolphin that you get by taking along a '''narwhal''' from the ''Arctic.'']] Granted, that last bit [[JustifiedTrope does have an explanation]]. The animals are male and female in their respective stories, you see...
125	** A notable straight example that remains in the second game is the West Indian manatee. It was just one of the many cases from the first game, but with the second game's focus on featuring more oceans to dive in, it was very noticeable that the manatees, a native of the Caribbean Sea (which is not a location the player can dive in), are still only found in the Pacific Ocean.
126	* MissingSecret: The first game has 47 salvage items to find, which are spread out across four pages of twelve-item grids in the footlocker. Granted, the game doesn't have a question mark on the final slot, but given both [[spoiler:Magu Tapa and the Ancient Mother]] are concealed from the Marine Encyclopedia until you find them, it can make you think that there's a similarly secret 48th item.
127	* MonsterCompendium: The Marine Encyclopedia is a variation on this.
128	* MouthFlaps: Despite there not being any actual voice work in the game. Even [[HeroicMime your character]] MouthFlaps without even having textual dialogue.
129	* NatureSpirit:
130	** It's hinted that some of the legendary animals are more than just animals. Thanatos [[spoiler:and the Ancient Mother]] are the prime examples of this [[spoiler:but the Blue Bird also seems to be more than it appears.]]
131	** A more blatant example is the Commerson's dolphin that you can befriend. It is heavily implied, if not outright stated, [[TalkingAnimal to speak]], and is found guarding a treasure room in the uppermost part of a sunken temple.
132	* NewWorkRecycledGraphics: ''Blue World'' draws a lot of fish models and background elements from the first game, which itself used some models/textures from Arika's previous ''Everblue'' games.
133	* NotSoExtinct: In ''Blue World'', at least three real-life 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. On the other hand, a fictional extinct species, [[spoiler:the Pelago crocodile]], can also be found alive, and unlike the other three animals, it can be interacted with.
134	* OminousLatinChanting: "Benedictus", an unlockable song found in the Abyss area.
135	* OpeningTheSandbox: ''Blue World'' has a few locations which have limitations imposed on you. Once you do what the plot requires you to do there, you are provided gear which allows you to explore them at your leisure.
136	* OverlyLongGag: Recruiting the last dolphin partner in the sequel. "Present your ''X'' to the lady!"
137	* PictorialLetterSubstitution: The "O" in ''Endless Ocean'''s North American logo is partially formed from a wave.
138	* PiranhaProblem: 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.
139	* PlotArmor: Because he's crucial to the game's storyline and is the closest thing to an ArcVillain with a {{Mook}} army, Thanatos can't be stunned with the pulsar.
140	* PolarBearsAndPenguins: Played straight in the first game as part of the MisplacedWildlife (among the various animals that can appear on the deck of the Gabbiano, though penguins may also swim in the water); averted to hell and back in ''Blue World''.
141	* PopStarComposer: Music/HayleyWestenra and Music/CelticWoman provides the soundtracks to this game and its sequel respectively.
142	* RandomEncounters: A non-enemy example in the first game, in the form of "zoom-in" spots to look for the smaller creatures like sea slugs; their positions would shuffle around between dives. ''Blue World'' turned these spots into static PreExistingEncounters.
143	* RecurringBoss: Thanatos will attack almost every time you enter his territory.
144	* RibcageRidge: There's a whale skeleton at the bottom of the Abyss. Also counts as {{foreshadowing}}, since it appears to be the same species as [[spoiler:the Ancient Mother]].
145	* RightBehindMe
146	--> '''Hayako:''' "What is with Finley always turning up when we're talking about him? Is he watching us?"
147	* RoaringRapids: There are a few of these where the character has to hold onto their dolphin partner to swim against them. In other cases, you get blown back with a "The current is too strong" message.
148	* SadlyMythtaken: ''Blue World'' brings some Egyptian deities into play with the Cavern of the Gods, but they're all depicted as men, including Nephthys and Isis. Also, Isis is the one holding Osiris' trademark royal crook, and Osiris is instead holding a feminine papyrus scepter.
149	* ScareChord: Given that the song "Benedictus" plays when you visit the Abyss in the first game, the crescendo of brass/drums/vocals turns into this, especially when the sperm whale or giant squid suddenly dash into view at the same time.
150	* SceneryGorn: Ship's Rest is nothing but ship and plane wrecks surrounded by vast empty sea, and with vicious-looking sharks for companionship.
151	* SceneryPorn: Most of the earlier areas, and some of the later ones (see: the White Room in Great Aqua Cave.)
152	* ScienceIsBad: Averted. The mysterious and perhaps Godlike [[spoiler:Ancient Mother]] is captured and taken to the Manoa Lai aquarium without anyone raising a ruckus. You can release it later, though.
153	** Good luck finding each species (over 240) three times to fill in all of the encyclopedia to unlock this option, though! Serious GuideDangIt moments there.
154	* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: Kat deciding to keep the piece of deep-sea coral found in the Abyss instead of selling it.
155	** Also Oceana insisting you keep [[spoiler:the plesiosaur]] a secret.
156	* [[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.
157	* SeaMonster: The Ancient Mother. She returns along with a whole slew of Legendary Beasts [[spoiler:including an actual plesiosaurus]] in Blue World.
158	* SealedEvilInACan: The [[spoiler:Magu Tapa]], which you [[spoiler:have effectively released by befriending the orca that was guarding said can, and bringing it away from Ship's Rest.]]
159	* SeriesMascot: The bottlenose dolphin. There are also people who claim that the emperor angelfish or bicolor parrotfish are the game's mascots because they are both extremely common.
160	* ShipTease: If the player character is male, Jean-Eric will hint at possible romantic feelings between him and Oceana when you find the legendary Ice Cupid creature.
161	* ShownTheirWork: Some of the game's detractors say it has a little too much information about fish sandwiched in. Fans say that's just part of its appeal. ''Blue World'' tones down the factoids considerably, but there's still a great deal to learn.
162	** There are a couple of mistakes, though. They're few and far between, but they're there: for example, the false killer whale you befriend in Blue World can apparently find items with its "keen sense of smell". Cetaceans have a highly-developed sense of taste, but they have no sense of smell in the conventional sense, as their nostrils are closed off most of the time.
163	* SlippySlideyIceWorld: The Arctic and Antarctic levels in the sequel. They're not very slippery, but they are intensely cold; early dives have a strict time limit until Hayako develops a "special insulating wax" that makes things safer.
164	* SoundtrackDissonance: Each theme was specifically crafted for one area, and can sound rather silly if you choose to play it somewhere else -- for example, filling the cheery little Coral Forest with the OminousLatinChanting from "Benedictus".
165	* SpellMyNameWithAnS: The North American releases tend to change up character and location names. "Manaurai" became "Manoa Lai", and C's frequently become K's (Oceanides/Okeanides, Catherine/Katherine).
166	* TheStinger: Inverted -- instead of extra content during the credits, you can find the credits as an EasterEgg.
167	* StockSoundEffects: For the dolphins and whales. There's a pool of sounds each for small dolphins, big dolphins, whales, and belugas.
168	* TheStoic: The player character's defining trait, thus explaining his/her HeroicMime tendencies.
169	* SuperNotDrowningSkills: There actually ''is'' an air meter, but it expires too slowly to matter. In the sequel, however, the air gauge is more realistically timed but can still be lengthened by improving Diving Skill and buying regulators and support tanks (the tanks that say "support" in the name, preceded by a capacity; all the others are just cosmetic and only otherwise good for getting the title for having all the tanks).
170	* SuperPersistentPredator:
171	** Averted in the second game; sharks, caimans, and piranha will attack you, but will not chase you for too long before they give up.
172	** [[spoiler:Thanatos]] plays it straight, but it's implied that he might be more than what he appears.
173	* TailSlap: Make no mistake, sharks act very threatening towards you and will rush with teeth bared to approach. But their actual attacks only consist of this.
174	* TailorMadePrison: Ship's Rest turns out to be this for [[spoiler:the Magu Tapa]].
175	* TakeYourTime: An overriding theme of the series as part of its laid-back, tranquil atmosphere.
176	* TalkingAnimal: ''Blue World'' has two possible examples, both during side-quests.
177	** The first is the blue bird, [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane though whether this is an illusion, telepathy, real speech or something else is never explained]].
178	** The second would be during the dolphin-gaining sidequest. The Commerson's dolphin seems to be able to speak. Furthermore, any companions back on the boat can hear him/her over the radio. Once the dolphin becomes your partner, this detail is never mentioned again.
179	* TempleOfDoom: Mo'ia Atoll is an actual temple, though the worst booby-trap there is a jet of water which impedes your progress. ''Blue World'' has more dangerous examples.
180	** Valka Castle has [[TheSpiny lionfish]] and a trick door that locks you in.
181	** The Spirit Falls ruins has [[NeverSmileAtACrocodile caimans]], switch-pulling puzzles, and a [[CaveBehindTheFalls convenient location]].
182	** [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon The Cavern of the Gods]] has water-current traps, dangerous fish that can deplete your oxygen quickly, and [[spoiler:the FinalBoss, the Okeanos Guardian]].
183	* ThemeNaming: Three characters in ''Blue World'' opt to go by their initials. Salvage master Gaston Gray goes by "GG", salvage client Franklin Fischer is "FF", and there's the mysterious, amnesiac acquaintance of Nancy's who goes by "ML" [[spoiler:who could well be Jean-Eric's son Matthias.]]
184	* ThreateningShark:
185	** [[spoiler:Magu Tapa, [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Thanatos]], and the [[FinalBoss Okeanos Guardian]]]] say hi. With their huge, tooth-lined, bloodied mouths.
186	** Besides the legendary sharks, there's also at least five other species of dangerous sharks: Greenland sharks in the Arctic, a tiger shark at Deep Hole at night, a bluntnose sixgill shark in the Abyss, goblin sharks in the Cavern of the Gods, and good ol' great whites all over the Ciceros Strait. None of the sharks actually bite; instead they use a TailSlap attack.
187	** Averted with many of the other sharks, though. Whale sharks and basking sharks are [[GentleGiant huge but harmless]], and a number of smaller species (hammerheads, for example) are also safe to swim near. The lack of damage in the first game meant even potentially nasty sharks never pose a real threat.
188	* TimedMission: Technically you can only spend ''x'' number of minutes underwater at a time due to your oxygen tank depleting, but you receive a straighter example [[spoiler:at ''Blue World'''s finale as the whales cause the ruins to collapse.]]
189	* TitleDrop:
190	** Kat does one at the end of the original:
191	--> "And we can keep trying to protect this amazing, endless ocean of ours."
192	** In the sequel, the scene where Matthias' letter is read drops both the series title and this installment's NA subtitle. Also, the series title is part of the title for completing that same chapter, the final one in the main story.
193	* TurtleIsland: After [[spoiler:you rescue the dog, you can find him barking at an island during the day, but the island suddenly disappears. When you go diving near the area, you will eventually find a Legendary Creature: A giant Leatherback Turtle named Cacao Maharaja whose shell is easily mistaken for a small island.]]
194	* {{UST}}: Some hints of it between the player character and Kat.
195	* 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.
196	* UndergroundLevel: Great Aqua Cave, and some parts of the Abyss. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Deep Hole and the Zahhab Depths]] in ''Blue World''.
197	* UnderwaterRuins: The Mo'ia Atoll (Marige Atoll in the UK release) area; Triton Village, Valka Castle and the Cavern of the Gods in ''Blue World''.
198	* VaderBreath: Your character does it when underwater.
199	* ViolationOfCommonSense:
200	** In the first game, you can pet [[TheSpiny venomous lionfish]] with no ill effects.
201	** [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-zagged]] in the sequel; merely brushing up against a lionfish results in the player losing bars from their oxygen gauge. But a whole new series of problems opens up from the wider range of locations, such as [[ExposedToTheElements wearing only swim trunks/a bikini in to the polar regions with no ill effects]], or having a teenager dive to professional-level depths.
202	** In the aquarium, you can display predator and prey, natural enemies, or freshwater fish and saltwater fish in the same tank at the same time.
203	** The giant great white shark Thanatos is immune to the pulsar, but you can get his information by allowing him to attack you, after which there's a brief moment when you can focus on him. Good thing sharks don't actually ''bite'' in these games!
204	* VoiceWithAnInternetConnection: Kat and Jean-Eric remain topside during your dives to provide instructions or advice over a radio. In Kat's case, it's also explained that she is monitoring your progress via a mini-sub following you, which is shown visually by vegetation being pushed aside by the third-person camera.
205	* WhereItAllBegan: The Great Aqua Cave is one of the first places you go in the first game, but you return to it later on and enter the [[spoiler:White Room]].
206	* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: The Manoa Lai region is vaguely placed in the South Pacific Ocean, which isn't exactly known for being small. ''Blue World'' averted this with the help of an in-game globe.
207	* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Ironically, Kat is severely aquaphobic. [[spoiler:Her father Patrick]] died while on a dive when he got tangled up in kelp and eventually drowned. Seems fairly reasonable that she might have an aversion to diving after that. [[spoiler:The player becoming tangled in the kelp themselves, only being saved by their dolphin companions, makes her very worried that this nearly happened again]].
208	* 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.
209	* WintryAuroralSky: Diving at night in the arctic and antarctic regions in ''Blue World'' allows you to surface and witness the aurora, provided the weather conditions make it visible.
210	* 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.
211	* TheWorldIsJustAwesome: Any time you discover a new major landmark, you're given a cinematic pan-around to showcase it from the best angles, after which you can explore them at your leisure.
212	* WorldTour: ''Blue World'' takes you all around the globe in your search for the Song of Dragons and the Okeanides civilization. Air fare is one of the few things you ''don't'' pay for with your earnings.

Context VideoGame / EndlessOcean