Oceans Below was a very early attemptat trying to promote the 3DO multiplayer as more than a gaming machine (astrategy that quickly proved to backfire) Produced by Software Toolworks, thiswas, surprisingly, one of the most heavily advertised titles released duringthe 3DO launch window of late 1993. Even more surprisingly, is that it is apolished entertaining product.
This “virtual underwater adventure” consists mainly ofviewing full motion video clips of ocean life. Don’t let that scare you though,because it is actually done in a very nice way. A world map allows you toexplore different oceans, and select a variety of dive locations in each one.Some of these are the Californian coast, the Hawaiian Islands, the Caribbean,and several others are also included. In addition, the majority of theselocations also include regional maps and sites for further exploration.
The full motion video is not full screen and is slightlygrainy, but it is very informative. Over 200 clips are included as the boxproudly states. These range in length a few seconds, to a few minutes for some.Still pictures are included too, which is another nice addition. The audiodescriptions are also very well done, whether it is describing the location ofyour dive, explaining different sea creatures, or giving diving tips. Goodvoice talent was used for this title, and all the clips are quite clear.
This title is extremely user friendly. You will be able tonavigate your way through the options with no trouble at all. In addition tothe main exploration on the dives, you can also get information on diveequipment, and view sea life common to each region (minus the fmv clips) Theincluded treasure hunting game is admittedly gimmicky and very easy, but itstill adds nicely to the overall package. History is given for each object andeven the occasional joke when you locate some junk.
One specific dive site that I must mention is ‘TrukLagoon’. These murky waters in the South Pacific are full of sunken Japanesewar vessels, human skulls, and talk of ghosts. This is the only site thatdeviates from the ‘Oceans’ emphasis on sea life, and it makes for rathercurious viewing.
Can’t nitpick too much with this title. The music is verysparse, but what little is included I found quite enjoyable. The load times arelong, but this is mainly limited to the beginning. A title of this genre(edutainment) may not have mass market appeal, but ‘Oceans’ seems to know theaudience it was shooting for. And yes it is fairly short, butthe quality makes up for its length.
I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this title. Iplayed it all the way through to completion, exploring each individual site,looking at each and every creature, and finding all 68 treasures. It isattractively done, and quite relaxing (and educational too) Easily the best ofthe Software Toolworks edutainment discs, this won’t win over those who aren’ta fan of this niche genre already, but those who enjoy something differentcan’t do much better than this title. Definitely worth checking out.
-Trev