Below The Ocean
Review

Below the Ocean (2021) is a diving adventure where you search for legendary treasures using your oxygen lifeline to swing passed obstacles. Play is a combination of running, jumping, swinging and even sling-shotting to traverse the ocean. It stands out for its clarity of purpose; how the different ways of moving around and solving puzzles work together and invite exploration.

It's a fun retro adventure with four chapters offering different ways of getting around. In all of them, it's up to you to collect the shiny diamonds but really you're just trying to solve each puzzle. In one chapter you are jumping from one Oxygen canister to the next. In another chapter, you are using air bubbles to float around. Then there's one where you use your tether to trigger switches and swing around.

The result is a game that may remind you of old Nintendo titles. What's new here though, is the physics that enable flexibility in how you complete each room. Add to this the sheer whimsy of this underwater adventure and it's a little game that offers a lot of fun.

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Below The Ocean 10 months ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 5 months ago.