Following its recent launch on Apple Arcade, we’ve now got a release window for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC versions of Beyond Blue. The Blue Planet II-inspired ocean adventure is due out in the week of World Oceans Day, which kicks off on 8 June.
Developed by E-Line Media (the studio behind the acclaimed Iñupiat culture game Never Alone), Beyond Blue sees players diving into the vast depth of the world’s oceans to study the creatures that call it home. Like all of E-Line’s games, it’s intended to be informative as well as entertaining—Beyond Blue incorporates content from Blue Planet II and insight from scientists like oceanographer Dr Samantha Joye.
“We are extremely excited to share Beyond Blue with everyone. We have taken care to craft a visual and audio experience that immerses players in the beauty of the ocean and the amazing creatures that inhabit it, while hopefully doing so with some interpretation and artistry.
“Players will explore diverse environments ranging from a sun-dappled, oasis-like atoll down through the gauzy blue ‘twilight’ zone where only the faintest amount of light reaches to the midnight of the abyssal zone, where rarely seen creatures produce their own light in an environment otherwise devoid of light.”
Michael Angst, CEO, E-Line Media, Creative Director for Beyond Blue.
As well as exploring the ocean and scanning the life you find there, the new trailer above suggests that there’ll also be an element of dialogue choice with your fellow scientists. There are also some hints about the story that runs through the game, as you try to get to the bottom of a mysterious disruption to the underwater ecosystem.
E-Line Media is best known for Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) a puzzle platformer based on traditional stories of Alaska’s native Iñupiat people, and developed in collaboration with Alaska Native elders, writers, and storytellers. They’re also developing The Endless Mission, a game development sandbox game that launched in Early Access last November.