The ocean is vast and unexplored, and we have so much to learn about it. Infinite Scuba aims to teach us about it in a relaxing, friendly gaming environment. The game is a self-described reality based and environmentally respectful way to explore the ocean. Made by Cascade, this game is a good introduction to the world of virtual diving.
The game is meant to be educational, and I can see it really succeeding with a younger audience. The controls are explained patiently, and there’s even a field guide about diving itself. This is a very bare-bones game. Character customization is limited, and when you enter the game to go on your first dive, you’re on your own once the controls are explained. Having some knowledge of what different parts of the ship are called is definitely helpful, because I did get lost a few times trying to find and photograph the parts.
You start off in Micronesia, in the Chuuk Lagoon with a shipwreck. However, there is no plot nor are there enemies. You swim around, identify fish, and take lots of pictures. You can even upload the pictures you take to Facebook. There’s not a big overall objective for the whole game, but there are a few mini objectives to help occupy your time. Some of the mini objectives you’ll find are finding flasks buried in sand at the bottom of the sea, photographing various fish, photographing debris, and tasks of that nature.
Being a console veteran, it was difficult to use the mouse and keyboard to adjust the camera and move around. Using a controller would make moving the camera and taking pictures a bit easier. This is very much a collections game: gather things buried in the ocean, photograph things. With no real objective, the game is relaxing at first but gets a little too repetitive after some time.
I could definitely see the game being used in a classroom setting. All the gear you have the ability to upgrade to is officially licensed by actual scuba companies. There are in-app purchase to get more of the gear, if you want. As you dive more and more, you unlock different gear that you can buy with “clams”. The field guide is a neat way to learn about scuba diving in the real world.
Overall, the game is a low-stress game that lets you explore a little dive site. You learn about different types of fish, scuba gear, and diving, but there’s not much else to this game. For what it is, it does its job, and does it well. It’s calming and easy to learn. You might want to brush up on your nautical terms beforehand. You’ll find the “aft bulkhead” much quicker than I did! As for a game outside of the classroom, if you need to decompress, this is a great game to use. Just turn off your lights, put on some ambient music, and explore the ocean for a while.
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