Beyond a Coral Sea
- April 23, 2023
- Snigelsoft
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Beyond a Coral Sea" is a room-scale VR adventure game set in the Pacific late 1800s. As the protagonist of a memoire, explore mystical islands and uncover your character's past through a 30-minute to 2-hour journey. Immerse yourself in a voice-acted story, accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack, and enjoy the relaxing environment at your own pace. This game is a creation of three friends from Snigelsoft, developed in their spare time.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Incredible storytelling and immersive VR experience set on a beautifully designed island, with stunning visuals and engaging water exploration.
- The game features innovative mechanics, such as a unique inventory system and environmental puzzles that encourage exploration and creativity.
- Despite being short, the game offers a captivating atmosphere and a relaxing experience, making it a worthwhile adventure for VR enthusiasts.
- The lack of a save function requires players to complete the game in one sitting, which can be inconvenient and frustrating, especially for those with limited playtime.
- Controls can be frustrating, with limited options for movement and navigation, leading to potential disorientation and difficulty in gameplay.
- Some players may find the game too short and wish for more content or survival elements to enhance the overall experience.
- story24 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its incredible storytelling, immersive atmosphere, and engaging exploration on a beautifully designed island. Players appreciate the thoughtful integration of puzzles and survival elements, which enhance the narrative experience, although some note the story's brevity and lack of a save function as drawbacks. Overall, the combination of high production values, captivating voice acting, and a rich lore leaves players eager for more content and future developments.
“Truly incredible storytelling and VR immersion on a beautiful island.”
“Everything is so thoughtfully designed and built, that you constantly feel like there's more to uncover, and it's all woven together with a fantastic atmosphere and story.”
“This is a fantastic short VR experience with a nice story and high production values.”
“Sadly there's no save function and I'm not paddling my raft to the main quest area again.”
“While you try to survive and explore, you get hints of story and lore.”
“The story is fairly short and can be played through pretty quickly; however, I have enjoyed very much just wandering around and being immersed in the atmosphere.”
- graphics24 mentions
- 88 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their stunning quality, featuring high-resolution textures, realistic water effects, and impressive lighting with real-time shadows. Many reviewers highlight the immersive visuals and artistic design, noting that they contribute significantly to the overall experience, despite some minor issues with movement mechanics. Overall, the game is considered one of the higher fidelity titles in VR, offering beautiful visuals that enhance gameplay.
“The graphics are absolutely stunning!”
“Graphically, it's beautiful and one of the higher fidelity games out there.”
“The visuals are unmatched in VR, the voice acting and narration are moving, and the music is ambient and subtle.”
- gameplay13 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its immersive experience and innovative mechanics, particularly the inventory system, despite some janky movement and interaction elements. Players appreciate the beautiful graphics and atmospheric narration, which enhance the overall adventure, allowing for varied playtime based on exploration. While certain mechanics, like swimming, may be flawed, the engaging gameplay and stunning environments make it a compelling experience.
“Everything, thematically and mechanically, from start to finish, was nothing short of incredible.”
“Beautiful environments, immersive music, and innovative gameplay mechanics.”
“Great adventure, great graphics, and very immersive gameplay.”
“The game's swimming mechanic is kind of broken and it will sometimes let you swim or just make your player stop.”
“Gameplay of swimming, climbing and using items is slightly janky, but still satisfying thanks to the lack of hand holding.”
“Although some parts of the movement and interaction mechanics can be a little janky, the overall experience is so immersive it makes you look past that.”
- music7 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its beauty and immersive quality, enhancing the overall experience with ambient and subtle compositions. Reviewers commend the soundtrack, voice acting, and environmental sound effects, noting that they contribute significantly to the atmospheric and emotional depth of the game. Many express a desire to support the project by purchasing the soundtrack, highlighting its exceptional quality.
“The artwork, music, and narration are first-rate.”
“Beautiful environments, immersive music, and innovative gameplay mechanics.”
“I would have been willing to pay for this quality of an experience, and will be purchasing the album, as not only is the music great, but I want to support this project and see where our lonely castaway's journey delivers him.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its thoughtful design, beautiful environments, and immersive soundscapes, creating a cozy and engaging experience. Players appreciate the intricate storytelling and the nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic point-and-click games, with a particularly striking day/night cycle that enhances the overall immersion. Despite the short story, many enjoy exploring the world and uncovering its secrets.
“Everything is so thoughtfully designed and built that you constantly feel like there's more to uncover, and it's all woven together with a fantastic atmosphere and story.”
“A very cozy and atmospheric experience.”
“Really beautiful environments, beautiful music, and good positional audio overall - the sounds make the scenes come to life. Very atmospheric with good narration, reminding me of the old point-and-click games where your character reacts to their surroundings. The day/night experience is amazing; I felt so cool alone on the raft in the middle of the night and the ocean!”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game emotionally engaging, often expressing feelings of vitality and wonder while playing, which enhances their overall experience.
“I really enjoyed this game; it made me feel alive and full of wonder.”
“The emotional depth of the story left me in tears, connecting me to the characters in a way I never expected.”
“Every choice I made felt significant, and the weight of those decisions truly impacted my emotional journey.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find that while some grinding can become manageable with familiarity, certain sections are perceived as tedious and unenjoyable, leading to frustration with the repetitive nature of the tasks.
“Some progress is fairly easy to repeat once you know what you need to do, but there are a few sections that are just tedious and I don't really want to do again.”
“The grinding feels endless and often feels like a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the game.”
“I find myself spending more time grinding for resources than actually enjoying the gameplay.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report ongoing stability issues, noting that even after updates like the addition of smooth locomotion, the game's traversal remains problematic and buggy.
“I've tried the game twice (before and after smooth locomotion was added), and the buggy traversal is just as terrible.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
“I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the overall experience.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted for its cleverness, particularly in how it maintains the story, but some users feel that this approach may detract from the overall experience if overused.
