Even the Ocean

Even the Ocean is a combination between a visual novel and platformer that tells a compelling story, while doing justice to both genres.

84%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, character development

86% User Score Based on 324 reviews

Critic Score 75%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $0.66

Buy NowGet on Steam $19.99 Buy NowGet on itch.io Store $9.99

About

Even the Ocean is a single player role playing game with violence and science fiction themes. It was developed by Melos Han-Tani and was released on November 16, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

In "Even the Ocean," play as Aliph, a power plant technician for Whiteforge City, who must balance Light and Dark energies to save the city from a mysterious threat. Along the way, vous'll encounter various characters and explore diverse environments, all while managing your energy bar to overcome obstacles. The game is a narrative action platformer that explores themes of environmental issues and the power of balance.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 324 reviews

story138 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

The platforming mechanics are unique and fun, utilizing a light/dark energy system that adds depth to gameplay.
The story is thoughtful and features a diverse cast of characters, making it engaging and relatable.
The art style and soundtrack are beautiful, creating a captivating atmosphere throughout the game.

The pacing can feel slow at times, with excessive dialogue that may detract from the overall experience.
Some players may find the gameplay too easy, lacking the challenge typically expected from platformers.
The narrative can come off as preachy, with themes that may feel heavy-handed or overly obvious.

story
508 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
70%
3%
The story of the game is a central focus, featuring a thoughtful narrative that explores themes of environmentalism, identity, and humanity's impact on nature, though it is often criticized for being heavy-handed and predictable. While some players appreciate the diverse cast and emotional depth, others find the dialogue tedious and the pacing slow, leading to mixed feelings about its execution. Overall, the game offers options to engage with the story at varying levels, catering to those who prefer a more narrative-driven experience alongside the platforming elements.
- “The story felt extremely thoughtful, and I loved the diverse cast of characters.”
- “The story is rich with theme and humanity.”
- “The story had a great message about balance, civilization, and humanity.”
- “The story is embarrassingly predictable and at some point I couldn't be bothered reading the dialogue anymore.”
- “The story ends up feeling hollow due to how much ground it attempts to cover without much depth.”
- “The problem I have with the story in this game is that none of this is conveyed with much subtlety and none of it is fleshed out much, especially classism and homosexuality.”
gameplay
294 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
64%
3%
The gameplay is characterized by a unique light and dark energy mechanic that influences movement and platforming challenges, providing a fresh twist on traditional puzzle-platformer elements. While the mechanics are generally well-implemented and engaging, many players feel that the game doesn't fully exploit its potential, resulting in a relatively easy experience with some repetitive elements. Overall, the game offers a solid and enjoyable gameplay loop, though it may leave players craving more complexity and challenge.
- “The gameplay is solid and the story is amazing.”
- “The platforming segments are really fun and inventive, with tight controls, a really unique light/dark energy mechanic that functions as both a health system and platforming tool, and some great level design.”
- “The mechanics are unique and feel fresh!”
- “Unfortunately, instead the game kept bombarding me with badly written, endless dialogue, and significant portions where you freely roam on a (rather ugly) map from point A to B in order to reach the actual gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is very uneven.”
- “As a puzzle-platformer, it is trivially easy at times, since it was made with speedrunning in mind and the story is more important than the gameplay, so the actual puzzles seem in many cases an afterthought, just to have something to do.”
music
138 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
43%
3%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, with many reviewers highlighting its ability to enhance the overall experience. Composed by Melos Han-Tani, the soundtrack features a rich variety of sounds, ranging from soothing and chill to more upbeat tracks, effectively complementing the game's beautiful visuals and melancholic vibe. While some users noted occasional issues with sound mixing and found certain tracks forgettable, the majority praised the music as a standout element that adds depth and emotion to the gameplay.
- “The real star of the show here, however, has to be the soundtrack, composed once again by Melos Han-Tani.”
- “The atmosphere and music are incredible.”
- “A beautiful game with excellent music, wonderful puzzles, and an interesting world worth exploring.”
- “The sound (both effects and music) kept cutting out.”
- “One last thing: the music doesn't fit.”
- “It's often not even really music but just menacing noise.”
graphics
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
30%
4%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their beautiful artwork and unique art style, which effectively convey a melancholic atmosphere and enhance the overall experience. While some users noted minor graphical hiccups, such as visible seams on tiles, the visuals are generally considered top-notch, with a nostalgic retro aesthetic reminiscent of classic JRPGs. The combination of stunning landscapes, engaging character designs, and a cohesive artistic vision contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
- “Music and art are top notch with the artwork particularly being a huge selling point, simply a gorgeous game.”
- “A puzzle platformer with tons of accessibility options, breathtaking visuals and an emotional story.”
- “The graphics are really good though... I particularly like the parallax effect on the outdoor segments... and the gameplay is on the whole quite solid - very responsive and you never feel like you don't know what to do...”
- “Occasionally there's some hiccups with the graphics, usually seams on some tiles showing when they shouldn't be (particularly on doors), but aside from that, my complaints are minimal.”
- “I think it also would have benefited from proper visual novel-style text narration, as the graphics are very limited and it can be hard to tell what’s going on sometimes.”
- “The game is very weird, with 80's pixel graphics and scenes; it has a weird vibe and atmosphere to it, kinda depressive.”
atmosphere
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
20%
9%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its surreal, melancholic vibe, enhanced by a captivating soundtrack and unique art style reminiscent of 80s pixel graphics and classic RPGs. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke a sense of nostalgia while maintaining an eerie, immersive experience that complements its heartfelt narrative and engaging gameplay. Overall, the atmospheric elements contribute significantly to the game's charm, making it a memorable experience for players.
- “What got me hooked on this beautiful narrative platformer was the wonderfully strange and surreal atmosphere of the surroundings and the fantastic soundtrack.”
- “There's a strong surrealistic vibe to the whole game that really creates a unique atmosphere, and overall I did have fun.”
- “The world is drowning in a surreal, melancholic atmosphere.”
- “The game is very weird, with 80's pixel graphics and scenes; it has a strange vibe and atmosphere to it, kind of depressive.”
- “Despite being a platformer, the atmosphere of the game reminds me of SNES RPGs about ancient civilizations like Chrono Trigger or FF6... there's even a Mode-7 style overworld which you will use to get from stage to stage!”
emotional
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as a rollercoaster experience, featuring a touching and meaningful story that resonates with players, often evoking laughter and tears. While some reviewers appreciate the heartfelt characters and beautiful visuals, others feel that the narrative can be overly philosophical or preachy, detracting from its emotional impact. Overall, the game is recognized for its emotional depth, though opinions vary on its effectiveness in creating a strong connection with players.
- “Be warned that it's an emotional rollercoaster and nothing is what it seems.”
- “Absolutely gorgeous little platformer with a really touching story and characters.”
- “I had a ton of fun, I laughed, I cried!”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding in the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly in the later stages, which can detract from overall engagement. While the platforming is accessible and not overly challenging, the repetitive nature of certain tasks can lead to a lack of interest, prompting some to multitask while playing. Overall, the game is well-made but may require patience due to its grindy elements.
- “All in all, it is a nice and well-made game, it just didn't hold my interest as much as Anodyne did because it seems to become somewhat tedious in the final stretch.”
- “I found myself playing while chatting with friends or just listening to the music after grinding on a AAA title game.”
- “The story is very tedious and clunky.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Character development in the game begins with an intriguing main character and unique mechanics but ultimately falls short due to a lack of depth and challenge. While the dialogue isn't criticized, the story's predictability and absence of player agency hinder meaningful character growth. Overall, character designs are seen as somewhat uninspired, overshadowed by the impressive environments and creatures.
- “Story-wise, the game is flawed, not because of cheesy dialogue or bad character development, but because of the eventual inevitability and lack of forging your own story.”
- “I found the character designs to be a little bland.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game features quirky NPCs, but the dialogue often comes across as stiff and lacking the depth needed to enhance its intrigue and believability. While the developers aim to blend surreal art and humor with classic game elements, the execution may leave some players wanting more in terms of comedic engagement.
- “The NPCs have some funny little quirks that add a lighthearted touch to the game.”
- “The developers blend surreal art and humor with classic game motifs, creating a unique and entertaining experience.”
- “The dialogue has its moments of humor that can catch you off guard and make you smile.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game offers limited immediate replayability, with many players expressing disappointment in its short completion time and lack of engaging content. While there is some post-game content available, the mediocre gameplay and weak world-building contribute to a general sentiment that the game lacks sufficient incentive for players to revisit it.
- “Mediocre gameplay, zero replayability, an extremely short completion time, subpar world building, next to no lore creation save for that which is integral to the plot, no capacity for curiosity, and a woefully depressing and pointless story make for a regrettable purchase.”
- “I don't feel there's a ton of immediate replay value for me here, but just as in Analgesic's other titles, there is post-game content.”