World of Diving
- August 26, 2014
- Vertigo Games
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"World of Diving" is a VR-enabled online game that allows players to explore the ocean, interact with marine life, and discover sunken treasures in a vibrant underwater world. Players can customize their diver's appearance and equipment, and collaborate with others in multiplayer mode. The game also offers a community-driven development, where players can create and share their own content, and contribute to the game's future features.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and a relaxing underwater environment, making it a great escape from more intense gaming experiences.
- The multiplayer aspect allows players to explore the ocean together, enhancing the overall experience.
- The developers are responsive to community feedback and actively work on updates, showing commitment to improving the game.
- The game feels incomplete and lacks variety in activities, leading to repetitive gameplay.
- There are significant technical issues, including bugs and performance problems, especially on certain systems.
- The game has been criticized for being abandoned by the developers, with little content added since its early access launch.
- graphics76 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their beauty and immersive underwater experience, with many users noting the appealing visuals and atmospheric design. However, some critiques highlight that the graphics can be inconsistent, with occasional choppiness and a lack of realism in certain elements, particularly in character animations. Overall, while the graphics are considered a strong point, there are calls for further optimization and enhancement to fully realize their potential.
“The graphics are great.”
“Amazing immersion, graphics, overall detail and gameplay.”
“The graphics are very smooth looking and you really feel as though you are diving somewhere in the Pacific with not a care in the world other than making sure your camera is ready to take those snaps when you need to.”
“Graphics are mediocre, interface menus are confusing and touch controls are absolutely terrible.”
“I get it this is an indie title and maybe they can't afford top-notch modellers and map creators, but the graphics are worse than games that were being made a decade ago and it has no stylistic choices to justify this.”
“Graphics are just not good enough for this kind of game.”
- story73 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal and repetitive, primarily consisting of fetch quests and photo missions that lack depth and variety. Players express disappointment over the absence of a compelling narrative, with many missions feeling monotonous and uninspired. While the game offers some enjoyable co-op elements and community-driven content, it ultimately fails to deliver a meaningful story experience.
“The good: quite bug free, community-based content, nice environments, decent graphics, ok customization, good variety in maps, missions or free play, multiplayer/co-op.”
“The new mission creator is cool, and integrates pretty well into the way the game maps work.”
“The planned features, like metal detectors, fish interaction, mission creation to share with the community, and advanced cameras look promising.”
“The story is nonexistent.”
“It's not worth $20 for a small sandbox with no real story.”
“There is no real goal, no enemies, no story, no threat, not even the fear of running out of oxygen and no deeper meaning at all.”
- gameplay38 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and lacking depth, primarily revolving around simple diving mechanics and photo challenges. While some appreciate the exploration aspect and the visual design of the underwater environments, others criticize the limited gameplay options and the absence of meaningful updates or improvements. Overall, the game is seen as more of an exploration experience rather than a robust diving simulator, with many players expressing disappointment in its execution.
“The actual gameplay comes from little challenges sprinkled throughout the levels like 'find x obscure object and take a photo of it within the allotted time.'”
“Amazing immersion, graphics, overall detail, and gameplay.”
“You can explore the sea for treasure to unlock new gear (which is only aesthetic), explore wrecks with a group of people, which is really fun since the wrecks are designed in a nice way, and picture taking is picture taking, though there are challenges, which are nice and spice up the gameplay.”
“While the visuals are pleasant and the idea of exploring the ocean with friends sounds thrilling, the gameplay itself feels repetitive and lacks any real depth (pun intended!).”
“I really like the concept, but the gameplay and almost everything in this game is just disappointing.”
“Your gameplay options are limited to exploring 8 small levels that, aside from the river, all look exactly the same except for a central shipwreck which most remain unfinished.”
- stability14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- -14 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with many users reporting severe bugs, frequent crashes, and freezing issues that prevent gameplay. While some players have experienced minimal glitches, the overall consensus is that the game is plagued by game-breaking bugs and poor performance, particularly on certain platforms. Despite its potential, the lack of reliable support and ongoing issues have left many users frustrated and disappointed.
“The game is quite bug-free, which enhances the overall experience.”
“I appreciate the community-based content that adds stability and variety to the gameplay.”
“The decent graphics and nice environments contribute to a stable and enjoyable gaming experience.”
“Glitches made the game impossible.”
“Bought this game with high hopes for some fun underwater experiences, and I can't get it to load past the main menu before it freezes and crashes.”
“Starting in November 2014, World of Diving has become the culmination of false promises of progress, game-breaking bugs, eye-splitting visual glitches, dysfunctional online servers (used for authentication and multiplayer), a failed and forced migration to Unity 5, and a game with a backward-moving progress bar...all of which make for a very angry user community.”
- music10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players noting a lack of background music, particularly in underwater environments, which leaves only ambient ocean sounds. While some appreciate the environmental sound design, others criticize the low quality of the music and the limited options for customization. Overall, the game's soundscape is described as immersive but could benefit from more varied and engaging musical elements.
“Plus, when I got distracted by a phone call for a minute or two, the elevator music at the surface didn't manage to bore me yet ;) (aka: the environmental/ambient sounds in general are pretty great!)”
“World of diving: graphics are sweet, you look like you are really there, sound is good and music is not too bad at all.”
“In terms of sounds, the game has a very ambient sound design; there isn't music, there are only the sounds of the ocean.”
“Music and sound effects of a game with very low quality.”
“There's no music when you're in the water...just you and the sea.”
“Pathetic options menu (you can't even turn off the in-game music to play your own).”
- monetization10 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the reliance on microtransactions and the perception of the game as a cash grab, akin to a freemium mobile title. While some users note that microtransactions are primarily cosmetic and do not restrict access to essential content, others express frustration over the need to grind extensively or spend money to fully enjoy the game. Overall, the monetization strategy has contributed to a negative perception of the game's stability and quality.
“There are microtransactions, but they're purely cosmetic and don't at all lock off any meaningful content.”
“You can customize your character, but expect to either need to play the game every day and grind for dozens of hours, or purchase microtransactions.”
“To make matters worse, this paid game presents itself like a mobile phone freemium title, offering microtransactions for all sorts of (let's hope non-essential) stuff.”
“The only downside is I believe there are microtransactions, just a warning for those who will have none of that.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game is criticized for being poor, particularly in certain areas of the map, leading to significant performance issues even on high-end PCs. While the graphics are noted as beautiful, players are experiencing low frame rates and glitches, prompting concerns about the game's current state and the developers' commitment to addressing these issues.
“As far as the game itself, it already looks beautiful even without any sort of optimization.”
“I didn't play long... I had a high-end PC, but the game needs more optimization.”
“Every time I try this game for my Vive, the performance just blows.”
“Optimization is bad in some places of the map.”
“The truth of the matter is that they probably are doing nothing whatsoever except typing false promises and hoping that they can sucker in another idiot like myself to throw down some money on this glitchy, poorly optimized pre-alpha of a demo.”
“I didn't play long... I had a high-end PC but the game needs more optimization.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning visuals and depth, creating a beautifully crafted environment that encourages exploration. Players appreciate the tranquil and immersive experience, although some note that improvements in lighting and shadow are needed to enhance the overall mood. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, offering a refreshing change in the gaming landscape.
“Atmospheric game with a lot of stunning visuals and a great amount of depth.”
“The game lets you play in a relaxed, beautifully crafted atmosphere with many fish and surroundings to explore in nice graphics!”
“The tranquil atmosphere is a refreshing change in today’s gaming world.”
“This game needs a lot of work with light and shadow for it to have any kind of mood or atmosphere.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding in the game to be tedious and lengthy, particularly at the beginning, making it less enjoyable. While some may attempt it for achievements, overall, grinding is not recommended as it detracts from the experience, despite the game being a strong choice for underwater VR gaming.
“If you do it for the achievements, you can give it a try, but I wouldn't recommend it; grinding is not fun.”
“The grinding, especially at the beginning, is pretty long.”
“The game itself is a little tedious, but as a means to experience underwater VR gaming, I'd say it's the best choice.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by amusing moments, such as the comical expression of a fish being unexpectedly pulled away, which resonates with players' own surprise. Additionally, the mission editor offers entertaining options that enhance the overall comedic experience.
“It looks hilarious when a fish is suddenly pulled away sideways, and the look on its face is just as baffled as the player's.”
“+ Mission editor with some hilarious options.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the game features impressive exploration and graphics, the use of Oculus Rift can lead to discomfort, including feelings of queasiness and headaches, which may detract from the overall emotional experience.
