Beyond Blue: After the Storm Review (Meta Quest)

Beneath the serene waters of a seemingly idyllic aquatic archipelago looms an underlying threat that yearns to be discovered. This poignant mystery and sense of foreboding inadvertently propels Beyond Blue: After the Storm to acknowledge the elephant (or sea turtle, if we’re sticking with the nautical theme) in the room. What is it that lurks beneath the tidal waves, and why is it that we, the deep-sea voyagers, have the momentous task of having to deal with it? As much as I’d like to say that the answers flow in tandem with the ripples above, the truth is, they don’t. The fact of the matter is, that Beyond Blue isn’t without its contextless preliminary jargon; it merely expects you to go on a phishing expedition and figure out the dangers for yourself. And that’s, you know, fine.

Beyond Blue: After the Storm isn’t a natural-born predator, nor is it a horror game, for that matter. No, what you have here, really, is a nautical expedition sim with a network of underwater puzzles, robotic companions, and an underlying message of utmost importance. To say that it’s without any form of threat wouldn’t be entirely accurate, mind you; the game does occasionally feature the odd shark-infested labyrinth — which is a fitting addition, given its natural fixation on the bottomless depths of an oceanic empire. But that isn’t what endangers you in Beyond Blue; it’s the unforgiving aftermath of a sinister storm—a post-catastrophic event that, while still visibly calm and collected, harbors a few problems. And, surprise surprise — it’s your job to patch them up.

In the Wake of Catastrophe

Beyond Blue: After the Storm plunges you into the tropical waters of a nautical labyrinthine corridor—a semi-open world region in which two things reside: an underwater research facility, and a parade of oceanic species. The story, which picks up after the titular storm wreaks havoc on said research facility and its inhabitants, sees you filling the boots of an engineer, whose sole responsibility is to repair the broken components, and ensure the safety of the local marine subjects in the wake of the seemingly catastrophic event. To that extent, the game primarily focuses on your natural ability to explore the waters, identify whatever issues that may or may not arise, and take full advantage of your surroundings to remediate specific requests and opportunities.

The bulk of Beyond Blue isn’t in receipt of any formal guidelines or checkpoint markers, which means that, while there are objectives to complete, the route forward isn’t always clear. To add, there are also a handful of side quests to complete—extracurricular tasks that either require you to repair a certain part of the research facility with a welding kit, heal one of the local sharks with a special foam, or remove debris from obscured areas. For the most part, however, the objectives are often part of an on-rails experience; the game naturally drifts you through the current and, at certain junctures, asks that you follow a few basic steps to achieve your goal. And that’s about it.

All Things Nautical

The game was, of course, built with the Meta Quest headset in mind, which means that the flat version of Beyond Blue isn’t quite as immersive as its Quest counterpart. That said, both versions of the game have an adequate amount of depth embedded inside the control system; the motion controls operate as they should, and the movement is swift, if not slightly temperamental in some certain portions of the campaign. In some instances, you can’t choose where to swim, or even interact with certain objects until the game releases you from its on-rails pulley system. This isn’t a major issue, though it does amount to the occasional technical issue or graphical bug.

Beyond Blue isn’t all that long of a dive; in fact, you should be able to witness just about everything that it has in store in ninety minutes, give or take. As for whether or not it’s worth returning to after beating it — eh, I wouldn’t say that there’s replay value to it. But that’s sort the case with most VR entries, and truth be told, even the most memorable ones often lack in longevity or replay value. The point is, although there isn’t a tremendous amount to write home about in Beyond Blue, that isn’t to say that it’s without its own unique charm and moral qualities. It’s certainly a one-and-done sort of ordeal in that respect, though, for $10, you can’t really lodge a complaint about it.

Into the Abyss

I went into Beyond Blue with the expectation of being subjected to a shark-infested environment of blood, teeth, and sunken keepsakes. As it turned out, though, the journey was more calming than I initially thought it would be; the sharks were present and accounted for — but the fear factor wasn’t there. It didn’t take all that long after tackling the first wave and welding a couple of broken chambers that I eventually came to the conclusion that it wasn’t a horror, or even a smoke-and-mirrors thing with underlying themes of a twisted reality. The truth is, Beyond Blue isn’t any of those things; it’s a simple nautical tale that makes an attempt to shed light on marine biology and, more importantly, how meteorology has the potential to affect the environment. At least, that’s what I was able to take away from it, anyway.

There isn’t a great deal of actual gameplay to Beyond Blue, which is an issue in itself, and quite frankly, an issue that I can’t help but feel the need to address here. Of course, it does allow you to operate a few pieces of equipment and experiment with items like welding tools, healing foam, and several other items. Having said that, with a lot of the swimming portions being predominantly on-rails, there isn’t a great deal for you to accomplish outside of the main tasks. It has its moments, for sure, but I’d also be lying if I said that the entirety of the campaign consists of wall-to-wall button mashing and endurance swimming. Alas, if you love serene scenery and nautical panoramas, then the lack of interactive gameplay probably won’t be of concern to you.

Verdict

Beyond Blue captures the aquatic heart of a breathtaking nautical universe that’s as equally vibrant as it is intriguing. Besides the fact that it accommodates a lot of intuitive puzzles and points of interest, the game also provides a genuine and well-scripted encyclopedia pertaining to the importance of marine conservation and scientific strategies, thus making it an effective tool for anyone with an interest in the deep, deep blue. And that’s barely scratching the surface, so to speak; Beyond Blue also bathes in a wondrous and eccentric world that’s bursting with color and subtle tones of thematic complexity. It’s just as well, too, as the decision to full throttle a virtual reality approach was clearly the ideal method to magnify these elements, regardless of their shape, size, or purpose.

In the few short hours that I poured into the bottomless depths of Beyond Blue, I was able to subject myself to a lot of things, the most important correlating with the wholehearted nature of marine biology and its vital relationship with our efforts to preserve it as a species. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the interactivity of it all, but that wasn’t what stuck with me after I finally exited its shoreline; it was the impact it had on the subconscious, and the way the sheer beauty of a seemingly poisoned paradise was able to make me question several of my own choices. And sure, while all of this sounds a little deep, it is worth remembering that Beyond Blue isn’t so much a video game as it is an educational art piece.