Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep

The player encounters a hostile caiman.

Adventures of the Deep features improved and more realistic graphics and larger explorable areas than the previous game. Adventures of the Deep allows players to travel to twelve different diving spots around the globe, including new polar and freshwater locations.[2]

The ability to dive with a dolphin as a companion returns from the first game, and players will now also be able to ride them to move quickly through the water. Players can also now sell salvaged treasure, including legendary artifacts for money that can be used to buy items such as new styles of diving suits, items used to decorate their island and private reef, and to help the player to be capable of diving for a longer time and with less risk of receiving damage from hostile creatures, running out of oxygen, or getting lost, among others. The aquarium returns and the player can now walk outside the tanks. Several new areas are introduced, for example with the Marine Life Annex, you can put shore species such as penguins, shorebirds and seals. Another new area is the Small World, where smaller fish and invertebrates can be displayed. Potentially dangerous creatures such as sharks, crocodiles, and electric eels will now elicit a warning for players and may even attack them; players will be able to drive them off using a new tranquilizer-like tool called the Pulsar that can shoot electric charges which calms them down. The Pulsar can also be used to heal any creatures the player finds that are sick or injured.[3]

Adventures of the Deep features a variety of animals, including dolphins, whales, sea lions, penguins, manatees, sharks, sea turtles, and more, with around 400 different species of fish, mammals, birds, invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians. There are also 30 legendary creatures to be found in various regions of the game: a select few play a role in the game's storyline and can be interacted with at any time afterwards, but most require a special condition to be met before they can be found.

Adventures of the Deep features online cooperative multiplayer that allows players to communicate using the Wii Speak peripheral, with which the game will also come bundled for a short time.[4][5] As with the first game, players will also be able to take pictures during their dives; the pictures can now be saved to an SD card.[6]

The plot of Adventures of the Deep revolves around a Pacific Legend, the song of dragons, a family diving business, mystery and treasure. The plot often varies and changes depending on how far you are in the game. The tutorial starts off as a glimpse of the end of the game, when you find a submerged Egyptian temple in the red sea. After completing the tutorial, you are put at the beginning where you meet Jean-Eric Louvier, founder of L&L diving service. He explains to you how he was once an avid diver, but had to stop diving because of a serious decompression sickness. You are also introduced to Oceana Louvier, Jean-Eric's granddaughter. You dive for the first time in the Pelagos Commonwealth and help a baby whale back to its mother, while the mystery of the Song of Dragons starts to be revealed when Oceana drops her necklace, given to her by her father before he died. The necklace makes a whistling sound and the mother whale becomes aggressive. Oceana later tells you how she dropped her other necklace in the deep hole. The next day, Jean-Eric wakes you up to go chase after Oceana, as she has gone to go dive for her missing necklace, despite the deep hole being dangerous. You enter the deep hole area to find Oceana at the bottom with a Tiger Shark lurking on top. You use the pulsar to scare the shark away and help Oceana find the necklace. On the way back you find that the two pieces fit together.

Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep features a soundtrack by the musical ensemble Celtic Woman, including Andrea Corr. Unlike its predecessor, however, Adventures of the Deep does not allow players to create a custom soundtrack using the music on an SD card.

The game received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[7]

Famitsu was the first media outlet to review Adventures of the Deep, doing so shortly before its release in Japan. They gave the game a score 36 out of 40, one point higher than Endless Ocean, with all four reviewers giving the game nine points each.[12] Eurogamer called it a "genuinely peaceful and relaxing experience", though comparing it to "a cool adventure holiday for all ages."[11] Official Nintendo Magazine was slightly more critical of the game, calling the game "batty ... but hardly enthralling" but also "truly fun, but not entirely action-packed". They also gave good reports of thrill and graphics involved in the game, which resulted in the game getting a slightly higher score than its predecessor.[21]

• Endless Ocean: Blue World at MobyGames