The graphics of both games are absolutely stunning, all thanks to the advancement of animation. When you are diving, you encounter hundreds of different creatures, all of which are beautifully rendered and designed to be lifelike, both in appearance and behavior, and for the most part, they do. The major instance in which they stray from reality in terms of creature appearance comes from the legendary creatures and the dolphins in the second game, who are purposely designed to be atypical and extraordinary in appearance.There are noticeable flaws in some of the creatures' behaviors, however. For example, all dangerous sharks in the second game will attack by thrashing their body and tail around, something that in real life, only Thresher sharks will do. There is also some inaccuracy in where the creatures are found. In the first game, since it is only one sea, fish that shouldn't be in the same area appear together. This improves in the second game with the addition of worldwide diving, but there remains one area that is still very inaccurate in both games. That would be the abyssal areas in either game, whether that be the Abyss at Deep Valley or the Zahhab Region Depths. Since the maximum depth is only about 500 ft deep in either game, the creatures that are able to be found should be much deeper. But, due to the relative accuracy of about everything else, this can be forgiven. The graphics also shine when it comes to the environments, with precise detail being paid to jaw-dropping locations like sunken ships, undersea castles, underwater caves, and vivid coral reefs. The above-water graphics aren't as strong, and the motion of walking is a bit clunky, but the fluid and clean underwater graphics more than make up for it.
The other area of these two games that is extremely well-done is in the music. Both games feature Celtic songs from either Hayley Westenra or the Celtic Women, and in-game soundtracks. Both the actual songs and the diving music are well done, with the diving music being diverse and reminiscent of the equally diverse locations. There is one of these soundtracks that I really like a lot, which is the Cavern of the Gods music. It has Arabic and Egyptian influences, and unlike most of the other clips, is only played in the Cavern of the Gods. The actual songs are all beautiful, with the singing being angelic and clear. While Celtic music seems like a weird pairing for a game about scuba diving, the pairing works perfectly. The Celtic songs add to both games' environments and beauty, making everything seem that much more beautiful and impressive, The song that I want to bring special attention to is "Dúlamán" in Blue World, which is played when the player first goes to Cortica River. The upbeat, percussion-filled Irish folk song is perfect for the twists and turns of the river. The other song that I think stands out is "Benedictus" from the first game, which plays the first time in the Abyss. This song, which is sung by Hayley Westenra, works so well for the Abyss due to its usage of Latin and building up to the grand climax. This makes for a relaxing yet simultaneously ominous and uneasy feel to the abyss, which is exactly what it is aiming for. You have no idea what to expect, and there are untold surprises that the huge forte part of "Benedictus" captures. Funny thing, most players find that when the song gets really loud all of a sudden, something almost always comes out of nowhere and scares them. For some, it was the giant squid. Others, the sperm whale. For me, it was a giant whale carcass.
In conclusion, the games both have impressive and memorable graphics and music.
videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPhEt7So9IA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xMNFp9RDJs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWecVq95vyE&list=PL3C16806F8E5A9CF2&index=30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ukjpUD5fZA&list=PL3C16806F8E5A9CF2&index=5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmEsKN_-gu0&list=PL4EB798B2C73131C0&index=5
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