The makers of the “Beyond Blue” underwater exploration video game this week announced a new, free update to the game on PC.
E-Line Media said:
“This update will bring tons of new, free content to Beyond Blue, so first-time swimmers and veteran divers alike will want to ‘sea’ what we’ve been up to.”
The new update introduces a brand-new dive region for players to explore, the Tropical Reef. You’ll be able to swim among the coral and plant life, navigate underwater caverns and check in on the underwater research base in the area.
“It’s not all about the scenic sights down here — The Tropical Reef is also home to some new creatures to discover! The Zebra Shark, Ocellated Eagle Ray, and many more call this reef their home, on top of the large number of creatures already in the game. They help bring the Tropical Reef to life, while also providing Mirai with some obstacles to avoid while she’s completing Activities.”
Another new feature is “Daily Activities,” where every day a new activity will be made available for players to check out from the main menu. The activities can take place in any of the game’s dive locations, and will test players’ proficiency in one of three challenges:
“Point-to-Point Race – Swim through waypoints and race to the goal. Be “shore” to watch out for any sea life that might try to swim right into your path!
“Scavenger Hunt – Search the designated zone for buried treasure… or at least a power-up or two that might help you on your way!
“Relay – Race across the map and try to return as many items to the treasure chest as you can within the time limit! Keep an eye out for some useful power-ups, too!”
To help players do their best in these new Activities, the game’s main character Mirai has a tweaked moveset only available in Activity Mode: If you repeatedly tap the Fast Swim button with the right timing, you can keep going faster and faster. The drawback, though, is hitting something in this state will leave the player stunned.
Depending on players’ performance in an activity, they’ll receive a Bronze, Silver or Gold Medal, along with a reward of Sand Dollars.
Those Sand Dollars can be used to buy new suits in the Dive Shop. The more in-game challenges the player completes, the more suits will be available for purchase.
Additionally, the game now has a “Dive-In Theater” mode, where the camera moves through the “Beyond Blue” environments while the player just sits back and watches.
The new update is currently available only on Steam, but will “be rolling out on consoles in the very near future as well,” E-Line Media said on its Discord server.
Check out a trailer for the new update below.
