Swimming With The Fishes – Reef Shot (Review) PC

Review Score:

Ever dream of becoming an underwater photographer? Reef Shot by Nano Games (Desura $9.99) allows you to do just that. You are Scott who is working with Renee to photograph and explore the waters off Robinson Crusoe Island. Reef Shot starts off with the legend of City of El Dorado and how the city was moved in the 16^th century to avoid a Spanish Commander, Lope de Aguirre.

He was seeking the legendary City of Gold and the rumored prophesy the refugees possessed. Neither was seen again. You are then taken to December of 2012 and introduced to Renee and Scott, who work for a university.

Scott is a diving photographer who is working with Renee. Renee tells Scott where to go and what he needs to photograph. Scott has a limited amount of film and air. Renee talks you through the beginning of the game to show you how to use the controls. These are easy to use and figure out. There are transponders that will allow you to communicate with Renee and also transmit your pictures to her.

These transponders also guide you to your next destination. Each picture you take will earn you stars. The amount of stars varies according to the subject. These stars can be used to “purchase” upgrades such as more oxygen, more photographs, fish locations, and others. You can take pictures that will not always earn you stars. The animal life you see varies from sea stars, multiple fish species, turtles, wrecks, among others.

The controls are easy to learn as they are explained as you play Reef Shot. You use the W,A,S, and D keys to swim forward, turn, backward, space bar to swim toward the surface, and the up arrow to swim faster. The motions of swimming feel very natural and look very realistic. To take a photo, you use the left button on the mouse. To activate the wheel where you can purchase your “upgrades” use must use the right mouse button. You can use the mouse scroll wheel to zoom your camera in and out.

Reef Shot is a fun game that is very interactive that takes you underwater, exploring and photographing the area around Robinson Crusoe Island. The limited supply of resources makes the game feel more realistic. Trying to photograph some of the fish species was difficult as they moved very fast and I found it difficult to get a good picture that was clear and star worthy. The use of the transponders allowed me to find the locations easily.

When I was exploring and looking around for fish, I wish I had a compass, map or some way to mark the direction I had come from. When you get outside the range of the closes transponder, a mark with a distance and arrow will show up on your screen showing you how to get back to it. This does help out, but being a certified scuba diver, I am used to having a compass for reference to get back to my starting point.

Reef Shot by Nano Games is a fun interactive experience that allows for anyone to explore the ocean and admire her beauty. Jump in and take a shot; you will find yourself engulfed in completing your assignment.

DaniP
Platform: PC (Nano Games needs your votes on Steam Greenlight)

Requirements:

Reef Shot’s Official Website

Review Score
Graphics
Beautiful colors, attention to detail, and true lifelike colors. Made me feel like I was swimming through the water.
Sound
Relaxing sounds creating a calming mood as you swim through the water taking pictures.
Gameplay
Intuitive to play, controls easy to use, and customization options allow for individual tweaks.

Overall
Fun experience that allows everyone to go diving and experience the wonders of the sea. The limited supply of resources allows for realism. Overall, a fun excellent game that all can enjoy.