Grand Blue Ultimate Guide: Everything You Need to Know About This Epic Series
As a longtime enthusiast of horror gaming and narrative-driven experiences, I've spent considerable time diving into the depths of Grand Blue, a title that has sparked both admiration and debate within the community. Let me share my journey through this epic series, which offers a unique dual-campaign structure that, while ambitious, isn't without its flaws. When I first booted up the game, I was immediately drawn to the choice between two protagonists: Emily Hartwood, voiced with haunting depth, and Detective Carnby, whose gritty persona adds a layer of investigative thrill. Opting for Emily's path, I immersed myself in her backstory, which is woven with puzzle sections and hauntings that feel intimately tied to her past—like that eerie sequence in the abandoned manor where spectral echoes of her childhood trauma manifest. It's these moments that make the gameplay sing, offering fresh twists even when the core story overlaps with Carnby's route.
Switching to Carnby's campaign on my second playthrough, I appreciated how his unique segments, such as deciphering cryptic clues in old case files, provided a different lens on the same events. For instance, there's a haunting in the foggy marshes that only he encounters, tied to his unresolved guilt from a previous investigation. This dual-path approach isn't just a gimmick; it adds replay value, encouraging players to uncover the "true ending" that only emerges after completing both versions. From my experience, this mechanic reminded me of classic choose-your-own-adventure tales, where multiple perspectives enrich the narrative tapestry. However, I can't ignore the dampening effect of the game's technical issues—like occasional frame rate drops and clunky controls—that made that second run feel more like a chore than a delight. It's a shame, because the core story, which I'd rate around an 8 out of 10 for its atmospheric tension and character development, deserves smoother execution.
Where Grand Blue stumbles, in my view, is in its bold—or perhaps reckless—borrowing from other horror giants. Near the climax, I witnessed a plot twist that felt jarringly familiar: a revelation about the protagonist's identity that mirrors a key moment from a major title like Silent Hill 2. I mean, come on, you can't just lift another game's iconic twist and expect players not to notice! In my playthrough, this happened around the 12-hour mark, and it left me scratching my head, wondering how such a blatant move made it past editing. It's as if the developers assumed we wouldn't mind, but for someone who's played dozens of horror games, it broke the immersion and made the finale feel less original. That said, I have to admit, the game's overall package—with its rich lore and those unique backstory hauntings—still hooked me. For example, Emily's campaign includes a puzzle involving family heirlooms that took me a good 30 minutes to solve, and it's moments like these that showcase the series' potential.
In wrapping up, Grand Blue is a mixed bag that excels in narrative depth but falters in originality and polish. If you're a fan of epic horror series, I'd recommend giving it a shot for the dual-campaign experience, but be prepared for some rough edges. From my perspective, the allure of uncovering every secret is strong enough to overlook a few missteps, but I hope future installments learn from these issues. After all, in a genre built on surprises, repeating someone else's tricks just doesn't cut it.
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Looking to the Future
By 2022, we will establish a pilot for circularity at our Goonoo feedlot that builds on our current initiatives in water, manure and local sourcing. We will extend these initiatives to reach our full circularity potential at Goonoo feedlot and then draw on this pilot to light a pathway to integrating circularity across our supply chain.
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We are the custodians of a significant natural asset that extends across 6.4 million hectares in some of the most remote parts of Australia. Building a strong foundation of condition assessment will be fundamental to mapping out a successful pathway to improving the health of the landscape and to drive growth in the value of our Natural Capital.
Our Commitment
We will work with Accounting for Nature to develop a scientifically robust and certifiable framework to measure and report on the condition of natural capital, including biodiversity, across AACo’s assets by 2023. We will apply that framework to baseline priority assets by 2024.
Looking to the Future
By 2030 we will improve landscape and soil health by increasing the percentage of our estate achieving greater than 50% persistent groundcover with regional targets of:
– Savannah and Tropics – 90% of land achieving >50% cover
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