If Journey swapped out the mystique, scarves and the dessert climate, replacing them with scuba gear, an ocean and plenty of fish, ABZU is exactly what you would get. You won't be surprised when you discover the creative director behind Journey is illuminating this underwater adventure title, but you should appreciate ABZU's modesty as it attempts to beautify the symbiosis between man and underwater inhabitants. Forgive the cribbing and you'll have an indulgent time in this dazzling and reflective downloadable, that like its spiritual predecessors, is full of heart, wonder and meditative experiences.
Providing you have wandered around in any of ThatGameCompany's games, you will immediately understand ABZU as an unobtrusive and calming game where you solve light puzzles and explore the sea life; watching the kelps and other aquatic plants sway and bow underneath you, while you spiral and swim with the wild life under the sea. There is a majesty to swimming with a company of fish surrounding you like you were in a Disney or Disney Pixar production, which coalesces to the meticulous sense of wonder and harmony ABZU cleanses itself with. The unbridled aura of it all ensures you're not soon to forget about any of the pleasures ABZU serenades you with.
Taking less than three hours to complete, ABZU is not intended for those who value length of play over substance. However, if you want to indulge in a few hours of harmonious underwater exploration, ABZU will get its hooks into you. Like those that have come before, ABZU is fills its time with light puzzle solving and unlocking gates to the next area. If you want to head for the finish you can do so, but you'll be missing the hidden trinkets in this delectable underwater world. Ruins open up eloquent fountains and ancient etchings tiled on the walls. Some areas are more foreboding, but for the most part, your undersea excursions will be cheerful, playful and bountiful.
You are also able to interact with the sea life, grabbing onto them and using the PS4 controller to guide them and the player character to desired destinations. Several moments in ABZU are breathtaking or otherwise joyful and sorrowful. When you choose to intertwine you will get the most from ABZU because the marriage between underwater diver and underwater creature cements what the adventure is all about, sharing moments with the submerged populace. If you'd rather soak in ABZU by watching, then you can meditate by interacting with whale statues. You can peer and discover a wide selection of fish and underwater mammal, and even see them devour each other, not in a bloody mess way, but in a survival imbued way. Then there are explosive trinities you'll have to watch out for, nothing but a nuisance obstacle that interferes with the calming energies that ABZU constantly gives off.
Providing you have wandered around in any of ThatGameCompany's games, you will immediately understand ABZU as an unobtrusive and calming game where you solve light puzzles and explore the sea life; watching the kelps and other aquatic plants sway and bow underneath you, while you spiral and swim with the wild life under the sea. There is a majesty to swimming with a company of fish surrounding you like you were in a Disney or Disney Pixar production, which coalesces to the meticulous sense of wonder and harmony ABZU cleanses itself with. The unbridled aura of it all ensures you're not soon to forget about any of the pleasures ABZU serenades you with.
Taking less than three hours to complete, ABZU is not intended for those who value length of play over substance. However, if you want to indulge in a few hours of harmonious underwater exploration, ABZU will get its hooks into you. Like those that have come before, ABZU is fills its time with light puzzle solving and unlocking gates to the next area. If you want to head for the finish you can do so, but you'll be missing the hidden trinkets in this delectable underwater world. Ruins open up eloquent fountains and ancient etchings tiled on the walls. Some areas are more foreboding, but for the most part, your undersea excursions will be cheerful, playful and bountiful.
You are also able to interact with the sea life, grabbing onto them and using the PS4 controller to guide them and the player character to desired destinations. Several moments in ABZU are breathtaking or otherwise joyful and sorrowful. When you choose to intertwine you will get the most from ABZU because the marriage between underwater diver and underwater creature cements what the adventure is all about, sharing moments with the submerged populace. If you'd rather soak in ABZU by watching, then you can meditate by interacting with whale statues. You can peer and discover a wide selection of fish and underwater mammal, and even see them devour each other, not in a bloody mess way, but in a survival imbued way. Then there are explosive trinities you'll have to watch out for, nothing but a nuisance obstacle that interferes with the calming energies that ABZU constantly gives off.
A few bugbears dent the experience somewhat. The loading times are quite lengthy, which seems quite silly to say in the eighth generation console cycle, but they still exist. You can't interact with fish or the chirpy yellow bots beyond their primary usefulness. Selecting the fishes in meditation is also clunky, and you can only discover the names of the fish, there are no biographies detailing facts and mannerisms, which dampens the intrigue of finding all the creatures the game has to offer.
Despite some general knit picks and its distracting similarities to Journey, ABZU is by itself a lovely adventure, taking the time to let the player swim and splash around in a world often dormant to human activity and often left unexplored in videogames. The grace ABZU harnesses is elegant and you will find the game to be a celebration of the aquatic. If you don't go looking for a deep plunge, you will not be disappointed with the calmness and beauty effortlessly exuded in ABZU.
Despite some general knit picks and its distracting similarities to Journey, ABZU is by itself a lovely adventure, taking the time to let the player swim and splash around in a world often dormant to human activity and often left unexplored in videogames. The grace ABZU harnesses is elegant and you will find the game to be a celebration of the aquatic. If you don't go looking for a deep plunge, you will not be disappointed with the calmness and beauty effortlessly exuded in ABZU.
STORY: 8/10
GAMEPLAY: 8/10
PRESENTATION: 8/10
LIFESPAN: 6/10
SCORE: 8/10
A meditative and serene underwater experience, ABZU's is a gorgeously designed and presented yet brief subterranean jaunt that's certainly worth dipping into. A whale of a time.