Abzû

This soundtrack has a really nice game.

8 Eargasms/10.

"Abzu" is a spiritual successor to the popular "walking simulator" video game "Journey" from 2012. Much like "Journey" "Abzu" can be considered much more like an experience, than a true game, given that there is very little active narrative and not much in the way of goals to achieve. It's a guided exploration of a strange undersea world, and for one playthrough at least, was just about worth the effort.

A female diver explores the seas and oceans of an unnamed world interacting with the undersea creatures that inhabit it. As the player explores, a great white shark acts like a spiritual guide, teasing her in the right direction to discover large pyramid structures. Deactivating these structures releases lost creatures into the wild and restores the balance of the ecosystems.

There is a stylised look to the creatures and worlds of Abzu. It is more interested in authenticity of movement than realism of the actual animals. So how your diver moves through seaweed or how her presence disrupts a school of fish is more important for selling the idea, than photorealistic worlds. I've never been scuba diving, so can't speak to the reality of how the character moves, but it was easy to navigate around the world and there were enough visual clues or markers to allow me to work out where I needed to go next on each level.

For one play though, I think Abzu does really well - it's a short game, completable in a couple of hours with me not stopping to explore every nook and cranny, but also not blasting through the whole thing like a speedrunner. I don't feel that it's interesting enough though that I'd consider going back to play through it again, there are achievements available for those that might wish to swim with each animal, but I felt sated by just seeing everything that once.

Abzu is a beautiful game. It doesn't have top notch graphics but it looks good, especially the final chapter which looks stunning. The game's strongest points are the environments and variety of creatures. Those two aspects are insanely strong, but the game falters in other ways. The music is good, but it won't blow you away. The controls are also quite poor but they aren't a big deal. There is also no story in this game, or at least just the smallest bit of one. The game is also extremely short. That being said, if you get the chance to purchase the game on sale or with game pass, definitely give it a try.

Rating - 7.3/10

Abzu requires no effort to play. There are no core mechanics other than to swim through the levels, enjoy the scenery and make your own interpretation of the story. There are no puzzles as such, just push buttons to open doors etc.

Despite this, it is still a joy to play. I played it all in one sitting. And through the 2 hour journey I found myself mesmerized by the incredible beauty of the scenery and wildlife on show. You'll swim through ancient underwater ruins with hieroglyphics and come into contact with giant blue whales but the story is deliberately vague. It's left to the player to fantasise and interpret their own thoughts about what happened.

One thing that really stood out though is the games incredible soundtrack. It perfectly matched what was on screen.

All in all, this hasn't a patch on Journey. Which the art director previously worked on. But considering it's short length, is well worth your time.

ABZÛ (2016) is a magical underwater journey (similar to the game Journey in premise and in developers/designers) except containing more subtle hints of futuristic, sci-fi elements. Abzû takes the player on a mystical adventure, deep under the ocean and offers the player an unforgettable experience.

This game is an interpretive experience, and much more artistic than clear narrative, although the experience which it provides can be quite moving. While the game is not fast-paced it does hold a sense of mystery and danger. Mechanically the game is very fluid (no pun intended) and smooth, where the player feels as if they are floating and swimming. Given the game being set entirely underwater, the effect is amazing and realistic, while still being surreal and dazzling.

Overall, it was a unique game offering a great gaming experience, powerful environmental message, and such beautiful music. A great (unrelated) companion to Journey.

STORY: 7/10 GAMEPLAY: 9/10 GRAPHICS: 9/10 ART DESIGN: 9/10 MUSIC: 10/10 OVERALL RATING: 8.5.