Being among the oceanic life, I felt like a guest in a world I’m not a part of, seeing things because I was allowed the privilege. Swimming through a multitude of ecosystems each unique to the part of the ocean it is presenting is stunning. To reiterate a point that is blindingly obvious, Abzu is gorgeous. Especially when I was trying to take worthwhile screenshots (these are everywhere). I was playing on console, so I’m wondering if I would have encountered the same problems on PC, but it did turn me around a few times. The only thing I really got hung up on was the camera. Giving her just enough weight that I didn’t feel like I was floating.
Gliding through the water was effortless and fluid. The diver’s physics are on point showing her to be a superb swimmer. The controls are simple and tight, making for an easy to digest experience. It is such a pain when you come up to water for the first time and think, “I wonder how the swim mechanics will work, hope they’re good.” Not to worry with Abzu, swimming has never felt better. Swimming in games can be one of the most frustrating things. I would highly recommend exploring as much as you can, being that there are some really fun secrets.
Abzu is full of secrets to be had for those who like to wander of the beaten path. I actually lost track of time when I realized I had been watching an Orca for way to long. It’s bliss because everything does what it’s supposed to, this might be the most detailed rendering of marine life in gaming to date. At first I thought this was a little silly because I was enjoying swimming with marine life so much, but to be able to sit back and watch the marine life do its thing was just as blissful. The game also provides spots for meditation. Pinging coral for instance, causes new sea life to spawn into the area, breathing even more life into the environment. Peppered throughout each area are things to do.
When coming upon a new ecosystem there will always be sea life appropriate to that area. Using a ping the player can scan things in the environment around them. This is where the Diver plays the biggest role, because she comes with an ability that just might right the wrongs that exist in this beautiful ocean. If anything is scary about the ocean, it’s what humanity has done. This was the take away, the game wants you to see the ocean in all its beauty for what it is, not some alien thing, but something we should love and respect. Moving through different ecosystems the larger story Giant Squid is trying to tell is the story of the ocean itself. While that much can be gleaned the rest is left up to player interpretation. Coming upon ancient ruins of a long forgotten civilization it becomes apparent that a symbiosis had been formed between the beings like the diver, and the oceanic life. Simple puzzles start cropping up but nothing to complex.
The narrative of Abzu is instead told through a series of things to be found and the environment itself. This couldn’t fit more perfectly, because that’s all I wanted from the game.Īs aforementioned the game does leave a breadcrumb trail for where to go, because a game without direction would be confusing.
Developer Giant Skid explained that Abzu when broken down means two different things, “ab,” meaning ocean, and “zu” meaning to know. This is exactly what the game sets out to do, even the name has importance in this regard. It made me feel like a kid again, discovering something for the first time. It relishes in the ocean, and it makes sense in doing so, our world is mostly water! The game not only alleviated my fears of the ocean but I found myself having more fun than I’ve gotten from a game in a while. Abzu flips the script entirely because all you can do is be in water (for the most part). Seeing water in a game either means something bad is lurking or I’m about to do something tedious and the swimming controls will be bogus. For most games, underwater areas can be a scary place. If this doesn’t say, relaxing, I don’t know what does.Īs someone who both respects and fears the ocean, Abzu made me feel comfortable in my surroundings because it’s what they game is about. Meditating points can be found in each area just so you can watch the marine life. The ecosystems of the ocean are on full display and taking your time is encouraged by the game. While there is an end in sight Abzu wants the player to play in these beautiful underwater playgrounds. Abzu creates just enough of a breadcrumb trail through the use of doors, caves, and oceanic life to get the player moving in the right direction. Now obviously not all one can do is swim, the diver isn’t perpetually stuck in one part of this vast ocean. Giving the player no indicators of what they should be doing, or where they should be going. Abzu is most certainly akin to games like Journey or Flower.