ABZÛ

It’ll toy with your emotions and it’ll constantly amaze, if you open your mind and let it in. If you approach Abzû expecting a classic video game experience in terms of gameplay, then chances are you’re going to be disappointed. But if you forget, for just a moment, those preconceived notions of what a “video game” actually means, then Abzû could be something truly special.

But when you let go of any expectations of emergent behavior, open-world exploration, meaningful narrative, or gameplay, Abzu is still a thrilling once-and-done guided tour full of light, color, and sound. It might not appreciate the vastness of the sea, but it appreciates the magic and the majesty.

We'd been waiting for a chance to explore the depths of Abzu's world, but were surprised to find them lacking. Abzu is still an experience we were glad to witness, but its substance is all too minor to make it more than a fleeting encounter with awe.

Abzû is the type of wondrous palate cleanser that reminds us of the beauty of video games. When the art director of Flower and Journey, Matt Nava, left thatgamecompany to form a new studio, we could have gotten a knockoff, Mighty No. 9 version of Journey that left us shaking our heads. Instead, Abzû is exactly what fans of Nava’s work were hoping for. A beautiful, emotional journey through some of the best looking environments on the PlayStation 4, Abzû was well worth the wait.

Abzu is something that was never even on my radar. Then I booted it up, and never let go. Every area was an experience, and it made an impact on me. I don’t spend my time trying to figure out what it means, I just enjoyed the ride, and it is easy to recommend. Especially to those that enjoy the idea of swimming in the depths of the ocean, and exploring the alien life found below the waves.

Does beauty alone justify a game? Can the novelty of swimming through majestic oceans teeming with life overcome an otherwise fairly by-the-numbers experience that never quite achieves the creative heights it so earnestly aspires to? I suppose that's down to the player, but as much as I wanted to love Abzû, the end result fell just short of brilliance. It's worth playing for the incredible presentation, but don't expect something profoundly new here.

Abzu takes the graceful feel of movement and subtle push toward discovery that I’ve enjoyed in similar exploration games like Journey and Flower and builds a refreshing-yet-simple underwater adventure around it. The colorful settings, beautiful soundtrack, and basic controls made it a great experience that constantly piqued my interest, even if it never challenged me to master it other than deciphering its cryptic environmental clues.

Will the type of short, reflective gameplay that ABZÛ provides appeal to everyone? Absolutely not. But those that have profoundly enjoyed titles like Journey or Flower, games that push the concept of what a “video game” should be, will relish in the opportunity to take the plunge in this atmospheric underwater world. Rather than ask players to challenge themselves, ABZÛ gives you the freedom to explore the mysteries of the deep at your own pace, providing an ebb and flow that offers a masterful experience.

I did enjoy being in the water, but I can't help but feel the beautiful visuals and music were jamming pictures of places and emotions in my face instead of earnestly telling a compelling story. There's an unshakeable air of falsity about Abzû. As a treat to the senses, however, it's hard to beat.

Exploring and playing in Abzu's oceans is a gorgeous, soothing experience that's easy to recommend. We have precious few games that strive for placidity and even fewer that reach it as handily as Giant Squid has here. But for all its aesthetic wonder, Abzu's threadbare mechanics feel like they're keeping the player at arm's length. For a game that's all about plumbing the depths, it's just a little shallow.

Absolutely gorgeous and a joy to behold, but sticks too close to Journey's formula for its own good.

Art exists to bridge a gap, to communicate emotions or ideas that would otherwise be impossible to articulate. Abzu does this--courageously, confidently, sincerely. Its stirring soundtrack, vivid colors, subtle storytelling, living world, and thoughtful execution combine to create a singularly moving, transcendent experience. In a word: Abzu is beautiful.

ABZÛ is a spellbinding and visually stunning experience. I can't recommend this title enough, and it's definitely one you'll want to check out.

Abzu is a testament to where we are with video game development and shows how diverse the medium can and should be, even if it's not quite as emotionally resonant as it perhaps could have been.

The shortness of the game isn’t purely an outcome of not having enough content. There are a lot of different areas to explore within Abzû. Rather, it’s more like there isn’t a challenge that forces you to go back to one task over and over again. It has plenty to satisfy the explorer in you, but not the gamer.

ABZÛ is a beautiful experience. It’s still technically a game, but one that can be appreciated by anyone who loves bright colors, art, fish, meditation, and more.

There’s so much to Abzû: a poignant journey, an absolutely stellar soundtrack, twists and discoveries that took me by surprise. Since the game’s very short, it’s difficult to go into detail without spoiling anything, but there’s also an emotional essence there that can’t be easily described or related secondhand. Abzû‘s more than just a game: it’s an experience.

ABZU may be short on deep, complex gameplay or a lengthy narrative, but is more than capable of providing one of the most stirring, surreal gameplay experiences that (I hope) players will experience this year. As long as you’re willing, ABZU is absolutely an experience worth being swept up in and letting you take it wherever it goes.

ABZÛ is a triumph of exploration and atmosphere. Its gorgeous underwater playgrounds are a joy to explore thanks to its perfectly tuned controls, awe-inspiring visuals, and beautiful sound design. A somewhat predictable story does little to hamper what is otherwise an utterly unique and rapturous experience.

Few games have such capacity to draw the player in with beautiful artistic direction and subtle environmental storytelling alone. The addition of puzzles with a bit of meat to them and giving the hero just slightly more growth (see Journey’s main character) would have made Abzû a classic. Even without these, it remains a mesmerising and memorable experience for anyone who wants to dive in.

They’re able to offer their own different spin on the presentation, but seem unable to come up with anything new or insightful in terms of the gameplay or storytelling. There’s no deeper meaning or purpose to ABZÛ than looking at pretty graphics and chilling out to its non-violent gameplay. There is still worth in that, but it’s ironic that a game about exploring the ocean depths should be so intrinsically shallow.

If Giant Squid had removed every trace of its name from Abzû, you could easily have mistaken it for a thatgamecompany production. For a developer to nail that same sense of artistry and wonder with its debut is nothing short of amazing.

We took a little more time to investigate our surroundings and tried to unlock the various creatures in all of the areas (you do this by interacting with shell formations you come across). It's that sort of experience, and if you enjoyed Flower and Journey you should do yourself a favour and dive into Abzû. It's a beautiful adventure from start to finish.

ABZÛ is perfect for fans of Journey and other thatgamecompany titles, thanks to the sweet simplicity of its gameplay and visuals, as well as marvelous musical score.

Abzu is an important step forward for gaming as an art form. It builds on what titles like Journey managed before it, creating a game which is equally profound, yet advances the medium in other key ways. This advancement comes via purposeful design and execution, which prove that games can be guided by the same auteur vision that directors like Kubrick provided to film.

Pero aquellos que sean capaces de mirar más allá del horizonte se encontrarán ante un producto único, con unos valores audiovisuales capaces de poner la pelos de punta y cortar la respiración, y con una aventura que reconcilia al ser humano con el mundo submarino. Una experiencia asombrosa, relajante y de una hermosura audivisual sin parangón. No logra emocionar al nivel trascendental que pretende, pero es capaz de unirnos al océano como Journey nos unía a un completo desconocido.

Los crescendos que nunca culminan como deben, los momentos de indeterminación y la alargada sombra de Journey en la que Abzû se refugia de forma deliberada y temeraria no son mancha suficiente como para ennegrecer un juego estupendo que demuestra un buen dominio de los espacios y los tiempos —se completa en dos horas y media y da la sensación de que acaba justo cuando debe hacerlo—, una dirección artística impecable —la fauna es minimalista sin dejar de parecer realista, algo que tiene un enorme mérito— y un magnífico acabado general.

ABZU derrocha belleza y buen gusto, y si eres de los que aprecian los videojuegos que intentan ir un paso más allá, para ser considerados arte, tienes que probarlo. No es fácil que a estas alturas un juego nos deje con la boca abierta por la belleza de sus imágenes, y el primer trabajo de Giant Squid Studios lo ha conseguido varias veces, lo que tiene mucho mérito.

En mi opinión, Abzû es uno de esos videojuegos que todo el mundo debería de experimentar en algún punto de su vida, pues persigue objetivos verdaderamente interesantes que intentan llevar al medio hacia cosas mucho más trascendentales. Si estás buscando olvidarte un poco del mundo tan agitado en el que vivimos, te recomiendo ampliamente dejarte llevar por este maravilloso título que tanto tiene que ofrecer.

Hemos disfrutado como hacía tiempo no lo hacíamos de esta hermosa aventura de exploración que más allá de la belleza de sus gráficos y gran puesta en escena, sorprende por su capacidad para tocar la fibra sensible de aquellos que afrontan el maravilloso viaje a las profundidades marinas en el que nos embarca. ABZÛ nos deja con momentos inolvidables, situaciones de juego que emocionan, pero también con cierto regusto amargo por no sacar provecho a todo su potencial.

Abzû es una bonita obra de arte, en la que las imágenes y el sonido conseguirán sorprendernos a menudo. Sin embargo, falla a la hora de llegar al jugador, quedándose en un simple pero espectacular paseo, repleto de sorpresas, aunque algo corto.

Es ist ein wunderschönes Spiel, ein wunderschönes audio-visuelles Erlebnis, das zwar nicht in gleicher Weise Maßstäbe setzen kann, wie es Journey vielleicht getan hat. Das aber trotzdem einen ganz eigenen Reiz hat. Abzu ist etwas weniger esoterisch und erzählt im Vorbeischwimmen eine Sage, die zwar etwas greifbarer ist, aber sich auch etwas gewöhnlicher anfühlt. Schön ist es trotzdem.

Storytelling, Spielmechanik und Erkundungsreize werden einfach nicht so gut verwoben, dass man staunend in diese Welt gelockt wird. Statt in einem Ozean der Weisheit etwas freier zu grübeln, wird man wie ein Kind zum Ziel geführt. Nach nur zwei Stunden hat man eine viel zu kurze Reise beendet, die in den ersten fünfzehn Minuten mehr versprach als sie letztlich halten konnte.

Abzû est incontestablement un jeu charmant, qui propose au joueur une escapade paisible dans des fonds marins splendides et variés, tout en offrant un rythme équilibré, alternant phases de contemplations et envolées poétiques en compagnie d'une faune plus vivante que jamais. Toutefois, en proposant une durée de vie bien trop courte, des temps de chargement brisant l'immersion et un déroulement un brin trop calqué sur Journey, Abzû ne parvient pas à convaincre autant que l'a fait son grand frère en son temps.

Aussi poétique qu'efficace, le titre de Giant Squid se montre à la hauteur de Flower et Journey, et dépasse très largement le simple économiseur d'écran aquatique, comme on aurait pu le craindre. Le gameplay est simple mais réel, le scénario crypté mais présent, le level design sous-marin mais pertinent, et le maniement du héros est un véritable bonheur de chaque instant.

Il s'agit là sans conteste d'un véritable chef-d'oeuvre, une expérience inoubliable et atypique qui vous fera voyager dans l'un des plus grands mystères de notre planète : les fonds marins. Son seul défaut est finalement d'être trop court, (3 heures maximum) et de ne pas proposer un mode multijoueur basé sur la rencontre comme ce fut le cas dans Journey.

Ad essere al 100% onesti, forse il gioco non voleva nemmeno toccare certe corde o lasciare particolari messaggi, o forse ancora non le ha toccate con me nello specifico (che pure ero a dir poco ben disposto nei suoi confronti, vista la mia innata passione per tutto ciò che è sommerso e magari munito di tentacoli...): ma tant'è, quel che rimane è un mesmerizzante safari abissale, che pur senza magari commuovervi saprà comunque ammaliarvi con suggestioni visivamente indimenticabili.

A muovere tutto l’ecosistema tecnico un Unreal Engine 4, che oltre a permettere grossi passi avanti negli algoritmi di gestione dell’intelligenza artificiale dei pesci, di sicuro all’avanguardia, regala, pur senza grosse pretese su texture e modelli 3D, un risultato visivo, tra effetti di luce, trasparenze e scie, di sicuro impatto.

Oyun bu kadar çok Journey'e benzeyince belli bir noktadan sonra gözleriniz bir yoldaş aramaya başlıyor. journey'in eşsiz multiplayer modu sayesinde tek bir karakterle yola devam ediyormuş gibi hissetseniz de oyunun sonunda ne kadar çok yoldaşınız olduğunu anlıyordunuz. Abzu'da malesef böyle bir dinamiğe yer verilmemiş. Yani bu koca okyanusta sizden başka bir oyuncuya yer verilmemiş.

Nackdelarna med det här spelet är få. Otroligt få. Det skulle väl vara att den kräsne rynkar på näsan åt den något instabila skärmuppdateringen men annars är det så gott som fritt från klagomål. Jag önskar dock att det var lite längre. Efter drygt två- tre timmar har jag simmat igenom äventyret men då det är så satans vackert (ursäkta min franska) så har jag inget emot att komma tillbaka till dessa vatten för lite R&R.