REVIEW - "ABZU"

If you think about it, the ocean is pretty scary. I'm sure you already know that we've only discovered about 5% of the earth's waters. When you think about it, it's amazing that there have been so few games actually taking place underwater and capitalizing on it's mysteries. You've got Flow, Endless Ocean, everybody's favorite Echo the Dolphin (which is amazing just for the absurdity of its story, but I digress), and a few others, but nothing particularly noteworthy (and no, I'm not counting Bioshock here, because even though it does take place underwater, that's hardly the focal point of it). Enter Abzu.

Riding the sea life was one of my favorite features of Abzu

Abzu takes place underwater, but the focus of this game isn't how scary the ocean is, but how much of it is there to discover, and how awe-inspiring it can be. There's no combat, no supplies, and no sort of health or time limit to worry about. The emphasis is on exploring this unknown section of our planet, and the game encourages you to take the time to do so, and discover some hidden objects, like enabling a whole new species of fish to roam around. However, this is not an open world game. It is very much a linearly progressed story, though each level encourages extra exploration.

There are many instances where you'll find yourself surrounded by fish

The most striking thing about Abzu to me was its visuals. The cell-shaded visuals are vibrant and colorful, and immediately make this game stand out.  The only time I really experienced any framerate issues was instances when the screen was filled with fish. Besides that, the game always ran smoothly. The controls are also surprisingly fluid, especially in comparison to other underwater controls. I don't know if I would call them "natural", however, but navigating Abzu's underwater world was some of the best underwater movement I've ever felt.

I've never felted more relaxed while playing a game, at least in recent memory. With no enemies or health to speak of, the game just wants you to explore and appreciate its world, and the ocean truly does feel like its own world. Each section of the game feels distinct from the other, with not only each area looking different, but each area has its own set of life as well. One of the coolest, and most relaxing features of the game, was the meditation feature. Each area includes a shark statue, where you can sit and literally meditate for as long as you want. When you meditate, you follow a certain species as they do their thing in the water, and can switch between the available ones. I spent a good amount of time just sitting and scrolling through the different fish, and seeing what they were up to.

Abzu includes many awe-inspiring moments

My biggest problem with Abzu was its story, or lack thereof one. Now, that's not to say there isn't a story, but it's so abstract that I couldn't follow along with most of it. I'm all for abstract storytelling, though. Case in point: 2013's Journey, which Abzu is very clearly inspired by, (the main force behind this game, Matt Nava, worked on Journey, natch) featured quite the abstract story, but it was told in such a way that it was very easy to follow along with. Abzu does has its moments; I got legitimately emotional during one scene, and it does have some surprises in store, but for me, the story was one of the weakest aspects.

Abzu isn't a perfect game, but it's a damn memorable one. It's probably not for everyone, though, but for those who can appreciate a game with no real objective other than exploration, Abzu highly recommended. If you want a game to just relax with, look no further than here.

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I'm as terrified as the ocean as I am completely fascinated by it. If you are too, you should follow me on Twitter!