Abzu Review – A stunning work of art

Hey guys,

I was scrolling through my social media feeds this morning, and came across the news of a small adventure game called Abzu that just came out today on PS4 and Steam and I had to give it a shot. This game is wonderful, and I thoroughly enjoyed playing it. My only problem with it, and I’ll just get this out up front, is the price. Currently set at $20 on both platforms, this normally wouldn’t be so bad for a brand new game, but I finished it in just under 2 hours. Abzu is very short, but I have to say that I would still recommend it. Perhaps wait for a sale, when it’s 50-75% off. I understand that there is a very real argument for not spending so much money on such a small title. I almost feel bad saying that, because a lot of love and attention was put into making this experience a beautiful and memorable one.

Abzu really is an experience. As a fan of adventure games I don’t mind the simplicity of swimming and interacting with the same few objects over and over for the entirety of the game. Yes it sounds boring and repetitive in theory, and to a large group of gamers that may be the case, but to me this was an amazing ride and I’m happy I had chance to play it.

The art style (featuring Matt Nava of Giant Squid, the same art director as the acclaimed Journey) will leave you fascinated, as Abzu doesn’t focus on a super realistic setting, but instead gifts us with bright colors and memorable locations in which to swim. I think it’s not only creative, but refreshing, when new games come out that are more focused on the experience as a whole instead of making everything “next gen” perfect. It can’t be stressed enough: This game is a work of art and one to behold at that. Featuring a nice variety of different biomes, Abzu keeps things fresh and interesting from beginning to end.

You can catch a ride on a variety of different pals along the way

You can catch a ride on a variety of different pals along the way

On top of the stunning visuals, Abzu’s score is so top-notch that I couldn’t get over it. The violins slow as you enter the deeper depths of the game, and swell as you get caught in a slipstream and flash alongside brightly colored flora and fauna. Austin Wintory, who also created the soundtrack for Journey, was the first to ever be nominated for a video game score for visual media and he doesn’t disappoint with Abzu. A brilliant talent, Austin deserves every bit of the praise he has received. I am not one to really obsess over, or sometimes even notice, a video game score, but this is one for the ages. You can listen to a couple of excerpts here.

You may be thinking that this will be just another diving game (to me there aren’t enough!) where you swim around with fish and are bored for a couple hours, but I can assure you that there is more to discover in this deep blue sea then you would expect. Abzu holds some amazing secrets, and it will leave you wanting more.

Xoxo,
Dark Princess

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