Abzu (2016)
Nintendo Switch · PC (Microsoft Windows) · PlayStation 4 · Xbox One
3.61 from 1611 ratings
5141 members have it in their collection · 94 playing now · 2036 backlogged · 542 wish listed
How long? Main story 2h · with extras 3h · 100% 4h (from 96 logged playthroughs)
Details
- Developers
- Giant Squid
- Publishers
- 505 Games
- Genres
- Adventure, Indie, Puzzle
- Themes
- Action, Educational, Fantasy
- Events
- PlayStation E3 2016 Press Conference, PlayStation E3 Experience 2015 Press Conference, PlayStation E3 2014 Press Conference
- Steam
- View on Steam
Release dates
- Aug 02, 2016 (Full Release) (Worldwide) PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4
- Dec 06, 2016 (Full Release) (Worldwide) Xbox One
- Nov 29, 2018 (Full Release) (Worldwide) Nintendo Switch
Also available on
- Abzu: Deluxe Edition (2016) · PC
Featured in lists
Rating distribution
5 stars
276
4 stars
637
3 stars
525
2 stars
146
1 star
27
Community All Reviews Statuses
Review KyushuTrail 3/5 · Mar 25, 2024
Swimming with the fishes
ABZÛ is a short and sweet underwater exploration game. It was pretty chill swimming around with the fish. The visuals and music were lovely.
There are some ancient ruins and a few very simple puzzles to solve, but if there was a story or some meaning to it all - it swam over my head.
It’s not something I’d replay …
ABZÛ is a short and sweet underwater exploration game. It was pretty chill swimming around with the fish. The visuals and music were lovely.
There are some ancient ruins and a few very simple puzzles to solve, but if there was a story or some meaning to it all - it swam over my head.
It’s not something I’d replay or try to get the platinum trophy for, but I had a good few hours with it :)
Review Morcys 5/5 · Nov 15, 2023
Do you remember the video game Journey for the PlayStation 3? Well, Abzu would be its aquatic counterpart. It is an absurdly beautiful game, a masterful composition worthy of a million compliments. The journey is short but I wish it could be eternal because it makes you want to stay floating in the abyss, observing its majestic and intimidating beauty. …
Read moreDo you remember the video game Journey for the PlayStation 3? Well, Abzu would be its aquatic counterpart. It is an absurdly beautiful game, a masterful composition worthy of a million compliments. The journey is short but I wish it could be eternal because it makes you want to stay floating in the abyss, observing its majestic and intimidating beauty. In Sumerian culture, during the times of Enki, Abzu was the name given to the place where marine life began, located in the darkest, deepest, and most inhospitable part of the ocean.
Review Shirochwan 5/5 · Jun 21, 2023
La voie de l'eau
Woah. Après un Paper Beast que j'avais trouvé décevant, j'hésitais à me replonger dans un "simulateur de promenade" (je ne peux pas vraiment utiliser le terme walking simulator pour le coup ahahah).
Deux heures et une claque plus tard, je suis soufflée. Abzû nous emmène dans un monde marin aux couleurs chamarrées, une véritable fable écologique qui nous autorise à …
Woah. Après un Paper Beast que j'avais trouvé décevant, j'hésitais à me replonger dans un "simulateur de promenade" (je ne peux pas vraiment utiliser le terme walking simulator pour le coup ahahah).
Deux heures et une claque plus tard, je suis soufflée. Abzû nous emmène dans un monde marin aux couleurs chamarrées, une véritable fable écologique qui nous autorise à nous poser et à méditer. La direction artistique toute en cell-shading portée par une musique symphonique grandiose (avec une mention spéciale pour l'utilisation des choeurs) nous immerge, sans mauvais jeu de mots, dans un monde où les requins sont vénérés comme des divinités et où l'homme a déchainé sa violence.
Le fait que le jeu arrive a en dire autant en étant muet montre à quel point il est maitrisé.
La navigation sous l'eau est instinctive, naturelle, organique. On se surprend à se trouver gauche les quelques fois où l'on marche hors de l'eau. L'animation est d'une fluidité remarquable, le seul petit souci technique que j'ai rencontré c'est une caméra des fois un peu capricieuse mais ça ne suffit pas à éclipser l'expérience de ce jeu.
Review AlphaStigma 3/5 · Aug 6, 2022
Lovely little game though a bit boring
It's quite a beautiful game visually and has a nice atmosphere. Reminds me of Journey, but I found this a bit more boring for some reason, maybe I was just not in the mood for this kind of game now. Still, it's short so I finished it mainly for the visuals and audio experience.
Review Gianni 5/5 · Oct 20, 2020
Amazingly gorgeous
Really liked this game. It´s a short little adventure, filled with charm, colours and beautiful scenarios. It took me like 3 hours and it was worth every single minute. The only thing I didn´t like so much was the controls; it took me a while to finally get used to them. They were slow but that's not my problem because …
Read moreReally liked this game. It´s a short little adventure, filled with charm, colours and beautiful scenarios. It took me like 3 hours and it was worth every single minute. The only thing I didn´t like so much was the controls; it took me a while to finally get used to them. They were slow but that's not my problem because to me the speed is perfect considering that is like a walking simulator. I really loved it and never seen anything like it, it made me so happy looking at all the fishes and stuff. Recommended 10/10.
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Review V1CGaming 5/5 · Jun 2, 2020 Completed
Incredible, short, atmospheric game..
Amazing! This is one of the most gorgeous games I have ever played. No need for attacks, enemies, guns or vehicles. Just you, an infinite sea, and the fauna that inhabits it. If you enjoy exploring, and like sea creatures, then this is definitely the game for you. 2 hours is the perfect run for this kind of game. Beautiful!
Review SIGINT 4/5 · May 11, 2020
Finally played through this tonight and it’s a real stunning little gem.
The artistic direction and technical execution is amazing, with a vibrant look that I’m sure will age brilliantly. It effectively conveys a simple but emotionally engaging plot and even a bit of “lore” without saying a word. I think there’s a lot of value in that as something …
Finally played through this tonight and it’s a real stunning little gem.
The artistic direction and technical execution is amazing, with a vibrant look that I’m sure will age brilliantly. It effectively conveys a simple but emotionally engaging plot and even a bit of “lore” without saying a word. I think there’s a lot of value in that as something universal, something different for the industry, just like what stuff like Fantasia does in the 2D cartoon world. The underwater setting is painfully underused in games, and here they absolutely nailed it, with so many colors and creatures and awesome moments of scale, wildlife activity, and dark, quiet feelings you could only get here.
The gameplay is simple, but it feels great just to swim around, with little flips, leaps, and spins for a bit of “self-expression.” Puzzle-solving and exploration is very small in scope, and it doesn’t seem possible to die, which for this particular story I think is the right direction. This will be an easy go-to if I ever need to ease someone into 3D gaming.
Just $6.99 on Xbox at the time of writing!
Review MrSpanky 4/5 · Dec 15, 2019
A nice trip
A nice trip inbetween more serious and demanding games.
Like a vacancy, in the depths of the ocean.
Review MoldyPoldy 4/5 · Oct 31, 2019
Relaxing, wish it didn't turn into a game
Wonderful game with varied environments, but when the mines start it gets more on-the-rails and less engaging.
Review Predefiance 4/5 · Jan 6, 2019
Wonderfully charming
ABZU is an exploration game that utilises a cell-shaded art style to really drive home its charm. The colours are bright, explosive in places and add depth to certain areas; the hues being used to evoke themes and emotions.
The story is simple and without dialogue which is an obvious design choice as it allows you as the player to …
ABZU is an exploration game that utilises a cell-shaded art style to really drive home its charm. The colours are bright, explosive in places and add depth to certain areas; the hues being used to evoke themes and emotions.
The story is simple and without dialogue which is an obvious design choice as it allows you as the player to fill in the blanks and come to your own conclusions. As a result, it felt refreshing to play and experience a game that made me think.
The controls are fluent, easy to get control of and the character responds easily to inputs. It can get disorientating sometimes with the camera moving completely around the character and the spaces being generally large, sometimes without a placeholder to re-orientate yourself.
Overall the game is absolutely charming and full of clever design and its simplicity is welcome as an indie title. This game is best played in summer where you can pretend you're diving to the depths of the ocean.
Review CureForCancer 5/5 · Aug 8, 2017
What a beautifully vibrant and ponderous game this is. I actually enjoyed this more than journey. I believe the key theme here is balance. Harmony between what we take and what we give back. It's a game that left me thinking for hours. My own contribution to society and the faults I've been guilty of. What society as a whole …
Read moreWhat a beautifully vibrant and ponderous game this is. I actually enjoyed this more than journey. I believe the key theme here is balance. Harmony between what we take and what we give back. It's a game that left me thinking for hours. My own contribution to society and the faults I've been guilty of. What society as a whole has been guilty of. What I value and what I disregard. None of it is made obvious and that's what makes it so wonderful. Give it a chance and make sure to pay attention to everything
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