Abzu (2016)

It's interesting reading the other reviews and how a few people were disappointed by the lack of substance and content. I feel like I had a very different experience playing the game, so here's some thoughts I had that I wasn't sure how to fit into a cohesive review about why I thought the game actually had quite a lot to say despite the lack of dialogue and traditional story structure.

Transitioning from the peaceful blue depths of the ocean accompanied by whales and squid, to the harsh metallic reality that's poisoning the ocean from below, is something I wasn't prepared for. The contrast between the two is visceral and borderline uncomfortable at times. Despite not seeking out that kind of experience I fell in love what it had to say. The metal underbelly you explore is protected by floating triangular mines that pulse the closer you get to them, threatening to explode. They use these to push you into tight corners, forcing you to navigate carefully around them until you almost feel claustrophobic; strangled by the idea that there is no escape.

What I like about it is that in previous games I've played these kinds of stressful moments would typically be used for the sake of challenge and later accomplishment after you've gotten through the level, except here it feels different, it almost feels like the intention is for you to fail, to feel trapped, for the sake of the narrative that's being told and you're simply meant to experience that and continue on. It really elevates and drives home the harsh, stressful environment which haunts the wildlife in the game. Evocative of what's happening in our own world. The pay off later on and how it then completely flips the mechanics is equally as beautiful and inspiring.

I also appreciate that they've taken a typically vilified animal like the great white shark and instead portrayed them as a thing of beauty that you end up caring for, and ultimately comes to protect you and drive the change that regenerates the ocean. A truly beautiful game both inside and out.

It can be a powerful thing when games use their voice to move you, Abzu manages to do so without saying a word. Tranquil, introspective, urgent, and so full of life and inspiration.

A must play for any nature lover or enjoyer of the visual and audio arts.

I really liked the game (or "interactive experience" as I've seen someone put it). I recommend it if you like minimal story, told mostly through visuals/gameplay and don't have Thalassophobia. It did not trigger any motion sickness all the way through, which I am still genuinely surprised by but really happy about.

My favourite part was the bottom of the ocean with giant skeletons and those shockers. At first I thought they were bombs, especially once they started "ticking". I was so surprised the first time I got shocked, it was truly an unpleasant experience and I think they nailed it. It was really making me upset, not annoyed or frustrated, just really, really upset. I also liked the part with the extinct fish, really good way to show that we've entered a very old, isolated area. The environmental message didn't feel old, despite it being overdone by now in every form of media (though increasingly more relevant as time goes on), and I think they did a good job of making me experience it rather than just observe/witness it passively. Again, they really nailed it with the shockers.

Seriously, look at them. Because there's not much else to do in this game. At least the fish are pretty and there are a lot of them.

The basic gameplay loop: Collect a robot buddy. Use the robot buddy to open a door. Get sucked by a current into another area. Occasionally follow two parallel chains to flip the two switches to open a door. Rinse & repeat for 2hrs or so.

And at the end, you fuck a shark or something. I don't know.

Well geez this is quite a game. Note that this is the first game i played on my Oculus Quest. It's not a VR game per say, but I knew it would be great if i could get it working (I talk a bit about how to do that at the end of the review)
Abzu is a minimal and artistic game with lots of weight on visual presentation. It's very similar to the game journey in the lack of speech or text, UI, and a short length. It's also a walking sim / adventure type game with very light puzzles.
Everything is very pretty in this game. the fish, the shadows and light, the textures of every surface.

I think the main reason I loved this game is how there are tons of fish in this game it's really like swimming in an interactive aqaurium! (It's great to do this in third person camera on a wide screen with slight blurry things on your face it's like looking out of a mask or into a fish tank.) You can identify fishes and find these stone statues where you can sit atop them and 'fish watch'

If this game sounds boring, you are gravely mistaken. A lot of thought and effort was put into the narrative sequences and the whole thing has managed to have a very cinematic feel, as you are constantly advancing from one sequence to another. Plus the experience of swimming alongside fishes gives it a dynamic feeling. (I find a faster movement like, driving/flying/swimming more dynamic than merely walking)

Perhaps its because I played it in VR I had a better experience. I've made an effort to play more games like this, and it's very suitable.

The neat thing about VR Headsets is there are a lot of options to play things in virtual desktop type interfaces, some are natively supported and some are third party. (I even found a way to do a remote desktop type connection, but this was hardly ideal as there was lots of input lag, this isn't stadia!) Playing non-VR games with headsets isn't something that I knew much about because my friend who had a headset never did show me you could (and i'm not sure if he explored it really). But it's hard to describe just how much it does enhance ANY game to have it take up your entire field of view and be in a completely isolated plane of reality. Brawlers, shooting games, side scrolling games are all amazing! But it isn't the easiest thing to set up. It took quite a bit of troubleshooting and dickering about to get things working proper. At first I had a bit of blurriness then fiddled with settings in SteamVR. Next I had audio issues that were fixed by telling windows I had a stereo sound system instead of 5.1. Then I had these terrible black streaky screen tearing that took me a very long time to figure out how to fix: the solution was to enable to in-game in oculus 'home' to enable a setting under high qulaity panelling "enable vr layers" I could never really get BigScreenVr to be lag free with a game for whatever reason (I think it has to do with a discrepancy between Vsync or refresh rate between a PC and another device, as it isn't because the thing is underpowered) I wound up launching steamVR through the oculus software and in the simple 'vaporwave' type background (I disabled the SteamHome aka SteamTours because it is a resource hog) I got pretty much perfect response, visual quality and framerate, and geez was it worth it. Would easily reccomend this game to just about anyone. If you like artsy casual type games,or stuff to play on a VR headset this is top, if you like fish, scuba or snorkeling or sunken civilizations this is definitely a must play.

I like walking simulators. I loved exploring in Subnautica. I once lamented that it was a shame Destiny 2 didn't have a ghost mode that would just let you explore freely. So you'd think this would be the game for me, right? Nope.

The problem with Abzu is that it is a bunch of nothing. There is no story. The ""gameplay"" is just doing the same exact things a bunch of times. The environments aren't very impressive. It mostly comes across as an early beta where they haven't implemented the actual game part yet.

The thing that sets games apart from other media is interaction. In Papers, Please you really feel the oppressive nature of an authoritarian government. In Dear Esther you explore this (for its time) beautiful island where someone went crazy, trying to figure out what happened. In any game the interactive elements have to add to your enjoyment. If they don't, you may as well watch a playthrough on YouTube.

Normally a pointless game that doesn't make me feel anything might get two stars. However, Abzu also features a bare-bones options menu, weirdly clumsy controls that can't be remapped and constantly constantly takes away your control. Worst of all is that moving requires you to hold a mouse button while sprinting requires you to tap the other button every 5 seconds. Both of these should have been toggles or keyboard keys. No one wants to hold the right (!) mouse button for two hours, christ.

This game is just breathtaking.

I've always had an affinity for water, but actually going out snorkeling or diving is not my thing. This is that perfect middle ground between fantasy and real-life diving with sharks and other cool shit.

It only takes a couple of hours to get through (it's been a while, but I'd say probably 2-3), and you're taken through a whole range of experiences. From lush reefs with chill fish, to dark and dangerous mine-filled waters, to ancient ruins and discovery, to, finally, the last area which is absolutely gorgeoussss.

I don't know how many times I said "whoooooa" or "oh, mannnnn" out loud, but I'm gonna go with...a lot.

This took me about 2 1/2 hours to finish, but in that time I gushed about the different fish I found and reminisced about my time snorkeling off the coasts of Guam.

I really enjoyed this title. I'd give it full marks if only it were longer.

I do, however, recommend it to anyone wanting to explore the ocean (with a twist) for a few hours.

I am not sure that I will be able to do this title justice in a review, but I thought I'd give it a shot. As almost every other review out there, this one will mention Journey, which is a fair comparison as the transition one has between different states of curiosity, awe, fear, despair and finally pure joy is very similar. It is almost insane that a game manages to take you through all those emotions in such a short time.

The first time I played Journey, I was blown away that such a simple game could engage me as it did. This time around I was somewhat more prepared with respect to what to expect, and I was in no way disappointed.

This is one of those few games where I turn off trophy settings and simply sit down and relax. I explore the nooks and crannies, not because a trophy compels me to, but because I want to see, and to experience. It is very rare that a game manages to bring out my childish sense of curiosity.

The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful, and although it is all set underwater, the developers make use of the full colour palette. Most people will probably agree that water levels in games are more often than not executed poorly, but you will find none of that here. Swimming around is a joy in and of itself, and there is nothing quite like grabbing hold of a shark and compelling it to leap through the surface like a dolphin. It controls great, and the game really knows how to give you a sense of speed whenever you decide to dash off towards something unknown hidden in the depths.

The story itself I will not spoil, it is simple, yet rewarding. I would at least like to say that the payoff is fantastic. The final 15 minutes of the game is probably the best way they could end it, and I sat there playing through it with a huge grin on my face.

To sum up; if you ever find yourself wanting to relax with something simple, something where you don't have to worry too much about what a game expects from you, then ABZÛ is perfect. It is appropriately paced — takes around 3-4 hours to complete — meaning that it never outstays its welcome. It is one of those games I could easily show my family, who aren't gamers, and I am positive they will enjoy it as much as I did.

I really wish I took some pictures for this review, but I was too busy loosing myself in the awe inspiring scenery to be bothered.

After beating the 30-40-hour Twilight Princess a little earlier, I wanted a shorter palate cleanser before the start of my work week. I pulled up a comfy chair, fired up Abzû, and enjoyed the next two hours of gorgeous aquatic exploration.

This game is frequently compared to Journey, and understandably so. It shares a similar beauty, a love of Spielbergian reveals, a mysterious silent protagonist, and an arc that contextualizes success with near-failure.

It is a fair bit shorter and, at least for me, easier... two qualities that may be positive or negative, depending on your sensibilities and/or time management skills. But there's also a more relaxed vibe for the most part, and the inclusion of meditation points where you can stop and see things from the point of view of your fellow aquatic denizens is a really nice touch. Though I'm sure you could make an argument that this is basically "Journey, underwater edition," I never felt that while playing.

Frankly, if this is the sort of experience games like Journey inspire... I say, bring on the imitators!