But when the simple switches to open gates didn't hold my attention, invariably something would happen – like joining a pod of blue whales diving into parts unknown – that would re-capture my attention and fire my imagination. The ambient sounds also do a great job carving a niche through the otherwise silent murk.Īs I uncovered buried drones that opened new areas, and discovered glyphs depicting the concerns of a previous civilization, I started to wonder if there were other gameplay surprises in store. It's more than an accompaniment like the sea life that fills the screen, the music is a vital component that imbues everything that happens. Austin Wintory's excellent soundtrack surrounds the entire experience. The placid sea life and the sumptuous visuals envelop you, and both are refreshed by great diversity. The ambient sea life fills this void like a character in and of itself, and you can study their hypnotic movements from meditation spots in the environment.īecoming entranced with Abzû is easy. The environment doesn't have a lot of objects or avenues for interaction, but it's also not like an adventure title where you are reduced to running around the room pressing a button just to see if you can make something happen. The game has simple gameplay mechanics that let you interact with the world in order to continue your movement through it, but gameplay is not the core of the experience.Ībzû is not an open world, but it's exciting to see what's around every corner, even if the path you're treading is linear.
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I explored the seas as a lonesome diver and relished letting my curiosity take over as I opened new areas, encountered sea life, and investigated the forces acting against the ecosystem. That clarity is there if you want it, but in the end I found more pleasure in the moments and world that developer Giant Squid created than the actual reasons at its center.Ībzû creates its own space between genres and expectations.
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The more I played, the more I became fixated on finding explanations in every facet of the game's story and a clear sense of how its gameplay compared to other titles I've played. The result is an experience that's as deeply and emotionally personal for the player as it is for the Diver.I didn't know what I'd find within Abzû's waters, or whether the answers I was looking for were truly down in the depths. While Abzu gives you the building blocks, the game ultimately leaves it to you to write your own story. The game encourages players to explore areas off the beaten path, to discover the elements of the story on their own, and to interpret what they find as they see fit. This influence is shown in the paintings and writing on ruined temple walls, as well as the ethereal shrines where the diver returns life and light to dead areas of dark water. The game takes its name from the ancient Sumerian myth of a cosmic sea that exists between the Earth and the underworld. Just based on the presentation alone, Abzu is a phenomenal experience, but there's a deep story here as well.
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It's almost Zen-like to ease up to a stingray and hitch a ride on it, cruising through the currents and watching the schools of fish zip by. Movement in the game is fluid (no pun intended), not only for the Diver but for the animals, the plant life, and everything else surrounding your senses. The best way to describe the game is poetry in motion, as you swim through the ocean depths, surrounded by all manner of aquatic life. There seems to be a never-ending debate as to whether or not video games could ever be considered true works of art, but this could easily be considered a masterpiece.
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