Sunday, January 5, 2020

Video Game Review #214: Abzu

Abzu
PlayStation 4



Nostalgia Factor:

I recently re-subscribed to PlayStation Now for one month. One of the things I like about this service is that it gives me access to a bunch of smaller indie-type titles that I never would have gotten the chance to play otherwise. In fact, I have already taken full advantage of this. Just the other night I was looking for something quick and relaxing that I could complete in one sitting. After doing a little research, I decided to settle on Abzu.

I didn’t know much about the game, other than that it was underwater and it was supposedly very atmospheric and artful… and most importantly it could be beaten in one sitting. Perfect! How would I like it? Let’s find out.




Story:

I don’t know if this game really has a concrete story per se. There are cutscenes in this game where things happen, but there is no speech or text. Nothing is ever explained. You swim around, explore, touch things, and look at murals that don’t really mean anything without the proper context. Lots of magical shit happens, like environments shifting and your character getting transported to mystical landscapes. This sounds incredibly lazy from my end, but I really don’t know how else to describe this other than that things happen and nothing is explained. I think that the intent of the game is that things are up to your interpretation. Normally I am not a fan of this particular method of story-telling, but it is fine here. You play to experience the game’s atmosphere. Everything else is secondary.




Gameplay:

I don’t think it would be horribly inaccurate to describe this game as an underwater version of Journey. These two titles share a LOT of common traits. Things begin with you being dropped right into the game with no direction whatsoever. It’s up to you to figure out where you are supposed to go and what you’re supposed to do next. As far as I know, there is no death in this game. You simply follow the direction the game vaguely guides you, solving easy puzzles and opening up new areas.

Controls are pretty simple to get a hang of, but I did find myself running into issues with the camera from time to time. It was nothing game breaking for me, however. At most it was just a minor nuisance. But still, a nuisance is a nuisance.

On the whole, Abzu isn’t a very long game, nor is it very challenging. You don’t fight anything. You don’t die. You just explore and solve puzzles. I don’t think it told me my total play time at the end, but it couldn’t have been any more than three hours, and that is a generous estimate.

I’ve seen better gameplay. I’ve played games that are more “fun” than this. What makes Abzu work is the sum of its parts. Maybe the gameplay on its own is nothing to write home about, but factor in the graphics, the sound, and the overall atmosphere of the game and you’ve got something special.




Graphics:

Don’t let this game’s screenshots fool you. If you’re just looking at still images from the game, Abzu looks like nothing special. This is a game that you have to see in action to appreciate. Although the characters and the environment are very simplistic, they are also very colorful and well-animated. The whole world of Abzu comes to life like nothing I have ever seen or experienced in a video game before. Picture an underwater version of the Wind Waker world while tripping on LSD.

It feels cliché to describe the game as magical, but I can’t think of any other way to say it. I have never been as in awe of a game as I was with this one. There are so many WOW moments where I found myself absolutely mesmerized by what was going on onscreen.

I would hardly ever recommend a game to someone based solely on its graphics, but Abzu is so breathtaking that I wouldn’t feel guilty in doing so.




Sound:


Abzu’s music and sound effects match everything happening onscreen to a T. While it is impossible for the game’s sound to be as magnificent as its graphics, it is still pretty darn good. The majority of the game takes place underwater, so expect to hear a lot of splishing and splashing and that hard to describe hollow echoing sound that you hear when you put your head underwater.

The game’s music is very subtle, matching the calm underwater tone of the game. When magical things happen onscreen, the music picks up and crescendos appropriately. I can’t say much other than that the game’s music and sound effects work in tandem with the game’s graphics to create a truly stunning atmospheric experience. Do yourself a favor and play this in the dark with your headphones on.




Overall:

I expected this game to be a quick, fun, inoffensive time. While it is all three of these things, it is so much more at the same time! I had no idea how magical the world of this game would be when I started playing it. I found myself getting pulled into the world of Abzu almost instantly. 

Although the game is short, I found myself completely absorbed the entire time I was playing it. Usually I don't like games that don't have clear and defined storylines, but I found myself so charmed by Abzu that I didn't even care about its abstract/nonexistent story. 

I don't know how else to describe Abzu other than as an experience. It's unlike nearly every video game I have ever played, with the exception of Journey and a small handful of indie titles. Be warned though, this game may not be for you. If all you see if my positive final review score and you don't read anything else, you may come into the game expecting something that it's not. Abzu is different. It's not "instant fun" like Super Mario or Sonic the Hedgehog. If you come into the game expecting something like that, you will be disappointed. This is an excellent game, but it isn't necessarily its "fun factor" that carries it - it is everything. The atmosphere, the graphics, the music, the sound effects, that sense of wonder as you see the game's magical creatures and landscapes unfold in front of you.

I couldn't have asked for a better way to kick off my month-long subscription to PlayStation Now.



Final Score:
A-


If you liked my review of Abzu, check out some of my other game reviews:

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