Giant Squid touts it as “a universal myth that resonates across cultures,” but it never feels as grand as that. The problem is that Abzû also attempts to tell a story that isn’t as enthralling as it wishes to be. However, since you’ll be doing more or less the exact same thing for two hours (important if you’re the type to gauge game value in a hour-to-dollar ratio ), it has an overly-simplified feeling.Įven that caveat is not necessarily a bad thing! As I mentioned prior, I had a rough week and needed some relaxation time, so having what almost amounts to an interactive aquarium has a relaxing component to it that I enjoyed. The skill barrier that keeps many from trying games is lessened, making this a more universal experience that anyone could try. That the controls are simple is both a blessing and a curse. Swimming itself is mostly intuitive, though when doing a sort of loop-de-loop and inverting yourself, the controls almost seem to reverse themselves and become unruly. There are also small portal things you can interact with to bring new life into the ocean, and a set of of collectible items that you can seek out.Īnd that’s it.
You can meditate on certain statues to watch the surrounding creatures as they live out their lives, both succumbing to and benefiting from the food chain. Along the way to your unstated goal, you drift through the ocean on a linear path, occasionally finding some kind of switch/lever/item that allows you to progress through another door. But here, that’s really the only substance that Abzû offers. When I write reviews, I generally explicate aesthetics last, treating them as the pretty little bow that wraps up the way a game feels, moves, interacts. In fact, wouldn’t it be better to just know? The imagination is always more terrifying, right? It’s inviting enough to tantalize even someone afraid of the inky abyss with promises to the player that whatever’s around the corner can’t be that horrible. Similarly, Austin Wintory’s music is dense yet delicate, as graceful and arcane as the water you’ll propel through on this journey.
There’s not a single area that feels like an artistic B-side swimming through an armada of swirling fish, discovering submerged statues, and synchronizing your swimming with gargantuan whales all make for incredibly memorable visuals. From start to finish, you’ll guide a character known as the Diver through a harlequin kaleidoscope of sea life. Intrigue, mystery, and wonderment were expected and somewhat delivered, but Abzû‘s oceans seemed deeper before I took the plunge.ĭeveloper Giant Squid is helmed by Matt Nava, art director of Flowerand Journey, and he immediately makes his presence known with Abzû‘s very first splash. But this week, my day job was five straight days of grueling-ass landscaping that involved bleeding hands and breathing dirt, so a two-hour descent into the depths sounded pleasant, especially if air conditioning was involved. I spoke at length about my underwater-gaming-anxiety when I previewed Abzû, so actually reviewing it was something I approached with apprehension.