Developed by Giant Squid
Published by 505 Games
Released for Xbox One (1/2017)
Also on PC/PS4/Switch
ABZU is an underwater exploration game developed by Giant Squid and released for multiple platforms in 2017. ABZU is a rather brief experience, but the beautiful visuals and intriguing story make it worth a play through.
The story in ABZU is told to the player through visuals and the game contains no spoken dialogue. While the story is a bit vague and leaves quite a bit to be interpreted by the player, I still remained interested to see what would happen next as I played. Swimming through each area in ABZU is a joy thanks to the game's beautiful visuals helping to make the ocean waters feel crowded and alive. The game makes great use of colors and the graphics are rendered in a cel-shaded fashion that fits the game appropriately. The music accompanies the visuals well and helps add to the ambience.
The controls are simple and work well once you get the hang of them. You can invert the camera if you need to so everybody should be able to find something they're comfortable with. There are a few parts where your character gets out of the water and moves around on land. These sections tend to control a bit clunky, though the game doesn't really ask you to do anything too hard so it's not that big of a deal. Along your journey there are several types of collectibles scattered about. There are fish pools, hidden shells and meditation statues for you to find. When you find a fish pool and activate it, you'll unleash a new variety of animal into the environment. You can sit on top of meditation statues and observe the fish, complete with the ability to switch between multiple cameras each assigned to a different fish type. You can also choose to meditate from the main menu if you just feel like watching some fish swim around. If a player manages to collect all of the hidden shells you can unlock an alternate suit for your character.
The entire game can be completed in anywhere between 3-6 hours, depending on how much time you spend exploring. While a bit on the short side, ABZU is definitely still worth experiencing, especially if you're in the mood for a relaxing game as it can be an almost zen-like experience at times. Also if you enjoy unlocking achievements ABZU's are all quite easy to obtain. In addition to being released digitally there was also a physical release for ABZU.
Final Verdict: ABZU is a short but enjoyable swimming exploration title. If you enjoy a relaxing gaming experience this is for you!
Related Links:
Buy ABZU - Microsoft Store
ABZU - GameFAQs
Giant Squid Studios - Official Site
505 Games - Official Site
Strategy Guides/Walkthroughs:
ABZU Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements
ABZU - True Achievements
ABZU Video Walkthrough by Maka - YouTube
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