Abzu Reviews

Abzu is ranked in the 79th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Recommended
Aug 2, 2016

Unique and visually striking, Abzu doesn't quite make the most of its underwater setting but remains a highly compelling adventure.

Read full review

IGN
Top Critic
8.4 / 10.0
Aug 1, 2016

Abzu takes the graceful feel of movement and subtle push toward discovery that I've enjoyed in similar exploration games like Journey and Flower and builds a refreshing-yet-simple underwater adventure around it. The colorful settings, beautiful soundtrack, and basic controls made it a great experience that constantly piqued my interest, even if it never challenged me to master it other than deciphering its cryptic environmental clues. Instead, Abzu relishes in giving you freedom to simply enjoy exploring the fascinating deep blue sea.

Read full review

88 / 100
Aug 2, 2016

There are few games quite as curious and beautiful as Abzû, and fewer of its kind on the PC. It’s a short, dense journey filled with intense wonder and inherent beauty, and every inch is worth seeing.

Read full review

Aug 2, 2016
ABZÛ - Easy Allies Review video thumbnail
Metro GameCentral
Top Critic
6 / 10
Aug 4, 2016

A disappointingly direct copy of Journey that offers an incredible audio and visual treat, but lacks the deeper meaning of the original.

Read full review

Aug 2, 2016

Absolutely gorgeous and a joy to behold, but sticks too close to Journey's formula for its own good.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2016

Abzû isn't for everyone, but it has its rewards if you stop to enjoy them

Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2016

Abzu is gorgeous and calming but a little shallow

Read full review

9 / 10
Aug 2, 2016

Abzu is deeply, transcendentally beautiful--not just visually splendid, but emotionally evocative. Without question, it is this year's Journey.

Read full review

Kotaku
Top Critic
Unscored
Aug 2, 2016

Abzu is a lovely, pleasant game, one well worth experiencing for yourself. It unfolds in unexpected directions, a relaxing exploration in a beautiful and mysterious world.

Read full review

Aug 2, 2016

Does beauty alone justify a game? Can the novelty of swimming through majestic oceans teeming with life overcome an otherwise fairly by-the-numbers experience that never quite achieves the creative heights it so earnestly aspires to? I suppose that's down to the player, but as much as I wanted to love Abzû, the end result fell just short of brilliance. It's worth playing for the incredible presentation, but don't expect something profoundly new here.

Read full review

7 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2016

I did enjoy being in the water, but I can't help but feel the beautiful visuals and music were jamming pictures of places and emotions in my face instead of earnestly telling a compelling story. There's an unshakeable air of falsity about Abzû. As a treat to the senses, however, it's hard to beat.

Read full review

Game Revolution
afillari
Top Critic
Aug 2, 2016

The developers at Giant Squid have made an impressive debut with ABZÛ. While very brief, almost overly so, the journey was still one to remember, especially when it features one of the most visually striking and cathartic endings in recent memory. ABZÛ is a spellbinding and visually stunning experience. I can't recommend this title enough, and it's definitely one you'll want to check out.

Read full review

8 / 10
Aug 9, 2016

If Giant Squid had removed every trace of its name from Abzû, you could easily have mistaken it for a thatgamecompany production. For a developer to nail that same sense of artistry and wonder with its debut is nothing short of amazing.

Read full review

8.7 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2016

ABZÛ is a wonderful experience that follows the path of games such as Flower or Journey, where we play to feel. This is an almost perfect masterpiece which should be played by everyone.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Unscored
Aug 16, 2016

Abzû is a beautiful audio-visual treat that's light on challenge but big on wonder.

Read full review

8.8 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2016

A mesmerizing audiovisual triumph that will feel heavenly to your eyes and to your ears, unfortunately without warming your heart as much as you would expect. It probably won't leave you teary-eyed like Journey did, but it will still be a trip absolutely worth embarking for.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2016

Abzû is one of the greatest looking games in existence, with a simple message at its heart. You'll revel in the wonders of its beautifully designed ocean.

Read full review

VideoGamer
Top Critic
8 / 10
Aug 2, 2016

Abzu is a testament to where we are with video game development and shows how diverse the medium can and should be, even if it's not quite as emotionally resonant as it perhaps could have been.

Read full review

Unscored
Aug 2, 2016

Abzû is a beautiful game. It's a game stuffed with fish and colour and movement and music. I love those things. Sometimes you feel like you're actually inside an episode of Blue Planet (I recorded the video above during one such moment). But I don't love wrestling for control of an experience which feels expansive one moment and restrictive or unpredictable the next.

Read full review