Abzu Reviews
A wordless, calm game that manages to transmit so much narratively using only wonderfuly serene music and pretty visuals. The somewhat undirected gameplay loop suffers a little from underused mechanics and can become a little repetitive, however, due to its 2-hour-long duration the music, visuals and fun tranquil exploring is substantial enough to provide a short but very enjoyable experience.
ABZU is an amazing, self-contained experience with really minimal performance issues on Nintendo Switch. There’s not really anything to dislike about this game, which is a worse way of saying that ABZU is a phenomenal experience that I would recommend to anyone. It doesn’t matter what platform you play it on, just play it.
ABZÛ is a rich audiovisual experience. Its universe was made to be appreciated, and every single gameplay hour serves to fill an internal void in the player themself. At every moment, the game reinforces that its art direction is its strongest aspect, provoking strong emotions. On the other hand, its narrative leaves some blank spaces, and the variety in its mechanics is virtually null.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
With exemplary visuals and audio, Abzû takes the player on a memorable journey to the depths of the ocean. It’s not a hard, complicated, or long game, but it’s aesthetically impressive, delightful to control, and emotionally rewarding.
Abzu is a game that is better experienced than explained. Featuring gorgeous visuals and a story that leaves the door open enough for your own personal interpretations. The only real drawback to the game is that it may be a bit too short for those overly concerned about cost per hour.
Even as the credits rolled for Abzu I still couldn’t hope to tell you what it all means. It’s an experience that’s full of wonder, some breathtaking moments, and managed to make me feel a bit more connected with nature. What you may come away with may differ but I’d be a bit shocked if anyone could play it without it hitting them somewhere emotionally. The beauty of it all, the wonderfully fitting musical score, and small moments of the unexpected make Abzu a pretty special experience even if I may question whether it’s necessarily a game. In the end I don’t know that I much care, it’s something that will still stick with me for some time.
ABZÛ is a serene experience that has no equal on the Nintendo Switch. It’s one of the most captivating and moving experiences one can have with a video game. It is art and something that will be memorable for years to come. If you are willing to surrender yourself to a video game and embrace all it has to offer, then ABZÛ is the game for you.
Still Abzu-lutely magnificent, but now on the go with Nintendo Switch
Abzu is not a game for everyone. You need to take your time to enjoy the scenery and all the beautifully designed and colorful animals and vegetation. Abzu looks more like an interactive screensaver than a real game. If you're okay with mediocre gameplay mechanics and like to take a slow dive into the deep ocean, Abzu will be very calming and relaxing.
Review in German | Read full review
Abzû is not as original as it could be, borrowing as heavily from its spiritual predecessors as it does, but I can whole-heartedly say that Abzû is one of the best games I've played in 2016.
If you're looking for a magical adventure, you might just stop looking. ABZÛ has some great moments and atmosphere, even if that carries price of its short length. If you've liked Journey, you will like ABZÛ as well.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
It's very rare that a game releases and can bring out these types of emotions and feelings within a player. Abzu is worth every second that it lasts, which for me took just under three hours. That includes exploring more than just the path from one area to the next. It's a game that is worthy of being explored and experienced, and it will leave you in awe and wonder as you slowly figure out the story, what is happening, and why it's happening. The ending caught me completely by surprise, which in fact was a great thing. Giant Squid Studios created something extraordinary with Abzu, and it will certainly stick with me for quite some time.
It's an overwhelming experience with a captivating story submerged in beautiful visuals and music. It has some magical sequences and is an all-around unforgettable game. It holds moments of relaxation but also action and tension. It explores ones of the few places left on earth we still have yet to fully understand and embraces that mystery and wonder. ABZU is a reflection of what makes video games so amazing because they create places and feelings that we will never be able to experience, like the feeling of being one with the ocean.
ABZÛ its a chilling and remarkable experience from beginning to end.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Abzu is just a perfect game that's only held back by being a few hours long, but that shouldn't at all stop you from enjoying such a lovely world.
ABZÛ is by no means bad. It's an admirable new studio first effort, one worth a dive for its technical, visual, and audio sensory pleasure that together succeed in offering a relaxing, zen-like experience.
If Abzu existed alone, it’d be in its own class. However it has a titan of non-verbal storytelling to contend with. And while in many ways it is excellent, it just can’t quite live up to what came before. However even falling short of perfection leads to greatness, and Abzu is in so many ways great. A game that is absolutely worth every penny, a unique experience, and a truly breathtaking title. If you were curious about this oddly named experience, dive down into its depths and you should find a real treasure.
For those looking for the next Journey, ABZÛ may disappoint. It’s a very enjoyable game but is leagues below its predecessor. Pun intended. For all the niggling gripes listed above, there also appears to be something missing. It’s a game with a very strong message, beautiful vistas and a lot of heart, but the main character felt a bit lifeless. There were times when it got truly tense, but after realising the mechanic in those sections, any connection I had with the character disappeared.
Abzu is an artistic triumph in every single way. In most of the different areas in the game, you can rest on a particular rock and meditate. And I found myself just sitting on these rocks and switching between the different views and the different species of fish and watching how they move and interact with each other. And I found this to be oddly relaxing, almost like I was watching a David Attenborough documentary. The only thing I can fault Abzu for is the length of the game, which if you take it slowly and get all the trophies is a 4-6 hour experience. But in my personal opinion, I would rather have a short amazing experience than a long drawn out mediocre one. If you haven’t played any of Matt Nava’s game before I highly recommend you pick up Abzu and then Journey.