Abzu Reviews

Abzu is ranked in the 79th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9 / 10.0
Aug 7, 2016

Despite its relatively short length (again, about three hours from beginning to end), Abzu does provide the option to go back in again and see what you missed, or simply goof off with the sea life. It's definitely a game that's well worth returning to, especially just to partake in the visuals and calm your nerves a little bit.

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95 / 100
Aug 7, 2016

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.

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Aug 7, 2016

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.

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7 / 10.0
Aug 6, 2016

Scouring Abzu's marine paradise opens an argument for emotive communication and softened storytelling. Too often, however, Abzu is less a defense of its beliefs and more a negotiation out of a cornered medium.

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Aug 6, 2016

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.

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3 / 5
Aug 5, 2016

A short journey in the depths of the ocean. A slow paced and relaxing journey, with a bit of action, accompanied by a calm soundtrack. The artistic scenery and soundtrack are best things in the game, the rest is either average or below average.

Review in Arabic | Read full review

72 / 100
Aug 4, 2016

Despite a short length and underwhelming gameplay, Abzu makes for a compelling adventure thanks to its striking visuals and a great soundtrack.

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Aug 4, 2016

Abzu offers a lush, gorgeous world to explore.

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3 / 5.0
Aug 4, 2016

Giant Squid Studios clearly wants Abzu to be as evocative of an experience as Journey, and while I enjoyed how calming it was, I ultimately found myself unsatisfied after my three-hour playthrough. The game's world and setting is incredibly beautiful and atmospheric, but there just isn't enough meat to the game to really sate your hunger.

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NZGamer
Top Critic
7 / 10.0
Aug 4, 2016

Stunning art and music design, but shallow when it comes to depth of meaning and gameplay.

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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.

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90 / 100
Aug 3, 2016

Rather than ask players to challenge themselves, ABZÛ gives you the freedom to explore the mysteries of the deep at your own pace, providing an ebb and flow that offers a masterful experience.

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8 / 10.0
Aug 3, 2016

What more needs to be said? ABZÛ is a beautiful experience. It's still technically a game, but one that can be appreciated by anyone who loves bright colors, art, fish, meditation, and more. If it weren't for the PlayStation 4's fans kicking up due to all the high-poly rendering, it could even make for a nice virtual aquarium. For $19.99, there are definitely other games with more regular gaming content. However, ABZÛ is one experience that many people should not pass up on.

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10 / 10.0
Aug 3, 2016

If you aren't entranced by mechanically shallow games like Journey, don't bother. But if you find exploration titles even marginally interesting, Abzu is an absolute must-play – it's the most majestic one yet.

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8.4 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2016

During the 3 hours of my playthrough, ABZÛ impressed me for pretty much all of the time. The game is as intuitive and fun to control as it is alive and beautiful to explore, qualities that end up making up for the small gaps in storytelling and lack of more in-depth puzzles. It's an experience that deserves to be played with full focus, all at once, with the headset on the head and with very little to no information about its set pieces. Unfortunately, it will be inevitable to suffer from comparison to thatgamecompany games, but Matt Nava shows that he learned very well from the time he spent with them.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

77%
Aug 2, 2016

ABZU is a beautiful game. The graphics are amazing and the music is fantastic. This game deserves to be played by everyone.

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Stevivor
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2016

Between the rich visuals, orchestral soundtrack and chill playing experience, you'll find something to like.

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8 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2016

Abzu is an interactive exposure of wonderful underwater nature, concentrated but memorable. However, the game is still missing an important message, a sort of subtext that can impress the player. It remains an important debut for a young team that will be able to achieve great things, with a little more experience.

Review in Italian | Read full review

100 / 100
Aug 2, 2016

Even with its short length, ABZU stands out as an amazing video game that is not so much a game in the traditional sense, but more of an experience that will affect us all in different ways. Like Journey before it, this game proves that the medium we all know and love is just as much of an art form as writing a book, painting a picture, or filming a movie. In fact, it may even provide an even more personal connection to someone than these other art forms, because it can be interacted with to formulate a unique experience for everyone that plays it.

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9 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2016

On the surface, ABZÛ is a simple game, but there's an incredible amount of polish, detail, and artistic integrity at hand. The game is beautiful without sacrificing any of its main components, which makes the whole experience better as a whole. There are a couple technical stumbles, but the overall product is nevertheless exceeding.

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