ABZU

I've been meaning to play Abzu for the last 6 years. I've heard about it back in 2019, it was exactly the type of game I love the most - artistic, no-dialog, story / feelings driven, relaxing and cozy. I've heard only good things. But, with every year passed, I was more and more hesitant. I've realized over years that some great games hit you only if you play them not too long after release. And that's because, contrary to popular belief, we get better at game design every year. Technology also still goes forward. So playing old games that I've been excited to play... sometimes it feels to risky. Like I know with years my expectations grew and at the same time the game grew older so there's no way for these to meet. How did it work with Abzu? Abzu is alright! As usual, it took some time to get into it, but after a few changes of scenery and a little bit of story clues dropped, it was enough motivation for me to continue. I always admire games like Abzu for being able to tell a story with so little. How do these games manage to all the bits in story arcs, the highs and the lows, the hero's journey, without a single word said and a single explanation made? How do you come up with that? Of course it's not a crazy complicated greek tragedy, but it's enough to add a little bit of meaning to player's journey, to fill in the gaps for what's happening on the screen and have a feeling like through the game you've moved forward. When 6 years ago I've heard about Abzu and asked what it is, I've heard "you just swim with fish and it's so beautiful". I have to say, all the fish flocks behaviors, world interactions of everything moving from player's path, main characters movement, it's so smooth. So well done and so satisfying every time you swim through a coral raff. The game has its charm. It's beautifully art directed, with just color and light doing its job. But it's not something I would put a wallpaper of. It knows its limitations and how to play with them, the artstyle is also as universal as it can be. Through the game there are scattered "meditate" statues, on which you can sit and watch fish swimming around you. I had no intention on sitting on any of them. I believe the fish are accurate and everything, but I had no joy looking at them for longer. The game also has a few moments when you're clearly suppose to go "wow". And they were nice, some were even cool, but they didn't feel as majestic as they were built up for, or presented. What I'm saying is - one of the main strengths of Abzu was suppose to be a feast for the eyes, and sometimes it manages to scratch that itch, but not most of the time. Most of the time all I see is just low poly graphics, and from time to time you get a nice looking painting. Last thing I want to say - Abzu gets better. I'd say I started out bored, moved to curious, and at the end I was captivated. It's almost an inverse of the usual game retention curve, but I suppose these don't work in a 2h experience. Abzu is a short, chill, meditative experience. Something to calm down with. It serves its role perfectly. Something nice for anybody who does gamedev - just to see how differently games can be made. Maybe it's also for kids, since it's captivating and simple to play. For me however it was more of a time-killer, than a time-enhancer.

muito bonito

Chill game, worth a play for the low...

A short yet beautiful, relaxing and cinematic experience about bringing life back to the dying ocean. Great soundtrack. I have no words to describe how incredible this game is.

A master class in stylized environmental design can be found in the game. This game employs a colorful, impressionistic style that makes its ocean come to life rather than striving for photorealism. An amazing sense of scale and wonder is produced by the use of dynamic lighting, such as how sunlight penetrates the kelp forests or how the abyss completely absorbs light. It is quite captivating to see thousands of fish move in synchronized, algorithmic schools. A single playtime takes about 1.5 to 2 hours, thus the experience is brief. Apart from discovering a few hidden collectibles, there is very little mechanical motivation to return once the credits roll due to the environments' extreme linearity, even though shortness isn't intrinsically a drawback.

I got to ride the whale, I am complete.

gg