Abzu Review
Anyone who you talked to about Abzu before its release said the same thing. That it’s the “spiritual successor” to the indie darling Journey. This is a lot of pressure to put on any game, let alone a studio’s first game. I know that a lot of the same team who worked on Journey made its way to Giant Squid (the studio that made Abzu), but that doesn’t make it any less difficult. Journey was the fastest-selling game on the PlayStation store at that point and took home game of the year awards from IGN, GameSpot, and many others. Journey is one of my favorite games of all time, comparing another game to it will only leave me disappointed when that game isn’t able to achieve those lofty expectations.
But then I played it. And immediately questioned that thought.
Giant Squid knew exactly what it wanted to do with its first game. To tell a story, a good story. And that’s exactly what Abzu excels at. Critics might call it simple, I won’t refute that, but I would point out that sometimes it’s the simple things that mean the most.
Abzu has no dialogue unless you count the angelic Latin hymns that you hear in the more climactic moments. But even without words, you know exactly what you need to do, and the game still hits you with enough emotion that you’ll never forget what it was like the first time you played it. Whether you’re just exploring the abundant underwater life or about to get zapped by a mine, you feel as invested as you would with any other game with a longer story and actual dialogue.
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In a lot of ways, it feels more like a movie you’re playing along in. The game is linear, with a few areas where you can search for hidden items, but there is never any doubt about how to get to the next stunning location. You can beat Abzu in about two hours — something I don’t recommend — if you’re in a rush. But it’s hard not to get lost in the scenery, to explore all the crevasses and to do my favorite thing, ride all the aquatic life you can find.
There isn’t a lot of stress when playing Abzu, you literally and figuratively just go with the flow. Occasionally you must avoid dangerous mines, your punishment if you stray to close is brief electrocution. Luckily the mines are easy to avoid because the controls are smooth enough that you navigate the water like you were born there. Along with the mines, there are a few elementary puzzles that require you to activate an item or two to advance to the next section. It’s a perfect game to put on after a stressful day so you can decompress while also learning the names of sea life.
Does Abzu deserve the comparisons to Journey? Yes! And also no. Abzu is without a doubt beautiful and has a wonderful soundtrack along with having a similar story structure and play style to Journey. But what made Journey a pantheon game was that it was groundbreaking for its time. While Abzu follows the blueprint as close as any game could, it ultimately feels like a copy.
I love Abzu, there is no question about that, but part of me wishes Giant Squid would have tried to be braver with its debut, to innovate a little. Ultimately Abzu is Journey but underwater. It feels like when phone companies put out the same product as the previous year, but just a higher number in the name — sure I’m still going to buy it and use it, but I will be a little disappointed.
Final Verdict:
The overwhelming beauty and masterful score means this game will get a good score no matter what. The slight lack of depth (get it?) when it comes to originality will keep it from getting a perfect score.
I’m giving Abzu 8.9 dolphin rides out of 10.
