Date played: October 23rd
Platform: PS4
I started and finished ABZÛ!
ABZÛ is a weird little game. It's 2 hours long, it doesn't have any text (except for menus), no voice acting, cut scenes are very limited and everything is mysterious and unexplained. In many ways, it feels exactly like Flower and Journey did.
This game is all about a diver that explores the seas and tries to reinvigorate the ocean by restoring life to it. The game is linear, but with open areas ripe for exploration. There are secret seashells to find, new animals to "activate" and cryptic paintings that tell a bit of a story. Progress is gated by simple puzzles, for example, activating a set of pulleys. However, the joy of the game is simply to explore the amazingly detailed environments, each teeming with life.
My daughter watched the whole thing and she was really cute to watch. She would try to infer the story by studying the paintings and would help me find seashells. She was captivated by the incredible visuals. There really is something special going on with ABZÛ. While the creatures aren't as detailed as a big release, and the textures are simple by any standard, the sheer number of creatures roaming around the diver make up for it. The game runs flawlessly also, with a great framerate throughout.
There are some crazy moments in this short game. My favorite of the whole game was a glorious swim with a group of whales. The sense of scale is very good. Another great moment is when the shark that had been sort of threatening during the whole game just dies in front of me, crushed by a large explosive device. Speaking of which, there was something ominous and weird going on. There are explosive mines sometimes, and impossibly large structures underwater. This is far from being a realistic game, even though it features real animals. It almost feels like a fairy tale in a lot of ways.
I couldn't call this post complete without mentioning the beautiful classical soundtrack of the game. It fits perfectly with the visuals and creates a wonderful experience. ABZÛ is a fantastic little game, and I'm really glad I played it with my daughter.
Platform: PS4
I started and finished ABZÛ!
ABZÛ is a weird little game. It's 2 hours long, it doesn't have any text (except for menus), no voice acting, cut scenes are very limited and everything is mysterious and unexplained. In many ways, it feels exactly like Flower and Journey did.
This game is all about a diver that explores the seas and tries to reinvigorate the ocean by restoring life to it. The game is linear, but with open areas ripe for exploration. There are secret seashells to find, new animals to "activate" and cryptic paintings that tell a bit of a story. Progress is gated by simple puzzles, for example, activating a set of pulleys. However, the joy of the game is simply to explore the amazingly detailed environments, each teeming with life.
My daughter watched the whole thing and she was really cute to watch. She would try to infer the story by studying the paintings and would help me find seashells. She was captivated by the incredible visuals. There really is something special going on with ABZÛ. While the creatures aren't as detailed as a big release, and the textures are simple by any standard, the sheer number of creatures roaming around the diver make up for it. The game runs flawlessly also, with a great framerate throughout.
There are some crazy moments in this short game. My favorite of the whole game was a glorious swim with a group of whales. The sense of scale is very good. Another great moment is when the shark that had been sort of threatening during the whole game just dies in front of me, crushed by a large explosive device. Speaking of which, there was something ominous and weird going on. There are explosive mines sometimes, and impossibly large structures underwater. This is far from being a realistic game, even though it features real animals. It almost feels like a fairy tale in a lot of ways.
I couldn't call this post complete without mentioning the beautiful classical soundtrack of the game. It fits perfectly with the visuals and creates a wonderful experience. ABZÛ is a fantastic little game, and I'm really glad I played it with my daughter.
