Abzû (2016, PS4) - for the first time
2Abzu was made by former members of Thatgamecompany. Famous for games like Flow, Flower and most of all Journey.
People that worked on Art, lead design and music were few that brought us the closes thing to replicating Journey. I neither say that as a positive or negative. It's a great experience. Is it on par with Journey. Absolutely not.
This time around we are in a water environmet instead of sandy dunes where ocenas are deep and vast (well). In terms of pure beauty and wonderment, musical aesthetics and simplistic gameplay coupled with visual and environment storytelling game is up there with the greats.
What lacks to make it as good as Journey are finishing touches and at times deeper more layered structure the base of its story and gameplay roots.
Doing a game that requires you to swim 97% of the time is brave. Swimming ins't something games have managed to capture to perfect degree and most of all joy of play. Abzu does suffers of some issue due to that. Camera have a bit of a mind of it's own. Character control is not as tight and a bit loose. Trying to turn and make manoeuvre's can be and will a bit too cumbersome at times due to how momentum is presented. If we could stay still and make adjustments towards desired direction axis wise - and then be allowed with button hold to do regular movement it would've been great improvement.
Alas the marvel of marin life is there to take your breath away and maybe teach you about certain species that dwell in the different layers of that almost foreign world.
Again though, similarly to Journey game does have limitations and often - not as well masked - you can feel the boundaries or the frame of this virtual aquarium.
The playground we happen to be part of requires little to none gameplay variety and options. Visual and environmental is the main lead that keeps you move forward. Story is sparse and vague with paintings of old trying to tell a bigger story. Unfortunately the roots and base doesn't go as deeper. The connections we make along the way are hastily done and don't linger for long with the heft of emotion they attempt to evoke.
Our character isn't very a memorable design and looks a lot like diver - duh. It was very close to be something that does represent a sea creature, but feels alien at the same time, alas more inputs were probably required to get there. In terms of progression we have sections where we get teleported and feel out of place/order because we as observer lose our location. Stuff disappears after some scenes as if there werent there. Huge issues is the somewhat clear, but also unclear goal. We go deeper, then we go blank, but did we go down or up? I hava a theory that we actually raise the levels of the oceans to reach a building high in the air - which in turn conflicts with experience. Did we suffere defeat earlier at the same location and trying to reach the same objective or we went to the one in the sky.
Some sections feel a bit drawn out at the end (with non impactful walk sections), while others - specifically in "enemy" territory - brief and not further developed. Again I will mention Journey. The balance there is almost perfect. Even on rail sections feel perfectly put and gameplay wise enjoyable to replay. In Abzu we have a couple too and they are lovely to witness - more of a look how awesome it is, than actually a joy to ride due to how limitating it is.
This went into a review zone. Abzu is wodnerful game, which unfortunately leans too much on it's past titles lessons which it was inspired from. It doesn't fall flat, but it also doesn't soar brightly as it's predecessor.
Recommend it if you like simple, serene and short relaxing type of games (and ocean life). We need more of those!
Abzu is part of 9 free games on playstations, so you don't have excuse not getting it while it last. Go for it. Your imagination will be greatful.
p.s. Had one bug towards the end. -- Watch live at https://www.twitch.tv/freebiebg
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