Abzu

Genre: 3D Exploration

Players: 1

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Review:

Abzu, first released on multiple platforms in 2016 and ported to Nintendo Switch in 2018, is a difficult game to pin down to a genre. Players explore a vast ocean, but this is a linear experience, not an Open-World game. There are obstacles to be surpassed that one might describe as puzzles, but these are of no significant challenge and Abzu can’t really be described as a Puzzle game. The game feels like an adventure of sorts, but this isn’t really a good fit for the Graphic Adventure genre. You might consider it a Walking Simulator, but there’s no walking in the game and players explore a fully 3D space, with no narrative or clear story. Really, the best way for me to describe the genre of Abzu is to compare it to other games that are vaguely similar – specifically, games from ThatGameCompany like Journey and Flower.

This is probably to be expected, as this game was created by some of the same people who worked on Journey, and it shows in the presentation. Simply put, Abzu is absolutely gorgeous, giving players a fantastical vision of what oceanic exploration could only be like in our wildest dreams, a thrill ride through wildly diverse and colorful environments absolutely teeming with life filling every corner. These visuals are all slightly abstract, so I hesitate to say that Abzu is one of the most technically-impressive Nintendo Switch games, but its vision of an underwater adventure is delivered here so flawlessly that it is nevertheless one of the prettiest games to grace the platform. These stunning visuals are accompanied by a lovely orchestral soundtrack that’s perfectly suited to the mood the game is trying to convey at any given moment.

If there’s an area where Abzu isn’t quite as successful, it’s the gameplay. Movement in a 3D space is a bit awkward, although thankfully players aren’t asked to do much here beyond getting from one point to the next, perhaps interacting with a few points of interest on the way. There’s very little depth here (pun not intended), and players are mostly just along for the ride – do not expect anything even remotely resembling a challenge here, this is intended to be an interactive experience more than a game. And this is an experience that’s over in a mere few hours.

However, while Abzu is brief and not challenging, it is nevertheless enjoyable during the short time it lasts. I’d say that this game never reaches the same sort of emotional heights or makes use of the same sort of clever mechanics present in Journey, but it remains an absolutely beautiful audiovisual experience that’s every bit as much of a joy on the Nintendo Switch as it was on other platforms. I a beautiful oceanic experience that’s all about a journey of visual splendor (and not so much gameplay) sounds interesting to you, you should absolutely give Abzu a try.

tl;dr – Abzu is a family-friendly audiovisual experience in the same vein as games like Journey and Flower, which makes sense as it was created by some of the same people. This game has you exploring a beautiful, diverse ocean teeming with life. While the gameplay is shallow and lacks any sort of challenge, and the game never reaches the emotional heights of Journey, this is still a beautiful and exhilarating experience well worth having.

Grade: B

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