ABZU Review for Nintendo Switch

Blue skies and blue seas

              The ocean remains one of the greatest mysteries of the planet Earth. The vast sea covers the majority of the surface of the world, it is a constant that surrounds and defines many people’s lives. Yet there is still much that is unknown about it. ABZÛ, developed by Giant Squid and published by 505 Games, tells the tale of a diver who awakens in the middle of the ocean and begins exploring the depths of the sea and the ancient secrets that lie beneath it. Discovering the remnants of an ancient civilization is coupled with interacting with ocean animals of all kinds, adding to the beautiful nature of the game.

              ABZÛ opens with the diver waking up floating; the sheer gleam of the bright blue sky reflecting off the ocean’s surface is nearly blinding but breathtaking. Moving down below, the diver begins to encounter the wildlife that inhabits these waters. The controls are simple, but those are the only words that the player encounters in the entire game. There is no dialogue, the story being told entirely through environmental clues and cutscenes.

Restoring the ocean’s beauty, one ancient temple at a time

              As the diver is exploring each area, they stumble upon dead zones. Completely devoid of life and color, these areas have a singular point of interest. A glowing structure in the middle, where entering means traveling to another plane of existence. In this other realm, the diver awakens the power of the structure, filling the dead area with life once more and bringing back a guardian of the area. With four different shrines and four different guardians, it provides plenty of stunning moments. The revitalizing of these areas is the main mission, and it is always followed by opening to more ruins. In these ruins, the stories of the people who lived in harmony with the creatures of the ocean is painted on the walls. Going from playing with sea turtles and dolphins among color coral reefs to these bleak dead areas is jarring to say the least. However, restoring these havens to their former beauty breaths life not only back into them, but also back in you as a player.

An unlikely companion

              The diver is essential alone in this adventure, save for a few small robots that aid in removing barriers. But those are left behind when the diver moves into a new area. The sea life also tend to stay in one area, so once you move on, it is unlikely that you will see them again. The one living creature that accompanies the diver throughout the entirety of the story, is [spoiler show=”Show Spoiler”]a great white shark. The shark strafes the line between fear inducing and amazing, but it joins the diver as an ally later in the tale. This great white shark turns out to be pivotal to salvation of the ocean, against the mysterious enemy that has been wreaking havoc across this ocean.[/spoiler]

Moments of Joy

              Though gameplay is simple, it does not take away from the game whatsoever. Frankly, it’s a nice break from the standard these days of having way too many things to keep track of in video games. But the true beauty of ABZÛ comes from its ability to create memorable and wondrous moments. When a game is able to make you genuinely smile sitting alone in your living room, that is when that game has true power. Riding the deep-sea creatures, discovering the ruins left behind by these ancient people, fighting to restore life to the ocean. All moments that will leave an imprint on the heart. All create little moments of joy.

Take a Look at the ABZU Nintendo Switch Trailer:

ABZÛ is available for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam. For more information, please visit here: http://www.abzugame.com/