ABZU

 PC
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 412 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 235 out of 412
  2. Mixed: 120 out of 412
  3. Negative: 57 out of 412

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  1. Johnnycakes80
    Dec 13, 2021
    9
    Beautiful game and very different than anything else I've played. It's calming and feels peaceful. Just wish it was longer.
  2. Isaac_7
    Aug 11, 2021
    8
    Quel plaisir que de ce retrouver complètement plongé dans cet univers aquatique coloré et musicale. Le jeu et avant tout très contemplatif et très simple dans ses mécaniques. Mais son gros point faible reste ses contrôles...surtout à la manette. Le clavier et la souris règlent plus ou moins le problème mais c'est le genre de jeu qu'on aime faire à tête reposée et manette en main. C'estQuel plaisir que de ce retrouver complètement plongé dans cet univers aquatique coloré et musicale. Le jeu et avant tout très contemplatif et très simple dans ses mécaniques. Mais son gros point faible reste ses contrôles...surtout à la manette. Le clavier et la souris règlent plus ou moins le problème mais c'est le genre de jeu qu'on aime faire à tête reposée et manette en main. C'est dommage. Mais je le recommande vivement à tous ceux qui hésitent encore à se lancer dans cette aventure courte, certes, mais riche en émotions. Et pour les plus curieux ou / et passionnés de la mer et des océans c'est un bon moyen ludique de découvrir quelques espèces sous-marines.… Expand
  3. boogiesmeister
    Oct 14, 2020
    10
    I rarely give reviews, much less frequently a 10/10. I have 30 years of playing computer games. I play this one together with my 4y old daughter with pad and in front of tv and it's just perfect. It's gorgeous, it's full of interesting places, the environment is super rich and it's simple to control. It's obviously not a game for a hardcore gamer, if it's you feel free to consider ABZUI rarely give reviews, much less frequently a 10/10. I have 30 years of playing computer games. I play this one together with my 4y old daughter with pad and in front of tv and it's just perfect. It's gorgeous, it's full of interesting places, the environment is super rich and it's simple to control. It's obviously not a game for a hardcore gamer, if it's you feel free to consider ABZU 0/10 - you will not find anything interesting here. However for kids and casuals it's ideal. As such it's just perfect.… Expand
  4. fireyose
    Mar 24, 2018
    7
    A meditative experience that lasts just the right amount. A creative journey through the deep world of the blue. Will replay this when life gets stressful. Recommend.
  5. inkling_girl
    Jun 26, 2020
    10
    beautiful. beautiful. beautiful. beautiful. beautiful. beautiful. beautiful. MASTERPIECE.
  6. Pedrollelo
    Jun 10, 2020
    10
    Muito lindo, a soundtrack é duka e eu sempre gostei de tubarão, pra mim tá perfeito.
  7. ali_arkani
    Aug 9, 2016
    8
    This game is a short, peaceful experience in the heart of ocean. There are no bloodshed, no fight, no enemy, just some time to think about nature & learn to respect it.
  8. Ixnatifual
    Jan 2, 2017
    4
    I enjoyed playing this game. The gameplay is pretty simple and linear. You pretty much just swim around while looking at pretty things in form of the local flora and fauna. The graphics are not particularly advanced, but the art style makes it beautiful. The AI does a great job of simulating schools of fish.

    Have you ever seen those nature documentaries where a huge school of fish swim    I enjoyed playing this game. The gameplay is pretty simple and linear. You pretty much just swim around while looking at pretty things in form of the local flora and fauna. The graphics are not particularly advanced, but the art style makes it beautiful. The AI does a great job of simulating schools of fish.

    Have you ever seen those nature documentaries where a huge school of fish swim in a circle to protect themselves against predators and wondered what it felt like to be in the middle of that? Well, you can try that here. Kind of.

    The reason I'm giving a relatively low score is a combination of the game's length and the price tag. €19.99 is way too much for a game that lasts only two hours and has very little replayability. If you can get it at a discount at around 70% or more, and you want a relaxing game that doesn't challenge you, but gives you something nice to look at, go for it.

    I grabbed it at for €5.99 during a Steam sale and felt I mostly got my money's worth out of it.    … Expand
  9. Ozimandeus
    Aug 17, 2016
    8
    I loved every moment of the game, sadly, it was so short that I have to score it much lower than I wanted to. I've been craving a game like this on the PC for some time. There are echoes here of Ecco the Dolphin on Dreamcast, which was a stunning game. Chillout games on PC are really just starting to happen again, and it's a wonderful moment. I recommend this to anyone who loves underwaterI loved every moment of the game, sadly, it was so short that I have to score it much lower than I wanted to. I've been craving a game like this on the PC for some time. There are echoes here of Ecco the Dolphin on Dreamcast, which was a stunning game. Chillout games on PC are really just starting to happen again, and it's a wonderful moment. I recommend this to anyone who loves underwater themed games, and anyone who just wants to chill out playing something beautiful for an hour.… Expand
  10. gloriouspotato
    Jan 1, 2017
    6
    ABZU relies heavily on visual spectacle and the grandness of its orchestral soundtrack to entertain, yet I found the experience to be relatively unengaging. The gameplay revolves around repeating the same objectives over and over while I was left aimlessly trying to string together some semblance of a story or message from vague murals of what I presumed to be the people of a bygone age.ABZU relies heavily on visual spectacle and the grandness of its orchestral soundtrack to entertain, yet I found the experience to be relatively unengaging. The gameplay revolves around repeating the same objectives over and over while I was left aimlessly trying to string together some semblance of a story or message from vague murals of what I presumed to be the people of a bygone age. What I was initially expecting to be a 'spiritual' experience of sorts turned out to be a rather underwhelming experience.… Expand
  11. Vzhik
    Feb 6, 2017
    7
    Красивое, приятное расслабленное созерцание. Что еще надо чтоб отдохнуть и поднять настроение? Может чуть графику получше.
  12. Saint_Satan
    Aug 3, 2016
    7
    Excellent game but it's only 1 hour long (took me 1 hour and 15 minutes exactly) and cost $20. Twenty bucks for an hour is pretty steep. It's best to wait for a sale of $10 or less. Definitely worth checking out though. It's a very high qaulity, but short, experience.
  13. NP-complete
    Aug 9, 2016
    10
    Gorgeous visuals, gorgeous music, and a gorgeous story about something very important in everyone's life. Ignore the reviews from players who only played this game once and didn't understand anything. Like Journey, several playthroughs are necessary to get the general meaning of the story, and even more playthroughs are necessary to get the specific metaphor of each chapter. Like Journey,Gorgeous visuals, gorgeous music, and a gorgeous story about something very important in everyone's life. Ignore the reviews from players who only played this game once and didn't understand anything. Like Journey, several playthroughs are necessary to get the general meaning of the story, and even more playthroughs are necessary to get the specific metaphor of each chapter. Like Journey, the meaning is not "free and ambiguous", there IS a clear and intended meaning and it's amazing (Jenova Chen explained the meaning of all chapters of Journey in DICE 2013, and maybe Matt Nava will eventually do the same for Abzu). So just ignore all reviews from players who were not patient or clever enough to get it. Part of the story itself consists in playing it several times until you get its true meaning, so make yourself a favor and play it several times until you get it. A helpful hint: read about the meaning of "Abzu" in Babylonian religion, particularly about the double meaning of word "Ab", it helps a lot. But do it only after you finish the game!… Expand
  14. gamergurl2427
    Aug 25, 2016
    7
    There's one good reason to play Abzu and that's how unbelievably pretty it is. If however you are looking for engaging gameplay and story, there isn't much here. But boy is it pretty.
  15. Penguxn
    Aug 2, 2016
    10
    This game reminds me a lot like Journey. It's one of those one day games you can just immerse yourself into and the gameplay is just so casual and amazing. It's most defiantly a game worth playing. If you want a game that pulls you into the experience this is most defiantly the game for you.
  16. Hazephaelos
    Aug 2, 2016
    9
    This amazingly relaxing game combines smooth controls(controller plugged into pc), amazing graphics with a perfect soundtrack. Only reason its not a 10/10 is its shorter length. That being said, I paid more at the movie theater last week for one movie than I did for this game. Replay-ability for when I need a game to relax me.
  17. zenmonk
    Sep 1, 2016
    8
    Very cool experience. I've been looking for more ambient games like this, in order to balance out my bread-and-butter of competitive multiplayer games. This is a very solid entry into the genre, and had some moments that were unparalleled in my video game experience. It should be noted that by "ambient game", I mean a game that is not so much a game, as an exploratory experience. My onlyVery cool experience. I've been looking for more ambient games like this, in order to balance out my bread-and-butter of competitive multiplayer games. This is a very solid entry into the genre, and had some moments that were unparalleled in my video game experience. It should be noted that by "ambient game", I mean a game that is not so much a game, as an exploratory experience. My only real gripe with Abzu, is that while it's completely easy and barely a game, it nonetheless employs game-like unlock mechanics, that seem glaringly skinner-boxed compared the the total freedom of the rest of the experience. There were many moments that visual ecstasy gave way to feelings of grindiness. The unlocks are so unbelievably easy that I can't imagine they were intended to be a challenge, yet there they are. ABZU with no locked doors would be one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had.… Expand
  18. ChaosSS
    Aug 9, 2016
    5
    Повелся на рекламу типа от создателя и композитора шедвера "Journey"
    А еще там супер-мего современный и реалистичный UE4… и от этого я был в шоке, правда.
    Но это и близко не шедевр. Во первых оно короткое. Конечно Journey так же быстро проходился (2-3 часа) и был линеен. Но простите, в Journey был сюжет, была его подача, был фактически продуман целый мир и целая цивилизация. Ее    Повелся на рекламу типа от создателя и композитора шедвера "Journey"
    А еще там супер-мего современный и реалистичный UE4… и от этого я был в шоке, правда.
    Но это и близко не шедевр. Во первых оно короткое.
    Конечно Journey так же быстро проходился (2-3 часа) и был линеен. Но простите, в Journey был сюжет, была его подача, был фактически продуман целый мир и целая цивилизация. Ее рождение и ее смерть, все это если не подавалось автором, то было настолько открыто и очевидно, что каждый игрок мог невольно нафантазировать что угодно. А момент смерти ГГ в снежном буране и вознесения на гору, так вообще держит за яйца особо впечатлительных и до сих пор.
    Есть ли подобное Abzu что все ее сравнивают с Journey и Flower???
    Нет.
    Во вторых в игре нет ничего нового или своего. Все что в ней есть (геймплейного) это копипаста из Journey и Flower один в один.
    Увы, сейчас этим уже никого не удивить.
    Нет банальных чувств, нет волшебства, внезапной встречи под водой с другим ноунейм игроком по сети как в Journey и той нет. Геймплей – скучен и стерилен до невозможности. Бессмысленно смотреть на рыб, надоедает спустя полторы минуты. Возможно кое-кто поведется на небольшую цену (300 с чем-то рублей), кому-то вкатит ибо не было кинцолки и Jоurney, Flow и Flower.
    Но у этой игры нет души, что печально.
    Итого итог - 5/10 неплохая замена marine aquarium.
    --
    Достоинства: Неплохой визуальный стиль, неплохая музыка
    --
    Недостатки: Завышенные требования при никаком графоне, скучный геймплей, отсутствие волшебных мелочей, жалкая подделка и клон Шедевра. И таки да она безумно короткая.
    Игру и в правду могла спасти продолжительность. Будь она раза в 2-3 больше с большим количеством зон и красочных биомов, не забывая о геймплейных аспектах, простеньких головоломках, или на худой конец поисках всяких разных интересностей. Увы у мистера Nava есть только видение идеи, а как из идеи сделать шедевр, или просто интересную игру, а не посредственный клон который больше напоминает демку, он не знает.    … Expand
  19. HSuke
    Jul 30, 2019
    1
    This "game", if you could even call it a game, is dead boring.

    The best way to describe Abzu is that it's a visit to an aquarium where there are no exhibit descriptions. Abzu does not come anywhere close to being as beautiful or enjoyable either of its spiritual predecessors, Journey & Flower. Visually and aurally, it's almost as good as Journey. It has a beautiful soundtrack and    This "game", if you could even call it a game, is dead boring.

    The best way to describe Abzu is that it's a visit to an aquarium where there are no exhibit descriptions.

    Abzu does not come anywhere close to being as beautiful or enjoyable either of its spiritual predecessors, Journey & Flower.

    Visually and aurally, it's almost as good as Journey. It has a beautiful soundtrack and looks aesthetically pleasing, which isn't surprising it uses the same composer and art director.

    However, gameplay is completely dead. There is simply no gameplay. You're just swimming around in a giant aquarium going from point A to B to C ...

    The story is also nowhere close to the story of Journey, which can potentially be a really sad tale (depending on who you meet), especially you realize the giant twist at the end. Even Flower, which barely focused on story, had a more absorbing plot-line than Abzu.    … Expand
  20. agurczuk
    May 9, 2017
    7
    A pretty game in the style of the Journey that somewhat fells short of it's spiritual predecessor.

    There is no way to review this game without comparing it to the Journey. It's pretty much the same premise. There is not much game in a game - it is a very calm, beautiful experience that focuses on the journey of the main character rather than any particular story or puzzle solving.    A pretty game in the style of the Journey that somewhat fells short of it's spiritual predecessor.

    There is no way to review this game without comparing it to the Journey. It's pretty much the same premise. There is not much game in a game - it is a very calm, beautiful experience that focuses on the journey of the main character rather than any particular story or puzzle solving.

    Starting off with the setting. You're a some kind of diver travelling through an underwater world. So here's the first thing you need to know - the whole game is an underwater level. That gives you some additional movement directions but you're going to be swimming all the time. The good thing is the swimming does not feel sluggish like in some games and is pretty enjoyable. This however puts some limits on the level design. The areas need to be enclosed and because of that they feel more like a series of lakes or pools rather than open waters - although there are instances of that but are rather rare.

    The graphics are stunning - very colourful and alive. Sometimes it feels like there's too much going on at the same time, but still it sets a very good relaxing feeling. Accompanied by a superb soundtrack it's a game to just chill and feed your senses.

    The game however lacks a bit in the meat of the game. When played there's very little aside the visuals and great music. When playing Journey I had the feeling of going somewhere, discovering different ruins, wall paintings gave a sense of discovery and progression. There was this mountain in the distance I was going to reach and on my way I learned about the world through environment. This is missing here. You just swim from area to an area. Touch an underwater thing to release some fish. Swim with fish. Activate some underwater drone that will cut open a net in the way and swim again. There are some triangular things floating in the water but somehow they lack context. I never felt intrigued. Just swam from one area to the next.

    Overall I kind of enjoyed the game. Though it felt a lesser experience when compared to Journey. It's definitely pretty and worth picking up if you know what you're getting into. If presented with choice - go for Journey.    … Expand
  21. fludziom
    Dec 22, 2016
    2
    Just bought it on sale and finished the same evening. Absurd game, stupid really. Childish. Bad controls. Short (thankfully). Performance issues. Didn't find it relaxing at all.
  22. lalkabusya
    Aug 11, 2016
    10
    10/10 лучшая игра года, первая игра которую я прошел больше одного раза. Очень красивая и атмсоферная плюс очень круто подобран саундтрек. Игра на любителя, лично мне сюжет понравился
  23. LaKillingFrenzy
    Aug 18, 2016
    8
    This game is a short, peaceful experience in the heart of ocean. There are no bloodshed, no fight, no enemy, just some time to think about nature & learn to respect it.

    Yes I copied this. I did because it's very true and I couldn't have said it better myself.
  24. jelikey
    Aug 8, 2016
    8
    This amazingly relaxing game combines smooth controls(controller plugged into pc), amazing graphics with a perfect soundtrack. Only reason its not a 10/10 is its shorter length. That being said, I paid more at the movie theater last week for one movie than I did for this game. Replay-ability for when I need a game to relax me.
  25. SuperkenGaming
    Jan 31, 2017
    7
    Abzu
    A peaceful scuba simulator
    Abzu comes from the mind behind the art direction in flower and journey and it shows… This game very much follows the same structure of those games for better or worse. Here you play as a mechanical diver… Because of this you have no gauges to keep an eye on or air to worry about... The burden or survival is completely lifted off of your back you just    Abzu
    A peaceful scuba simulator
    Abzu comes from the mind behind the art direction in flower and journey and it shows…
    This game very much follows the same structure of those games for better or worse.
    Here you play as a mechanical diver…
    Because of this you have no gauges to keep an eye on or air to worry about...
    The burden or survival is completely lifted off of your back
    you just swim and explore...
    Its starts as such a nice calming adventure breathing life into the ocean bed
    swimming with the predators and prey with no care at all…
    Noticing little subtleties and reactions of the oceans inhabitants that really bring the ocean world to life…
    You can even grab onto the larger creatures and go for a ride...
    You feel as one while you swim forward exploring new environments…
    But much like flower there’s a turn for the worse as you slowly inch towards the finish line of this 2 hour game…
    Abzu goes from being a peaceful experience to being a bit of a typical stressful adventure game…
    You can’t die here.. But what starts as a peaceful swim and escape from reality turns into a throw switches, pull chains and avoid unpleasant mines while you do so…
    Time to relax is over…
    Now you have problems to solve...
    This is the majority of the final stretch of the game and it kind of ruins the initial feel this game has…
    Enjoyment is just a memory as you’re swimming through forgotten ruins that should’ve stayed forgotten
    or at the very least should’ve been briefly visited rather than turning into something to deal with because video games…
    It’s unfortunate…
    But this is still a pretty cool experience that offers a great feeling of exploration…
    Even during the final moments that I didn’t like..
    I give Abzu
    a 7.5/10    … Expand
  26. KeyboardPlayer
    Oct 1, 2016
    0
    cant rebind keyboard. lazy. stupid. anachronistic. i can't believe that developers still haven't learned how to program an user interface. untollerable. have some respect for your customers.
  27. TitaniumDragon
    Mar 6, 2018
    0
    ABZU is an underwater walking simulator. You play as a nameless diver and swim through a linear underwater environment towards the end of the game.

    Rather than walk, you swim your way through the game. However, there is very little actual gameplay to be had here; there are, in principle, hazards, but in practice, they can’t actually hurt you, just stun you momentarily; they provide no    ABZU is an underwater walking simulator. You play as a nameless diver and swim through a linear underwater environment towards the end of the game.

    Rather than walk, you swim your way through the game. However, there is very little actual gameplay to be had here; there are, in principle, hazards, but in practice, they can’t actually hurt you, just stun you momentarily; they provide no barrier to your progress. There are a few “puzzles” which consist of “follow the power lines/chains from the gate to an object, then press the use key on the object to open the door”. Sometimes, when the game is going *really* crazy, there will be TWO such objects.

    What this game really lacks is… much of anything, really. The game doesn’t have any real story to speak of – there is no speech or text inside the game. What little “plot” there is happens entirely within the last three chapters, and isn’t terribly interesting.

    Mostly, the game exists so you swim around and look at the stylized fish and whales and other things swimming around you. That’s… really the core of the game, as far as I can tell, trying to look pretty, but it isn’t really anything special in that regard.

    The controls are functional but not very good – you can flip your character entirely around while swimming, but you can’t flip your camera entirely around, which makes for some awkwardness. There’s some collectibles, but they’re nothing really interesting, and certainly aren’t challenging, just being “spot the object” throughout the whole game (and if you miss one, good luck figuring out which one – I missed at least one of each on my playthrough of the game, but I certainly can’t be bothered to play through the whole game again to find them). There’s some achievements, but they’re all pretty trivial apart from the collectibles ones.

    And… that’s it, really. I left this experience quite bored, despite the fact that the game is under three hours in length, simply because there isn’t anything really to *do* in it but swim around and look at fish while going through a linear experience.    … Expand
  28. SubCryo
    Sep 21, 2016
    10
    The fact that this game does not receive more top scores makes me feel ashamed to be a gamer.
    Absolutely stunning visuals make up for the lack of game play elements by a tenfold. This is what an exploration game should be, you are driven to explore further not by some shallow point system or progression, but rather because you actually want to explore and observe the world due to its    The fact that this game does not receive more top scores makes me feel ashamed to be a gamer.
    Absolutely stunning visuals make up for the lack of game play elements by a tenfold. This is what an exploration game should be, you are driven to explore further not by some shallow point system or progression, but rather because you actually want to explore and observe the world due to its beauty and story. If you truly want an exploration adventure game for actual exploring and not just to grind rocks, plants and bones endlessly (cough* cough* no mans sky), then this game is for you.    … Expand
  29. AstiX
    Jan 7, 2018
    10
    ABZU had me grinning and in chills from start to finish. Gorgeous breathtaking visuals, perfect controls and some of the most eargasmic music I've heard in a game.

    Seriously, this game is extasy. It will make you feel good, just let yourself be fully immersed into it, without any distractions. It's very rare for a game to make me exclaim out loud while playing because of how good it    ABZU had me grinning and in chills from start to finish. Gorgeous breathtaking visuals, perfect controls and some of the most eargasmic music I've heard in a game.

    Seriously, this game is extasy. It will make you feel good, just let yourself be fully immersed into it, without any distractions. It's very rare for a game to make me exclaim out loud while playing because of how good it feels, looks and how much fun I'm having. It is however, very short, and you will be sad when it ends.

    Pro tip: Play this while you're high af, trust me.    … Expand
  30. ProGamerZix
    Sep 18, 2016
    10
    Masterpiece. The art is very likable and the sound is just astonishing. A short, lovely adventure that will make you enjoy the ocean a little bit more. Definitely a wonderful experience !
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Awards & Rankings

46
#46 Best PC Game of 2016
50
#50 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. Riot Pixels
    Jan 26, 2017
    60
    This interactive aquarium is a sight to behold, but not enticing enough to make me spend one more minute underwater.
    Read full review
  2. CD-Action
    Oct 14, 2016
    65
    Less than two hours of playing time is just right for Abzu’s shallow gameplay. The game offers a hefty dose of “beautiful moments” but fails to make any lasting impact. [10/2016, p.68]
  3. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 12, 2016
    81
    Abzu's charming aquatic world is always softly in motion. A good-looking journey comes with repetitive and shallow gameplay and its pursuit of affecting emotions remains halfway. Still, execution being detailed and captivating it's definitely worth a dive. One of the best underwater exploration games out there. [Sept 2016]
See all critic reviews »