ABZU

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 531 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 339 out of 531
  2. Mixed: 146 out of 531
  3. Negative: 46 out of 531
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  1. PanchoRedFalcon
    Aug 31, 2023
    7
    An immersive and cool experience for those who want to spend time without major challenges and enjoy the sea landscape.
  2. Jackthegamer
    Jun 13, 2023
    7
    The game is beautiful and I enjoyed playing it but it's nothing special. Journey was a bit better.
  3. HydrophobikFish
    Jun 9, 2023
    6
    I had higher expectations after Journey. The game is simple, short, and fairly forgettable. There are a few memorable zones and moments, but overall it rarely manages to sell the fantasy or magic of being underwater. I think it's first zone is its strongest and thats a bummer.
  4. Yojimbo2015
    May 15, 2023
    5
    Another virtual tourism title from the makers of Journey, but despite some attractive visuals Abzu doesn't capture the imagination in the same way and it's far too short-lived. Pretty but pretty vacant.
  5. Ruzaky
    Mar 19, 2023
    6
    Kinda like Journey but under water? More experience then an actual game. I'm not so much into under water thing so i don't know what i was expecting. But it didn't win me over or intrigued me enough.its very beautiful tho and short.
  6. aaronnmp96
    Feb 3, 2023
    7
    The game is beautiful, it passes with its task, what happens to me is that it was too short for me, and maybe I didn't like the controls very much
  7. m3ny0
    Oct 28, 2022
    7
    Abzu é muito bonito, e basicamente isso sumariza o jogo. A história aqui é bem rasa (ba-dum-tss) e se desenrola de maneira confusa tentando contar um conto maior do que o método escolhido (sem qualquer diálogo) consegue. Muitas vezes você se encontra tentando achar um significado maior, mas não há nada, o jogo não permite que haja por conta dessa e outras decisões, como os grandes momentosAbzu é muito bonito, e basicamente isso sumariza o jogo. A história aqui é bem rasa (ba-dum-tss) e se desenrola de maneira confusa tentando contar um conto maior do que o método escolhido (sem qualquer diálogo) consegue. Muitas vezes você se encontra tentando achar um significado maior, mas não há nada, o jogo não permite que haja por conta dessa e outras decisões, como os grandes momentos em que você precisa seguir nadando em frente, e só, sem opção de exploração. E entre estátuas para meditar e peixes para interagir, o jogo se mostra um grande mundo aberto embaixo d'água em que, igualmente na vida real, não há muito a se fazer.
    É uma aventura bonita, curta e interessante, mas não muito profunda.    … Expand
  8. MaxieZeus
    Sep 12, 2022
    7
    Fun little short game, definitely give it a try if you like ocean or sea creatures.
  9. chrisdan23
    Jun 12, 2022
    7
    ABZU steht in der Tradition von Spielen wie dem phänomenalen Journey, oder auch Flowers von thatgamecompany. Da kommt nicht von Ungefähr, dass sich das Entwicklerteam GiantSquid aus vielen ehemaligen Journey Entwicklern gegründet hat. ABZU bietet ein ähnliches Spielgefühl und Spielkonzept, das man am ehestens mit dem Wort "flow" beschreiben kann. Mit ihrer Unterwassenwelt entwickeltABZU steht in der Tradition von Spielen wie dem phänomenalen Journey, oder auch Flowers von thatgamecompany. Da kommt nicht von Ungefähr, dass sich das Entwicklerteam GiantSquid aus vielen ehemaligen Journey Entwicklern gegründet hat. ABZU bietet ein ähnliches Spielgefühl und Spielkonzept, das man am ehestens mit dem Wort "flow" beschreiben kann. Mit ihrer Unterwassenwelt entwickelt GiantSquid jedoch auch eigene Kniffe, sowohl hinsichtlich der Steuerung, aufgrund des 360 Grad Bewegungsradius, zudem reichert der Entwickler das Spiel nochmals deutlich stärker mit Umgebungsrätseln an, die das Gameplay nochmal abwechslungsreicher machen. Die Unterwasserwelt ist zudem wunderschön anzuschauen, und gerade wenn man in ein neues Areal schwimmt, kommt es regelmäßig zu einem Wow Effekt. Leider fehlt dem Titel allerdings etwas die Tiefe, die ein Journey beispielsweise durch seine einzigartige Koop-Erfahrung bot. ABZU bleibt einem lange nicht so nachhaltig in Erinnerung. Auch die, zumindest zu Anfang, etwas sperrige Steuerung, stehen einem Flow Spielgefühl etwas im Wege. Trotzdem für jeden Fan des Genres sehr zu empfehlen, wenn auch neuere Titel wie das überragende Solar Ash mittlerweile sehr viel mehr an Gameplay zu bieten haben.… Expand
  10. CoreGamer1408
    Feb 14, 2022
    7
    Free drop on PS+ and I probably would of not even brought it. That being it was a fairly relaxed chill experience. Simple bold colorful artstyle set to a pretty immersive soundtrack. Story was kind of obvious to figure out the nurture of nature and all that. Gameplay is miminal which works for this type of laid back experience. This does have a nice feel good factor to it all. One andFree drop on PS+ and I probably would of not even brought it. That being it was a fairly relaxed chill experience. Simple bold colorful artstyle set to a pretty immersive soundtrack. Story was kind of obvious to figure out the nurture of nature and all that. Gameplay is miminal which works for this type of laid back experience. This does have a nice feel good factor to it all. One and done no replay value.… Expand
  11. Andrevery
    Jan 8, 2022
    7
    Приятная коротенькая игра, которая подходит для того, чтобы расслабиться. До уровня "The Journey" не дотягивает (часть создателей работала над обоими играми), но оставляет приятное впечатление.
  12. dislexicpotato
    Dec 28, 2021
    7
    Beautiful visuals and captivating music really make Abzu a game worth experiencing, its gameplay is pretty barebones and its length is very short which holds the game back but if you can get it for a discounted price it is definitely worth checking out.
  13. 613th
    Sep 27, 2021
    6
    Journey in the ocean?
    Or somethnig really similar to it.
    I wanted to try this game for 20-30 mins, but played the whole game in one sitting (1.5 hours). Meditative and light game for you to relax, nothing else. Beautiful colors, sometimes even wonderful. Great audio effects and music that reminded me of fairy tales from my childhood and that created a pleasant atmosphere in the game.    Journey in the ocean?
    Or somethnig really similar to it.
    I wanted to try this game for 20-30 mins, but played the whole game in one sitting (1.5 hours).

    Meditative and light game for you to relax, nothing else. Beautiful colors, sometimes even wonderful. Great audio effects and music that reminded me of fairy tales from my childhood and that created a pleasant atmosphere in the game.

    Liked it more than Journey.    … Expand
  14. tommydlbass
    Sep 19, 2021
    7
    Short experience like Journey but without the novelty of the later. Is not bad and it only last like 2 hours, a recommended game if you wanna just enjoy some free, relaxed time with good visuals.
  15. RatchetClank111
    Jun 20, 2021
    6
    This is one of those games where it's really hard to give a rating for. Because it's more of a movie than an actual game. The gameplay is like 2-3hrs, and there's no dialogue. The story is told through what happens, some of the comments say it's a scuba simulator... but is it really? you have to solve puzzles and explore in order to progress, but it's not like you have to worry aboutThis is one of those games where it's really hard to give a rating for. Because it's more of a movie than an actual game. The gameplay is like 2-3hrs, and there's no dialogue. The story is told through what happens, some of the comments say it's a scuba simulator... but is it really? you have to solve puzzles and explore in order to progress, but it's not like you have to worry about food/water or going up for air. I don't really think it's a simulation game, because a lot of simulation games don't have stories either.

    I personally thought the sea life and creatures, and the overall colors were great on the ps5. I liked progressing and never really got stuck on a puzzle. It's cool to just slow down also and meditate where you can then just observe the sea, kinda like looking at an aquarium.

    However, replayability isn't really there. And this is a very short game. Thankfully PS offered it as a free game as part of their events recently. If you have to pay for the game, idk but I wouldn't pay like more than $10. Overall, I give the game a 6/10, which is still good in my opinion    … Expand
  16. EasyGamerBoi
    Jun 10, 2021
    7
    Abzu is a strange little game. That’s probably the point of it, like Journey, storytelling without actually speaking is a medium that gets amazing games every year or so. I wouldn’t say Abzu is amazing or better than Journey at all, but for what it is, it’s a great little experience. I didn’t know about the movie length run time going in so imagine my shocked face when I hit the end in oneAbzu is a strange little game. That’s probably the point of it, like Journey, storytelling without actually speaking is a medium that gets amazing games every year or so. I wouldn’t say Abzu is amazing or better than Journey at all, but for what it is, it’s a great little experience. I didn’t know about the movie length run time going in so imagine my shocked face when I hit the end in one play through lol. The visuals are spectacular and from what I remember about the score, it’s very relaxing. (I completed it a few years ago my memory is a little fuzzy) but I remember some of the puzzles being a pain, really not a fan of puzzles in games to begin with though. If you can get it cheap, definitely check it out.… Expand
  17. Michael_zilber
    May 25, 2021
    7
    приятный релакс на один вечерок, созерцание и медитация.
  18. milesg305
    May 8, 2021
    6
    Really good graphics and storytelling, but there also isn't much to it. The game kind of plays itself with little rewards or setbacks actually feeling like they mean anything
  19. tymqe
    Apr 16, 2021
    7
    nice relaxing game with great visuals, very good to play if you want to calm yourself down after playing fifa or some other ****
  20. TheMrLacky
    Mar 29, 2021
    7
    It is a pretty game, very very similar to Journey but at the same time I felt like it was not at the same level and I didn't feel attached to the "story" the same way i did with Journey. Still, it is enjoyable so if you like this kind of games you should give it a try
  21. m1ku47
    Jul 9, 2020
    6
    Приятная чилловая игра. Минусы : не хватает эффектов и графики
  22. XxAlbertoBuzzxX
    Jun 2, 2020
    7
    Abzu
    ......................................................................
  23. sergio123456
    May 15, 2020
    7
    Juego muy bonito en su estética, muy similar al estilo Journey, es un juego más de contemplación que de acción, pero también se agradecen este tipo de juegos, muy buena representación del fondo del mar y el mundo marino, peca de ser excesivamente corto y demasiado sencillo.
  24. XLazer
    Apr 28, 2020
    7
    Overall - 7.1

    Great visuals but get boring really quickly

    Enjoyment - 7.5
  25. LucaCritics
    Mar 28, 2020
    7
    Abzu Review: 7/10
    Abzu's unique art style, soundtracks and scenarios makes you have a different, unique and relaxing experience.
    The game is more of a visual experience, and a very pretty one.
    Abzu is very linear, there are some optional collectibles and nice vistas.
    To conclude my review I consider Abzu a very peaceful experience, and also similar to Journey.
  26. Lonewolf97
    Jun 15, 2019
    7
    ABZU is a short and sweet game where you take control of an unnamed scuba diver and swim through the ocean. The game doesn't spell out the story at all to the player, though it appears to be about evil machines trying to pollute the ocean and the player must stop them from doing so. The graphics are similar to Zelda: Windwaker and make every location in the game easy on the eyes. TheABZU is a short and sweet game where you take control of an unnamed scuba diver and swim through the ocean. The game doesn't spell out the story at all to the player, though it appears to be about evil machines trying to pollute the ocean and the player must stop them from doing so. The graphics are similar to Zelda: Windwaker and make every location in the game easy on the eyes. The accompanying soundtrack during gameplay works well, making you feel dread in one area and immediately help you calm down and relax in the next area. The gameplay is decent enough. You swim around, perform backflips in mid air and ride fish larger than yourself. The controls of the game are good, though it was annoying moving in directions I did not want to move in, and the boost. You must also activate robot helpers in order to progress, which is easy, since the robots can found by looking around for a bit. The robots don't do much and simply act as keys to doors blocking your progress. You can also collect sea shells, activate hidden water pools which unleash new aquatic life intothe area, and meditate on specific statue, allowing you to observe the creatures around you and letting you choose which fish you want to observe. The game took me around three four hours to finish all it had to offer. Overall, ABZU is a good experience that will stick with you. Though there is not much to do, the graphics, music and short length of the game make up for it.… Expand
  27. DanBenevenuto
    Sep 29, 2017
    5
    Abzu is a great game to have fun, it has nice graphics and a sweet soundtrack. It brings to an adventure on the ocean and you'll found a lot of fish species. I recommend this game, is a little short but is an awesome game !
  28. VirgonoShaka
    Jul 8, 2017
    7
    Playing through the two hours and twenty minutes of Abzu's "story" reminded me a lot of the movie Fantasia, a movie that is not very traditional at all, and is more of a moving painting, and is more about putting the right images to the music than telling a story. In that way, Abzu is an interactive painting, and is more about appreciating what it shows than about a story or the gameplay.Playing through the two hours and twenty minutes of Abzu's "story" reminded me a lot of the movie Fantasia, a movie that is not very traditional at all, and is more of a moving painting, and is more about putting the right images to the music than telling a story. In that way, Abzu is an interactive painting, and is more about appreciating what it shows than about a story or the gameplay. In some ways, in a game that is not so cool because it leaves you as a gamer not feeling involved or interested for long. But if you like appreciating a piece of art just because of what it is, then Abzu showcases that games can be made to be appreciated like that with some of the most amazing pieces of graphics I have seen this side of Journey or the like, all complimented by another excellent score from Austin Wintory. Also added to this is the not so bad mechanics for swimming which is practically everything you do in the game. On its bad side, I can't say that the "story" it kind of sort of wants to present is that interesting, and that it doesn't have a lot of replay value. Nevertheless, I don't regret at all playing it, just for the time that I used to appreciate the incredibly colors, lights, sounds, and shapes that it presented. Can't recommend to everyone, because it is not exactly the type of game that anyone can like, but if you like this type of game, it is definitely worth checking out and diving in. Final verdict: 7.5… Expand
  29. Nel
    Jun 20, 2017
    7
    Very simple artistic game, similar to journey. The game has wonderful music, and is very short. It does not have the best graphics, but the graphics are very artistically designed, other than a few camera problems here and there I really enjoyed the experience
  30. parkerz98
    May 8, 2017
    7
    In short: ABZU is a very pretty game that, despite the simplistic and repetitive gameplay, was worth the free PSN download and 2.5 hours of my time.

    Things I LIKED about the game: First of all, this game is beautiful. Seriously, the art direction gets a big two thumbs up. The soundtrack melds with the visuals very well and it created some gorgeous moments. I also appreciated the    In short: ABZU is a very pretty game that, despite the simplistic and repetitive gameplay, was worth the free PSN download and 2.5 hours of my time.

    Things I LIKED about the game:
    First of all, this game is beautiful. Seriously, the art direction gets a big two thumbs up. The soundtrack melds with the visuals very well and it created some gorgeous moments. I also appreciated the inclusion of the meditation mechanic. It's nice to see that the developers gave the players another way to enjoy the art they created, even if it's rather difficult to focus on a specific fish.

    Things I felt MEH about:
    I don't have any complaints about the controls, even if it takes some getting used to. I was never distracted or frustrated about them. I went back and forth trying to decide whether or not I liked the weird, ambiguous story ABZU tries to tell. In my opinion, the story feels like a bizarre version of Flower. There were definitely some heavy-handed parts that made me roll my eyes, but I wasn't playing ABZU for its story anyway. Also, the game is rather short. I took my time, and I was still done with the game in less than three hours. It didn't bother me though, I think I was done with the game at that point (Journey wasn't much longer, and I didn't mind it either). The addition of collectibles was a nice thought to please the explorers and completionists, but there was no way to know how many you collected. On top of that, there was no benefit to the player at all for collecting them, just a random trophy. Nice idea, just incomplete.

    Things I DID NOT LIKE about the game: My biggest problem with the game, however, was how repetitive and formulaic the game felt. By about halfway through my playthrough, I could pretty accurately predict what kind of scene would come up next. But the worst was the handful of the same exact kind of dumb, not really puzzle that just forced you to spend a little more time in a certain area.

    All in all, this is a game for those who enjoy video games as art. While it isn't executed as perfectly as the other two games I mentioned in the review, I still enjoyed the game just fine. With more creative and dynamic scenes and pacing, this would be up there with Journey. It's good, but I wouldn't call it great.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

97
#97 Best PS4 Game of 2016
30
#30 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2016
67
#67 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 72 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 53 out of 72
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 72
  3. Negative: 3 out of 72
  1. Critical Hit
    Mar 16, 2017
    80
    Abzu is quite simply a breath-taking piece of interactive art, that feels vivid and more alive than you’d imagine a video game was capable of being.
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  2. Easy Allies
    Dec 1, 2016
    80
    A wonderful trip beneath the waves, abounding in small surprises and impressing with the sheer density of life in certain scenes. Whether you’re riding a manta ray or zipping along a speedy current like a highway, it makes the natural world fun while adding its own intriguing mysteries to uncover.
    Read full review
  3. JeuxActu
    Nov 4, 2016
    90
    Abzû is one of the best games of 2016 with a cryptic yet very good story, alongside with beautiful visuals that go way beyond the aquatic screensaver. Unless you're a hardcore action fan, you have to try it.
    Read full review
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