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. 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
  2. rodericrinehart
    Feb 19, 2017
    6
    There just isn't much here. It is pretty, but THIS IS NOT ON THE LEVEL WITH JOURNEY. Journey was emotional and moving, and this is not. This is from the art director of Journey, so the game is stunning. I don't regret playing it, but I certainly wouldn't play it again. Get it in a bundle or for a dollar. I'm only recommending for a dollar or two.
  3. Dukay66
    Aug 3, 2016
    6
    Abzu has been a game I have had my eye on since it's announcement a few E3's ago and I couldn't wait to explore such a beautiful world. Sadly, there isn't much to find other than stunning vistas and unique art style. There isn't really anything to do other than swim using very clunky controls that I never got used to. Abzu fails at everything that made Journey so good, and it's a shameAbzu has been a game I have had my eye on since it's announcement a few E3's ago and I couldn't wait to explore such a beautiful world. Sadly, there isn't much to find other than stunning vistas and unique art style. There isn't really anything to do other than swim using very clunky controls that I never got used to. Abzu fails at everything that made Journey so good, and it's a shame considering the fantastic look of the game.… Expand
  4. keanex
    Mar 6, 2017
    6
    It's a beautiful game, but holds on to Journey mechanics too much. It plays like a more relaxing Journey, as evident by the meditation areas. If you like Journey it's worth considering on a sale. Otherwise don't pick it up.
  5. Andret00x
    Aug 2, 2016
    6
    It's like Journey but under water...and not as good...and slightly boring...and short....I was expecting something a little bit more productive. Sometimes the game feels a little bit...cheap.
  6. JM81
    Aug 2, 2016
    6
    Honestly, pretty meh. Sure it's beautiful and has some great music, but what bothers me is that it's Too much like Journey. In fact, it's a re-imagining of Journey, but under water, and that doesn't warrant a new buy for this game.

    If you haven't played Journey, get it. It's the better "relaxing non-game experience with great music and visuals". The two are basically comparable, but    Honestly, pretty meh. Sure it's beautiful and has some great music, but what bothers me is that it's Too much like Journey. In fact, it's a re-imagining of Journey, but under water, and that doesn't warrant a new buy for this game.

    If you haven't played Journey, get it. It's the better "relaxing non-game experience with great music and visuals". The two are basically comparable, but Journey is definitely better in my opinion.

    If you had Journey, don't expect anything new, because there really isn't anything. Well, there's that One enemy that explodes and doesn't hurt you if get too close, but that's a step down of the looming "search" enemy from Journey.

    My 6/10 is set from a Journey owner's perspective. It might've been a 7.5 or even 8 without it.    … Expand
  7. Fosseli
    Aug 11, 2016
    6
    I really wanted to love this game, but it left me disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful game with grate music, but it did not have the magic i expected after playing Journey.

    The controls felt fidgety and i could never get used to the tree step boost. It never felt as free and seamless as zooming over sand and carpets. The sense of scale was also off. Because of the cell    I really wanted to love this game, but it left me disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful game with grate music, but it did not have the magic i expected after playing Journey.

    The controls felt fidgety and i could never get used to the tree step boost. It never felt as free and seamless as zooming over sand and carpets.

    The sense of scale was also off. Because of the cell shading, I could never understand how small or big something was compared to the avatar and was often confused of the perspective. This game would probably benefit with a 3D or VR perspective.

    Why they omitted the random online element, that was so revolutionary in journey, is kinda strange. The personal story you created with others in Journey was so magical. The attempt of a story in ABZU was less impactful when the "other part" (trying not to spoil) felt less personal and contrived.

    I know it's not fair to compare it to a previous title, it's not even made by the same studio. But so many other elements were so familiar, that this felt more like an attempt at a "spiritual" successor to Journey then something new.

    The reason for this is because It is development by video game studio "Giant Squid", founded by Flower and Journey art director Matt Nava. Lead designer on Journey Nicholas Clark was also a consultant on ABZU and of course Music composer is Austin Wintory who also made the award winning music for journey.

    So i can't help comparing the two... It's still a god game, but its not a great game like Journey. .

    I still play Journey annually, and think i will continue to do so. Don't think this game will get the same treatment.    … Expand
  8. jmemmers
    Oct 17, 2016
    6
    Short, but wonderful. I loved journey, but went in knowing this was not going to be journey. The mechanics are ok, the swimming works it gets the job done. The music and the atmosphere is what kept me going. In the end I left Abzu just ok. I don't know what I was expecting or what I wanted, but the whole time I was wanting something new to happen just never did.
  9. 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
  10. 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.
  11. m1ku47
    Jul 9, 2020
    6
    Приятная чилловая игра. Минусы : не хватает эффектов и графики
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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.
  15. 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 !
  16. 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.
  17. Proteus
    Aug 4, 2016
    4
    Probably the most overpriced game ever sold. This is a $4.99 game selling for 19.99 at the PS Store. The game is fine, as the reviews say, but they are capitalizing on the success of Journey for this price at 2 hrs of play time.
  18. Illien
    Jun 9, 2017
    4
    Abzû has wonders after wonders but with no depth in presentation & nothing worth exploring. It's an audio & visual tourist treat without the soul of what made Journey great.
  19. ToshLichev
    Apr 9, 2021
    4
    While I enjoyed Journey, ABZU just doesn't do it for me. I liked some of the visuals and I specially liked the final level but bland gameplay, bad controls, a 2-hour game time and an uninspired plot make this a slog to get through.
  20. Glemial
    Sep 2, 2021
    4
    I just don't understand why there has so much people praising this game. Imagine a game that's all about graphics and fish. Do you did that? So you must have imagined Abzu. The only thing you do in that games is swim. There is no combat system and the story is subliminal. The problem with the story is that you don't want to understand what is happening, because of how shallow theI just don't understand why there has so much people praising this game. Imagine a game that's all about graphics and fish. Do you did that? So you must have imagined Abzu. The only thing you do in that games is swim. There is no combat system and the story is subliminal. The problem with the story is that you don't want to understand what is happening, because of how shallow the experience is. It's nothing like Hollow Knight, a game that has so much interesting moments, and because of that, it develops in you the desire to understand that universe. In Abzu there is no memorable moment that gives you a desire to understand what is happening.
    I don't recommend anyone to play this game, unless you got it for free.    … Expand
  21. Raziel72
    Aug 7, 2022
    4
    Просто плыви... ни сюжета, ни музыки, ни красивых локаций. Разочарован в игре. Радует только то, что она быстро проходится
  22. exm8000
    Mar 3, 2017
    3
    Another Walking Simulator, Except Swimming.
    Another walking simulator with a vague and presumptuous quasi-spiritual message. This one with dodgy (flight) controls and horrible music. Considering it strives for environmental immersion, you would think adding a music-volume slider-control would have been on the to-do list. Also, it's very short and way over priced. This is a $5 to $7 USD    Another Walking Simulator, Except Swimming.
    Another walking simulator with a vague and presumptuous quasi-spiritual message. This one with dodgy (flight) controls and horrible music. Considering it strives for environmental immersion, you would think adding a music-volume slider-control would have been on the to-do list. Also, it's very short and way over priced. This is a $5 to $7 USD game at most.    … Expand
  23. GamingDrake
    Aug 11, 2016
    3
    Well if the art director wanted people to experience what he did when he went diving then WHAT THE HELL DID HE FIND DOWN THERE!. But seriously this game is an artsy fartsy kind of game its not a deep kind of game at all. you just swim about and say look at that fish, look at coral which yes the art style is very good but that's it i want more from a GAME!. Not a flipping (no pun intended)Well if the art director wanted people to experience what he did when he went diving then WHAT THE HELL DID HE FIND DOWN THERE!. But seriously this game is an artsy fartsy kind of game its not a deep kind of game at all. you just swim about and say look at that fish, look at coral which yes the art style is very good but that's it i want more from a GAME!. Not a flipping (no pun intended) swimming simulator its not a game I'd rather watch finding nemo which is just about as long and has a hell of a lot more replay value. If i want a relaxing game I'll go and play Grow home which has gameplay… Expand
  24. Ferman
    Feb 12, 2022
    3
    a strange and incomprehensible game, I still did not understand what to do in it.Boring and incomprehensible, I do not advise buying it
  25. Crackfarmer
    Aug 9, 2016
    2
    Gets very boring soon plus uses Denuvo Protection. Game Dev's please, invest more Time into your fcking Game than DRM....Is that really so much to ask for?
  26. Maugaran
    Apr 23, 2021
    2
    Boring game with no content an bad graphics. Cant understand why to produce this game.
  27. hknyrbkn
    May 8, 2021
    2
    Nothing near Journey to be honest. It feels like you fell into the fish tank in the museum of your Animal Crossing island, with some explosive machinery as a bonus. Did not give me the oceanic feeling it sells.
  28. 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
  29. RuriGokou
    Aug 21, 2020
    1
    First of all I can not imagine ANYONE paying 20 bucks for this 2 to 3 hour "game". Can't even call this a game. There is nothing really to do but go straight and "experience" stuff. But there is no message or experience. This rubbish is just trying to be artsy.

    Horrible controls and camera angles. No plot. Decent music, but the graphics look like something you'd find on a screensaver.    First of all I can not imagine ANYONE paying 20 bucks for this 2 to 3 hour "game". Can't even call this a game. There is nothing really to do but go straight and "experience" stuff. But there is no message or experience. This rubbish is just trying to be artsy.

    Horrible controls and camera angles.
    No plot.
    Decent music, but the graphics look like something you'd find on a screensaver.
    Some points in the game you're actually required to get out of the water. I had no idea you could even do this and had to look it up. Thanks a lot for letting me know.    … Expand
  30. mykhailo_zele1
    Apr 23, 2021
    0
    Это не игра! Просто плавать два часа и ничего не понимать что происходит! Если бы я купил эту игру - я бы уничтожил ее отзывом! Но досталось бесплатно
  31. Xemnios
    Apr 1, 2021
    0
    It's not a game. You can swim for 2 hours and doing nothing: abzu is complete
  32. SHANKOS
    Jun 11, 2023
    0
    Awful graphics, even though it was a short game, not much time was spent on details, even weaker than dreams games.
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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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