Abzu
Developer Giant Squid’sAbzuis just as hard to measure now as it was when it in the first place released in 2016 . This is due in large part toAbzubeing a wealth of contradiction . The humans feels expansive and inanimate in the moment but on reflection the experience is really quite brusque . Abzuis also all about the narration journey but there ’s very small " actual " story . Most off - putt of all , Abzuis a video plot where there ’s very little in the way of traditional gambling mechanics .
The contradictoryAbzufirst made it its way to gamers ' screens on PC , PlayStation 4 and Xbox One two years ago and nowAbzuhas arrive to Nintendo Switch . There are no special lineament in the Switch variation besides the obvious of making the plot portable . This itself is questionable asAbuzuis more suitable to lenient shimmer school term than anything that can be picked up and played on - the - go . Even so the uniqueAbzuis still a journey worth taking even if it can sometimes feels more like an interactive screensaver than a picture game .
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The conceit ofAbzuis simpleton . Players are put in control of a nameless , genderless inscrutable ocean diver and tasked with follow the tidings ofFinding Nemo ’s Dory to the letter , " just keep swimming . " There ’s only one destination inAbzuand it ’s to go . Abzuis an adventure game in every sense of the word . There ’s no actual challenge to speak of and all the storytelling is ambient as opposed to anything unmediated . Abzugives exactly what the player invest into it which is unconventional but understandable and welcome . The loon travels from surface area to area without fear of turn a loss oxygen and just the actor takes in the sea behind them . A few surprises and secrets can be uncovered inAbzubut for the it ’s mostly very directly forward .
However , this simplicity is n’t a knock onAbzu ’s overall quality . EverythingAbzulacks in challenge and directness it more than make up for in memorability . From the very startAbzumanages to entrance with its graphics . Abzubegs player to explore its magical undersea world with these visuals and there are plenty of payoff to be found if the mission is take . Whether it ’s just enroll a new area with a radically different color schema than the late one or riding on the back of a dolphinAbzuis stuffed with charming and relaxing moments . Abzuwon’t hold the actor ’s hand and target out the most interesting areas of any given location but that curiosity of discovery is the selling dot .
The " feel " ofAbzuis one of its best qualities . There ’s a sense of composure and serenity that interpenetrate every column inch ofAbzu . It ’s so refreshing to bet a video secret plan prepare in an underwater universe and not be scared of play out of zephyr or be in a unvarying engagement with the command . weewee level in some iconic game are infamously terriblebutAbzuis the exception . Most ofAbzuis a unlike eccentric of experience from most mainstream gaming but that ’s rather welcome . 2018 has run into so manymonstrous - sized three-fold AAA releasesthat are full of opened worlds with almost too many things to do . It ’s a sodding variety of pace to literally dive inAbzuand just start at leisure exploring .
Abzuisn’t a blemish free experience . The big flaw ofAbzuis the game ’s length . It ’ll take roughly two hours to reach the secret plan ’s end point . While that time can be duplicate to uncover every arcanum that ’s still only four hour in total . ToAbzu ’s deferred payment the brief runtime does sense wholly complete . There ’s material jam - packed into those two hours but it ’s still just two hours , which is on the short side even for an indie game . It ’s even harder to harmonise this scant time as the Nintendo Switch edition is n’t plunge with any kind of price cut or discount despite the eld ofAbzu .
It ’s fair to be turn off byAbzuin concept alone . If similarly style secret plan likeJourney , Floweror evenLimboandInsideweren’t enticingAbzuwon’t be any different . Abzudoesn’t reinvent the rack when it comes to slow - paced adventure title of respect with interesting art designs . The world is what makes Abzu special not anything about how it plays or the game ’s ambition . That was the case in 2016 and it ’s certainly the vitrine now . Yet even ifAbzudoesn’t tender a brand - new experience it still accomplishes its goals very well .
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Abzuis available now on Nintendo Switch , Xbox One , PlayStation 4 and PC . Screen Rant was provided a recap copy for the Nintendo Switch .
