Welcome to The Backlog, where we review video games based on a certain genre or word each month. For April we are exploring “relaxing” games. Today’s review dives into a game that displays the beauty and awe of the ocean, “ABZÛ.”
Released in 2016 by 505 Games and developed by Giant Squid, “ABZÛ” is a shorter experience than previous games mentioned. Yet it makes up for this through stunning graphics and an overall relaxing experience. The best thing I could compare it to is exploring an aquarium as a child and seeing aquatic creatures up close and personal.
There is no overt story or dialogue in “ABZÛ,” but it does tell the story of this world through the environment itself and the player’s interactions with it. The environments range from shallow reefs to caverns, and as you progress you come across more and more creatures. The encounters start with the common fish you’d find in real coral reefs, but later you find aquatic life that has been extinct for millions of years.
You can do more than just watch these creatures swim by, for some of them you can join them along their paths — like pods of dolphins and schools of fish — or even ride them. “ABZÛ” doesn’t just let you interact with the animals but allows you to live among them.
While exploring you constantly come across a great white shark, it doesn’t act as an antagonist but instead you follow it, as if you are curious about it just like the other creatures you’ve come across. By following the shark through seven chapters, you find remnants of an ancient civilization and technology that looks strikingly like your character.
Sound design is crucial for ocean exploration games, it sets the tone for what kind of environment the player is in and what players can expect. For “ABZÛ” sound is especially important since there is no dialogue. The composer, Austin Wintory, outdid himself by capturing the essence of the ocean. In the sunnier areas there is a lighter tone to the music, while the deep caverns’ music contains a sense of wonder and mystery.
While “ABZÛ” doesn’t have a clear narrative, through gameplay it’s understood that our little diver is meant to reintroduce various species back into environments that are devoid of life. As you explore and interact with the environment, life is added to these desolate areas. It’s through progression that we also discover the diver is some sort of robot, a piece of technology created by the ancient civilization we come across while exploring.
Once again, “ABZÛ” is the perfect game for relaxing. There are few sequences where the player is rushed in their exploration, and taking your time is encouraged. One mechanic that I adore is the ability to meditate in each of the chapters. In some areas you can find a statue or some sort of pedestal to sit and appreciate the world around you.
Some may be nervous to play an underwater game like “ABZÛ” because of thalassophobia, a fear of the ocean or large bodies of water. It’s understandable as the idea of drowning or coming across a creature you can’t hope to swim away from is terrifying. Yet “ABZÛ” manages to dispel this fear with brightly lit environments and a friendly aesthetic. No aquatic animals are out to get you, in fact “ABZÛ” pushes the player to interact with the sea life and appreciate the beauty of this unseen world. It’s less so a video game than it is a work of art. My only complaint? The experience wasn’t long enough.
Rating: 5/5
Featured image by DA-GameCovers/DeviantArt