ABZU

I want to like this "game" however I would call it an interactive experience. I would only recommend it if it's on sale. I would never pay full price for this. It is relaxing yet I personally find it boring. There is no dialogue and the character model doesn't seem to fit in the environment. I feel out of place and the character never needs to surface for oxygen despite not having any sort of oxygen tank. The exploration element lacks depth. A solid 5/10.

Beautiful graphics, the controls are great, and the story is kind of whatever you want it to be! This is (no joke) one of my favorite video games of all time. It is peaceful, adventurous, and just plain AWESOME. So...BUY IT 😂

Dip into the gorgeous world of water.

Stunning underwater visuals and art style, creating a mesmerizing and tranquil environment.
The accompanying musical score is perfect!
It's not about complex puzzles or intense action.
It's about exploring, discovering, and just...being (maybe a fish XD).

Took around 4-5 hours for the story and the rest for all achievements.
Controls are best when on a controller! Not very hard but not super smooth.

This isn't it if you're looking for something that will challenge you with hardcore gameplay.
But if you want to lose yourself in a gorgeous, tranquil world and feel something real, then 'ABZÛ' is worth your time."

TLDR:
A visually captivating underwater exploration game. MEE SHARK FRIENDSSSSSS
4.7 out of 5!

I am very new to gaming. I needed a game that is calm and relaxing, and saw this described on Reddit and decided to try it. I really like it so far. I have put in many hours just exploring. The music is relaxing too. Beware though after a bunch of time, some more ... stressful... things do happen. For me though its a great diversion from real life stress. While I see the appeal of games like Stardew Valley for relaxing, I seem to get too type-a about my farming lol. I like that this is just mainly exploring with some mild puzzling. Also because I am still getting used to using a controller, this is a great game for a beginner because you aren't killed every 3 seconds, and you don't run out of time. Very low frustration. I saw some other reviewers say they wish it had more self directed parts to it and I do get that, I think it might be too predictable for more experienced people looking for intense challenges. This was just what I needed.

Honestly what a beautiful game, I cannot recommend it enough even nowadays for a playthrough. Just a serene soundtrack, very relaxed controls, and a great amount of sea life variety make this game a pleasant experience to 100% now and always. I personally recommend a controller for this one but that's also because I played it a decent bit ago with one on another platform, like I did on PC here after using the keyboard for a bit.

Either way, great game. Play it and just relax, have some fun and slow down.

i love that it's like one of my favorites by thatgamecompany, journey, but i also questioned my choice to buy it because my thalassophobia fired off like crazy. once that deep blue open ocean showed and that shark destroyed my robot baby, i sh!t myself and alt+f4'd. not recommended for people scared of the monster soup we call an "ocean."

It made me forget that I'm even human.

This is not just a Game. This is An Experience.
I highly recommend to binge it, as it only takes about 3 hours to complete. Even less if you won't be staring into your screen with your jaw on the table, like I did.

Worth every second I've put into it.

Honestly, this game was SO worth it. It's a fairly short game, but immensely fulfilling, and I loved the use of storytelling through the environment! No text necessary. The lack of cluttered overlays is awesome too. Genuinely gorgeous environment, absolutely STUNNING- worth replaying for that alone. Spent a lot of time meditating, and I'll do it again!

Speaking of, the variety of creatures is delightful, and the changes in lifeforms between chapters is incredibly fun! I genuinely gasped when I saw some of the beasties (a lot, honestly), so if you- like me- went through a "sea creatures phase" in your youth, you'll probably have a blast. Thresher shark and anomalocaris my beloved <3

There are only a few things I'd have liked to see changed, honestly, with the biggest being manual saves, or a way to check where you last saved.It's a bit nerve-wracking for me to not know where the last save point was! I would also love to have seen a camera mode, but honestly, the game is so picturesque that screenshot and crop are all the tools you technically need.

In short, I absolutely recommend this game- entrancing, low-stress, and a fantastically beautiful soundtrack to boot? Oh yeah, this is the good stuff.

Beautiful game, easy to follow, and compelling story!

One of my favorite games I have ever played very, short visuals and soundtrack is a 10 and there is water dinosaurs so 15/10

I love this game. The music is as stunning as the visuals, though, I must admit, I get scared easily, so the red part was kind of... well, stressful. I did love it though, the designs of the creepy fish is phenomenal, and I'll soon miss riding whales, so I'll probably play again just to have fun. Cheers!!!!!!!!!

a short game but very beautiful and peaceful, would highly recommend.

A Breathtaking Underwater Adventure – A Must-Play!
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a relaxing, visually stunning, and emotionally moving adventure! 🌊🐠✨

As someone with a fear of the ocean i bought this game to help conquer that fear. It is simply a very BEAUTIFUL game, relaxing, peaceful (admittedly my fear did 'flare up' at times), but worth a play-through for visuals alone.

MINOR SPOILER:


You can ride an aquatic dinosaur.


Totally worth it!

My play time is short due to rushing (from my fear) to see how the game ends. But i will be playing it through again and taking the time to explore more.

100% Achievement Review: A quick review based on my experience completing all the (available) achievements.

Title: ABZU

Summary: Peaceful exploration game

Personal notes: Abzu is a great game for what it's worth. You are stranded in a beautiful underwater world that you have to explore. The story is interesting to a degree but the charm of this game lies within it's environment and wildlife. The range of colors used make this one of the most scenic video games I have played. Building off of this I recently installed reactive backlights for my setup and it was super cool to mess around with all the scenic environments, not to mention the soundtrack that fits the game perfectly. The only downside to this game is how short it is, but it's 20$ and sometimes the shorter games leave longer impacts. Achievement wise this game is fairly simple, a few of the achievements are missable and require you to fully explore areas but they are pretty easy if you know what you are looking for. If you have never seen or tried this game I would highly recommend it. There is a reason why it won so many awards. ;)

Time it took to complete: 4hrs

Most difficult achievement(s):
- Zen Master (Find all the meditation statues.)
- Ecosystem (Release fish from all the hidden pools.)
- Collector (Add all secret shells to your collection.)

Difficulty rating:
★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ 3/10

Overall rating:
★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 8/10

Recently I purchased an OLED monitor and started installing games that I hoped would utilize the incredible color. I installed ABZU this morning, played straight through to the end, and was blown away by the game. The OLED tech and this game reminded me once again why I got into PC gaming to begin with.

A very relaxing experience with great music. Don't expect challenging gameplay though.

One of the only "relaxing" or "walking simulator"-type games that I loved. The graphics are amazing, colorful and beautiful. The music is amazing too, and the combination of both created a very immersive experience that made up for the simple game play. Any ocean lover will LOVE this game. I especially liked the deep sea portion of the game. Its one of the view games of any genre that can really make FEEL the vastness and scale of the ocean.

This is a simple and relaxing game about exploring the ocean and looking at all the silly fishes.
It feels like Studio Ghibli meets Endless Ocean on the Wii, the art style and music are phenomenal.
A certified Gromit Mug Gaming moment.

I needed to play ABZÛ twice to fully understand it. The first play through was blind and I was amazed by the stunning environments, but didn’t fully get the story. The second one I collected the rest of the collectibles and I finally understood the game. It wanted you to go into the deep darkness, challenging your fear, the protagonist same as you didn't know their purpose at the begging, and both of you went on the same journey trough the ocean. You saw the beauty, the deep and scary and the death and destruction, and in the end it was you the protagonist who made a change after they understood what it meant.
As somebody with the fear of the ocean, but also love many moments in this game were absolutely terrifying. the atmosphere is perfect, everything looks beautiful and stunning. There are so many (not only) fish spices! Tiny, small, big and massive. And if you meditate you can look at their species name.

I recommend ABZÛ to all who love the ocean, or easy zen like games.

Not sure how to rate this one. On the one hand, I did think it was pretty, and kind of interesting. On the other, it kind of felt like a cheaper Journey, without the interacting with other travelers and without the well executed environmental storytelling.
It was fine, but it also felt somewhat lacking whilst playing. The controls also felt a bit wonky to me (Also made me kind of dizzy, I did play on keyboard though so that might have been the problem).
Probably wouldn't recommend it.

Beautiful and artistic game, it's pretty much on the short side, but enjoyable nonetheless.
The game allows you for checking most of the collectibles but not in a very clear / specific way. But again, with chapter select and being so short, it's not like they are that difficult to collect normally

There's not much direction on pointers, just swim swim swim and enjoy the view

A simple yet beautiful story that is handed to you through a setting, giving the player a reason for exploration aside from curiosity. That, paired with above average gameplay compared to most triple A games and a divine soundtrack that ties in perfectly with what youre seeing on your screen easily makes ABZU one of the greatest games ive ever come to play.


In the darker, deeper areas of the ocean, you cant help but feel intimidated by some of the creatures that you'll see and how dark the the ocean floor can be yet for some reason, atleast for me, i thought it was still so beautiful. I think it's really impressive if a game manages to make you feel intimidated, scared even, and awed by beauty at the same time.


In conclusion, there wasnt a time when i was playing the game where i wasnt in awe by it's beauty. It's an experience that you wont get anywhere else. Just because of that fact alone, this game is a 10/10.

It's a short game, but im one of those people that likes to do things at their own pace. Played 5.8 hours of it and got all of the achievements within that span of time.

I know that for nearly 6 hours, $20 dollars is a lot for some people and i totally agree, so i recommend that you wait until it goes on sale. I got this game for $4.99.

I was playing the game when it first came out, and I enjoyed it so much. I liked the textures, story, design, basically everything. I replayed it after 9 years and I still love it. This is a short but an excellent game. I can recommend it to anyone, who wish to meditate a bit, also to look for fish names in a bit more enjoyable way.

One of the best in its genre, short but beautiful adventure ^-^

911, I became emotionally attached to an apex predator.

Beautiful game, though its definitely a "walking/swimming simulator".
Subnautica's soft and loving sibling.

Swim swim swim,
You also sometimes swim.

Other than that, it's an amazing and relaxing game.
Should try.

Achievement hunters: chill and easy achievement hunting.

No idea what this was going into it- holy shit my heart. The music, the wordless storytelling that is better than 99% of games with fully voiced dialogue, the fact that at every turn there is something spectacular, mysterious, and compelling to see. God. Damn. One of the only games I think everyone should play.

the peaceful vibes combined with a plethora of prehistoric marine species is an instant positive

10/10

Breathtaking images and interesting gameplay, but a bit confusing sometimes. Dropping this while I try other exploration games.

Style score: 100
Substance score: 0
Get it if you like marine life, I do, it has very good, albeit the opposite of accurate, simulation of fishes and aquatic mammals and reptiles, like what is disappointing is how I don't see cachalots eat giant squids in the abyss level even though they are both present there, or some large fish fight other large fish, or presence of fictional animals like whathisnamesaurs, is pretty questionable, well what else sea is very pretty here, "game" is too short to be considered a fullfilling experience, i didn't understand the plot, that was conveyed with murals in temples. why is white shark so friendly anyway?
final score: whatever, it's good at what it tries to be, a mediocre art project but that's it.

An incredible game just like Journey despite the polar opposite setting. In fact it's hard to discern which of the two i like most, all i know is that both are unforgettable must play experiences!

can't praise this game enough. beautifully designed, smooth graphics, impressive soundtrack, and a compelling story. the puzzles are easy to figure out, but not so simple that they dull the experience. easily one of my favourite underwater games

This game absolutely rules. Recommended to absolutely everyone.

More of an experience than a game, worth checking out on a steep discount.

This game is gorgeous! Both music and visuals really create quite an immersive and "zen" experience. There are multiple unique biomes, lots of sea creatures to observe, and it's all so beautifully crafted. Truly perfect for you if you were the kid dreaming of being a marine biologist when they grow up, but also still wonderful for anyone else.

Total playtime is only a few hours, even if you hunt down all the collectibles and achievements, but it's a good time all the way through. Controls took some getting used to at the start, but it's a well-designed game.

Its such a simple game, yet I find so much replayability in it. Art style and lighting put big studios to shame, in fact, this whole game puts large studios to shame. I have never seen an ocean feel more alive in a game than this.

Beatiful and relaxing game. It is a bit short but soundtrack and artistic design are incredible. Is a good game, but it is not for action gamers. Work perfectly in steam deck

I prefer Journey. I mean, probably you won't be wrong with it but it's not necessary enjoyable if you are expecting something like that one.
Changing wind for water and transcendence for inconsequential didn't catch me.

I loved it! Super fun and beautiful

A nice short relaxing game that excels in music and visuals. I especially liked all the prehistoric fish, I was not expecting them to make an appearance.

Simple and relaxing, but get it on sale. 20 bucks for 2 hours of gameplay isn't really worth it.

An amazing game perfect for relaxation and contemplation. The graphics are stylized enough to be timeless while they are still impressive on a technical level. There is an elegant simplicity to this game and it lasts as long as you want it to due to the minimalistic story. Play this if you in anyway like the ocean or exploring beneath the waves.

Sublime. It is a work of art that is also a pleasant game that is meant to be revisited.

Simple yet beautiful experience that knows exactly what it wants to be and wastes none of your time. I've bought this game on two systems and I'd almost argue it's worth more than that. By far one of my favorite soundtracks of any game I've played. I revisit this game whenever I need to experience a few hours of short, utterly untainted whimsy, and would recommend it to anyone with 20 bucks to spend, 3-5 hours to kill, and the patience for controls whose jank I find more than forgivable everything else considered.

Abzu is a stunning underwater adventure that offers a peaceful, meditative experience. With breathtaking visuals, a mesmerizing soundtrack, and fluid swimming mechanics, the game immerses players in a vibrant ocean teeming with life.

I had this sitting in my library for over 8 years before finally getting around to playing it. While it’s short (probably around 3+ hours for the main storyline) and lacks traditional challenges, it's a must-play for fans of artistic, exploration-driven games. If you can snag this on sale, I think you'll find this a calming and worthwhile experience.

the single most artistically beautiful game I've seen

Short and great
For a low price, its definitely worth it

Loved the music, the flow was awesome, plot was awesome, visuals were fantastic, I'll always remember the part with the whales

This realy is one of my favorite games of all time simply because of the art style and its wonderful depection of all the life under the waters