GAME REVIEW: Abzu- “A Charming Distraction” (PS4)

In an industry of war, bloodshed, apocalypse and round-winning kills, what does a non-violent underwater exploration game have to offer to gamers?

Most video game characters, with a few exceptions; can swim. Even if there’s no explanation to how for example, a privileged young man growing up in fifteenth century Florence can somehow swim like Michael Phelps; even while wearing a cape, or that swimming in full plate is a reasonably normal thing to do in places like Skyrim. The underwater level, optional or otherwise, has been pretty adventure-standard since Sonic the Hedgehog with his air bubbles and drowning panic-music. So how does Abzû take one big underwater level and get it so weirdly right?

I’ve always been a fanatical advocate for video games as an art form, and I can really appreciate what Abzû is gunning for. The player is given control of a lone diver, with no knowledge of who or where they are, and is set free to explore the ocean at their leisure, with no worries about running out of air or inadvertently waking Godzilla. The game gently suggests to the player where they should go and what they should do, so it’s not an open world, but there is little urgency to do much of anything other than enjoy the environments and the pretty fishies. It quickly becomes easy to control the diver herself, who moves with the fluidity and grace of a real swimmer. There is a ‘sprint’ movement, if that makes sense underwater; and you can get some serious synchronised swimming arcs and dolphin leaps on, when you get the hang of it. Movement in Abzû is rather excellent.

The ocean itself is far from photorealistic, but is truly beautiful regardless. Marine life converges into giant silver tornado shoals of fish, corralled by predators that dive and bite at them. Hundreds of fish, all of which are legit real world ocean dwellers, even the weird ones (I had to google a Sunfish, and was not disappointed) live out a dynamic and thriving ecosystem around the diver, complete with food chains and feeding methods. I could almost hear David Attenborough’s soothing rasp narrating it all in my head as my diver pressed deeper into the marine wilderness.

However, there is a sense of fantasy about Abzû that the player will need to immerse themselves in to enjoy fully. Riding on the back of a Manta Ray as it glides through golden kelp and ancient underwater ruins is like a lucid dream, and serves as enough of a distraction to forget that you haven’t killed anything in this game. The open-minded player will be unlikely to care at this point, as gameplay is sacrificed almost completely for the sake of the environments. Which are totally worth it.

There is even enough of a story for there to be a spoiler or two, and a strongly eco-centred tone which highlights the importance of respecting the ocean’s delicate natural balance. Also, that sharks being relentless man eaters is just mankind flattering itself. A diver is nothing special in an ocean full of life, and the ocean doesn’t care if you breathe air or not. There are however, dark forces at play in Abzû and a little twist that forms a decent, if vague narrative so long as you pay attention. I was too busy playing with starfish, so I didn’t fully grasp it at first.

The soundtrack to Abzû is frankly excellent. It’s background music ebbs and flows with the water itself and twinkles along with the wonder and majesty of the vibrant environments. It is a significant credit to the artistic direction of Abzû and bolsters the impact the underwater environments have.

Despite being a refreshing change of pace from ‘kill these guys’ and ‘blow these up’, Abzû is going to struggle when it comes to replayability. It’s enjoyable, and is a fantastic showcase of how pretty video games can be, but you only really need to play through once to see it all. If you enjoy it enough to go back and chill with some sea turtles, then there is a chapter selection function to allow it, but just like checking the fridge first thing in the morning, it’s pretty much the same as last time you were there.

The relaxed tone of the game, although its biggest selling point, is going to fall flat with some players, as the only real rewards for your curiosity are more fish to look at. Secret, special caves or areas would be a nice motivation for players to achieve something, and a good excuse to play through it again, but it’s pretty linear as it goes. Some gamers just aren’t that into fish.

The friendly little drones the player encounters for the most part of the early game, while sort of cute; are a bit annoying after a while. They follow the diver pretty much everywhere and are sometimes a distraction, pulling the player out of the scene alike a big-ass fishnet. Despite all this, there is little actually wrong with Abzû. There were no bugs in my playthrough, the whole experience was seamless and it delivers exactly as promised, with a crispy seaweed side.