MERCH!
Giant Bomb - a website about video games and the people that make them

A chillout game to captivate the senses.

Published August 21, 2018
4 out of 5 starsScore: 80/100

For the mere 2 hours it takes to finish Abzu, forget about the usual nitty-gritty of game mechanics, relax, and just try to enjoy the ride. The game is absolutely gorgeous. Striking colours and jaw-dropping underwater vistas, coupled with some amazing animation, and the music is equally powerful. If you're part of the "but it's not a game" crowd, nothing I can say will change your mind, but this is a just chillout game. It's made to captivate the senses rather than test your skill in anything, and that's fine. Just like Journey, which had the same director, it's a relaxing and beautiful experience that is perfect to play while high.

I didn't find the second hour to be as intriguing as the first hour though. The game takes a darker and slightly more insidious tone, which is fine and everything, but I was enjoying the more colourful and peaceful nature of the first half. I was just hoping for more of that to be honest, and while I understand the reason for the change, I felt it was a shame that it had to go down that route. The game has a point to make, but it's a little hamfisted with it.

The views here are this user’s only and are not representative of Giant Bomb's thoughts and opinions on the discussed video game. GB's official reviews reside at giantbomb.com/reviews.