Abzû

Ocean life and I have a long and storied relationship. Most of it is concentrated around the National Geographic and Discovery Channel Documentaries that would come on TV. Specifically, "Blue Planet" was a standout to not only me but my friends and even my parents to this day. Those 5 nights that week that it premiered we all sat together as a family and watched the series. We've had similar experiences with other documentaries such as "Planet Earth", but few other media has really touched in the same way as those early documentaries did on sea life. That is until I had a chance to play Abzu.

On it's unassuming face, Abzu is a game about you, the ocean, and the creatures that call it home. You take the form of a nameless and silent protagonist that is donned in a head to toe wetsuit and has no need to surface for air, unless of course you want to do the cool breaches that the swimming system has to offer. Speaking of that, in a game that takes place in water, the act of swimming should be a thing that is easy and graceful, and boy is it ever. You character can nimbly and effortlessly glide through water, all while being able to do barrel rolls and loops to your hearts content. The icing on the cake is the boost system that let's you pick up speed and makes as a great way to get air on the equally beautiful breaches that you can do. But for as well polished as the locomotion is, it all means nothing if there isn't a great reason to keep you moving. This is where Abzu shines through remarkably well and makes it a truly special game.

Abzu is all about gaining an appreciation for the abundance and diversity of life that you would find in the ocean. It does this by taking you on a journey that starts in the tropical shallows and gradually descends to the darkest reaches of the abyss. Abzu does this funneling you from one arena like area to the next. Each area focuses on a different ocean environment such as the kelp forests where fish like grouper, bass, and leopard sharks stalk colorful and skiddish schools of fish. Each area has a few spots where you can use the interact button to add more fish to environment, as well as shark pedestal that can used as a resting place for meditating. While in meditation, you freedom to scroll around and watch the various ocean life go about their lives, the game even adds in the extra details of having a food chain that is somewhat realistic. Creatures also have a certain level of interactivity with the player as well. Large creatures, like whale sharks, can be ridden around for as long as you like, which is a great feeling to behold and really gets you closer to these creatures that only the most experienced and daring scuba divers can get to see. Smaller fish that are in large schools can also be interacted with in a Journey style chirp that ques them to follow you around for a short time, even as you boost to the surface to do a cannon ball or somersault out of the water. These things are all great as a package for giving the player tools to get a fuller appreciation for ocean life, but it's all the ways that Abzu presents these creatures that makes the game standout to other widelife focused games like Africa on PS3 or Blue Ocean on Wii.

From the beginning the color palette is spot on for each environment that the game guides you through. Colors are vibrant and evoke a sense of life and vitality in the places that you go. Each area that you freely explore and mediate in has a very unique set of colors and animals that fit well with each other. In the sun drenched tropics this goes up to 11. There is white snad with a bed red and pink coral and the proper sponges and plants to give it character, along with the plethora of tropical fish, dolphins, and larger carnivorous fish and sharks that make the ecosystem Abzu creates really fit. Each environment is also backed by an incredible original soundtrack that is comprised of mainly orchestral pieces, something that many tv documentaries are fond of doing and helps to evoke that similar feeling of wonder and emotional stiring that I often felt during those programs. And just like those documentaries, Abzu knows exactly how to pace itself and frame itself in a flattering way.

Many moments in Abzu are powerful not for the mechanics and features listed above, but for the way the game knows when and where to give and take control and how to frame subjects and compose moments. Many times, you'll arrive to a new location with a stunning camera angle and musical flourish that begs the player to explore and does so numerous times with great effect. Certain interactions with creatures like the Great White shark, and Blue Whale, are also framed in really creative ways that offer a wide range of visual diversity and emotional payoff. Upon meeting the Blue Whales at the games half way mark, you ride with them to the depths of the ocean, the camera pulling out all the while to reveal just how small you really are. But Abzu also takes the time to zoom in tight and catch the locking of eyes between you and this massive creature that is only at arms length. Abzu does what those great shows did so well for educating the masses about ocean life, it takes time to get you intimate and at the same time reminds you of the near infinite vastness that the ocean provides and lets you ponder on the fact that is still so delicate for somehting so large.

The narrative that ties this experience together is never truly expounded upon in any explicit detail. It's very similar to Journey in the way that you are a guardian of sorts to the environment you inhabit. While the game is short, I don't want ot touchon the story too much as it goes in some incredible places and sheds reality very quickly but in ways that lend itself to the exploration and exquisite framing of the game.

The art style of the game is lifted right from Journey. Which should come as no surprise, considering the the studio that developed the game, Giant Squid, was founded by the same are director that was on Journey. While the color palette is far more diverse, the overall look of cell shading and semi-hard edges is still in effect. I played the game on PS4 and in only one exception the game dropped frames from a steady 30 fps. There are moments that you think will surly bring down the hardware but the game is so finely tuned that even having hundreds of small fish on screen moving at speed never seems to hold up the game at all.

Overall, Abzu is the underwater game that I've been waiting for. It has all the things that made me fall in love with those late 90's early 2000's documentaries of my youth. It shows the grandeur and diversity of ocean life while giving you the abilty to explore it at your own pace with relative ease. The game also does it's own great job of framing the world around you in interesting ways that really strike cords with you on an emotinal level. Which is a powerful thing for a any medium to do. While Abzu was only a 4 hour experience, it was well worth the $20 price of admission and is game that is certainly worth your time and even a few extra playthroughs. Dive in.