Rating: B+
Giant Squid is an indie game studio founded by Matt Nava, the art director who also worked on the critically-acclaimed Journey and Flower, both of which rank among my favourite games. Giant Squid’s first game Abzû was announced back in 2014 at Sony’s E3 press conference, and boy was I HYPED when I saw the initial trailer. A spiritual successor to Journey? But UNDERWATER? Sign me the heck up.
So, given that it’s not created by thatgamecompany, how does Abzû stack up? The same themes and feel from Journey and Flower are prevalent, but it still missed the mark a bit for me, in terms of creating the same lasting emotional connection that I experienced with the others.
I really loved Abzû. My friends watched me as I played, which probably influenced my overall love for it. Having us all react the same way to the same actions—and them telling me where to explore—made it feel like more of an adventure. If I were to play it alone I may have not enjoyed it as much, or become impatient and disinterested after a while. Its pacing is similar to that of Journey, but it lacks a clearly outlined goal. I understand it wants to encourage exploration, but some parts felt empty without any clear motivation for the actions I was doing.
The story is supposed to be vague enough to encourage exploration and uncover the mysteries of why you are placed in this world and what for, but I think that because it is a familiar environment—the ocean—it didn’t evoke the same sense of wonder that Journey or Flower did for me. Those games were set in totally unknown environments: Journey in a more fantastical old civilization in the desert, and Flower in a totally eerie and almost dystopian environment. The ocean is mysterious and unexplored, but because we have such readily available access to documentaries and images of it, it’s almost over-saturated for me. This is possibly the reason that a lot of it felt familiar and didn’t evoke the same sense of wonder.
Despite this, the art style is absolutely gorgeous and breath-taking. Exploration was a large part of the game, but I found myself just sitting in awe of the beauty of it each time I discovered a new area. There is a meditation feature where you simply look and observe the ocean life, taking in all of the beauty that has been meticulously put together for the player. It’s really inspiring to see how the developers really wanted this to be a huge part of the game, for the player to just sit back and enjoy it for a few minutes before moving onto the next part.
Also, THIS GAME MADE ME LOVE SHARKS!!!! SHARKS ARE OUR FRIENDS AND THEY ARE COOL! They are misunderstood or made into villains in kids’ movies; it’s super lame and they need to be celebrated. Connection to the ocean and to nature is a huge theme in Abzû, for example, in the meditation feature and its emphasis on exploration. You never have access to land in Abzû until the ending—just small outcrops breaching the water and uncovered by kelp. Underwater levels in games (such as Zelda, Mario, Crash Bandicoot, etc.) have always been my least favourite, but the swimming capabilities in Abzû feel natural and controlled. They’re well-executed to the point that, when you do eventually have access to land and the ability to walk, it feels unnatural and odd.
Exploration and non-violent gameplay are something I really value in games. It’s really refreshing to see more of these indie franchises getting support and praise, and to see enough hype generated around Abzû for people to be excited for two years. With it only taking around two to three hours to complete, it might be best to wait until Abzû comes up on sale if you are unsure of whether or not to play it.