Started playing ABZÛ last night, like Journey this is a unique game. ABZÛ was released Aug 2nd, the day my dad passed away, so I'm finding this game extremely strong and personal because I grew up by the sea, sea life is my life. Beautiful game.
This game is like a favorite book you have read - you are kind of sad when it's over. But, unlike a book , with Abzu you can find new, undiscovered chapters a second or third time around. Also, it's a good game for younger players - basically non violent, it forces thinking and exercising one's imagination.
Why is everybody so damn against these type of games? They are AMAZING stress relief after a long day at work, some times I don't wan't to fucking prevent global destruction for the Nth time or die, die and die again you know? Also great review as always AGC, thumbs up!
Jan Christian Frodahl You have a very narrow definition of what makes a game, which obviously does not hold up in the real world since Abzu is obviously a video game. It seems you may need to adjust your view.
i always thought the same and always enjioyed relaxed single player games that i can get lost in. i never understood how people wanna keep running PUBG or COD matches back to back every single day. Sometimes i just dont want to play with other people or have to put too mmuch effort in. i want to have a good time, not be stressed out the whole time .
A friend asked me to describe what I liked about ABZU and after several attempts I gave up and said 'look just play it ok' ☺️ This title is proof that games can be far more than a sum of its parts, a truly wonderful journey (no pun) and one that will stand out for years to come. Great review Karak, you really nail what makes this game tick 👍🏻
Worth a bit did a better review on this game. This review sucks. Also Angry Joe does good reviews. Aside from that, stick to what you like or Metacritic maybe
I watched the ign review of it, and not once did the reviewer mention how the game made him feel. it was only 3:36 (a shame), but this is what separates you from other reviewers. I don't have a ps4 or gaming PC, and dont plan on getting this, but I can still see a game like this may require more of an explanation than what they gave. Not trying to bash, but wish there were more fleshed out thoughts and perspectives from other reviewers. Great review by you!
I’m slowly but surely watching all your videos from review #1. I love it. Even though I won’t play 90% of the indie game I still like hearing your reviews.
Thank you for your in depth and honest reviews I appriciate it and I just dropped you a 5$ pledge, I know it ain't much... But the best I can do to keep that good content coming,
I seriously love you man. I am just going through your videos watching old reviews and you are an industry changer with the way you review things. Keep it up!
I loved ABZU. For a game that has no dialogue or any real spoken plotline, it is a pretty incredible story. It's a total feel-good experience. It's free on Xbox right now so I would recommend people to go check it out. Wait for a night where you can play it by yourself with no distractions. Maybe drink a few beers or smoke a joint while it installs. Once it is ready, start playing and I promise you, you will feel emotionally invested in this game.
Just finished this game (Xbox One) and I give it a big 9 out of 10! Love the music and when I play it with my daughter around she’s like “oohh fishy! Oohh shark!!” Love it :D
I love these kinds of games... games like Journey, and Ori in the Blind forest, you know, the ones that feel like fairy tails and arent very traditional in its premise... I'm going to have to check this one out *o*
Thanks for making the best video game reviews on RUclips. Any time I'm thinking of buying a game, I'll see whether or not you've done a review. Unlike IGN and other major reviewers you review nearly every aspect of the game in a very detailed manner and at a great pace, without any outside influence (as you may know major reviewers like IGN and Gamespot get paid for good reviews...). Keep up the great work!
Yep! Would've brushed this game off if it weren't for the reviews. An easy copy to pick up and just enjoy swimming around in from what I see here. If I had an extra (spare) controller laying around, I wouldn't mind my niece playing this game as she likes mermaids and sea creatures.
I may not have a way to play it, but, as usual, great work on the review, Karak. Games like Abzu have been catching my eye more and more, especially as I've grown older, as there's something magical about the visual representation, the music, coupled in a glorious three-way with that wonderous sense of discovery -- like the euphoric overload of the Fantasia movies. Great work!
Excellent review as always. ^^ I really loved Journey and Flower so i was really looking forward to this one. Absolutely amazing visuals, can't wait to "dive in" as soon as it finished downloading on my PS4. :P
I really liked this review, but I'm glad I watched it after I played it: the visuals contain lots of...well, not spoilers exactly, but elements that were more impactful for being unexpected. It's a lovely way to spend an evening, with plenty of moments to make one go "wow" or just bring a silly grin to one's face, or just to enjoy the spaces and movement. I'm not sure there's enough exploration to tempt me back for further plays, though if I get the chance to play it on something bigger than my 15" screen it might be worth it!
Great review as always. Getting a very strong "Journey" vibe from this. No surprise, as the soundtrack is from Austin Wintory, and the creative director from Journey. Though some gameplay elements seems to be taken directly from that aforementioned game. The camera angles, the themes, the squeak noises your character makes, movement ect... But hey, I LOVED Journey, so if its in the same vein...cant complain with that. Just hope it isn't a retread of what Journey has covered already, and that it can stand on it's own merits.
Thanks for review, I'd purchased last night as it looked nice. Not having any idea about what to do in the game, your review pretty much confirms it; and is making me start thinking about my simulation based games (mostly play fps style).
Ending needed more work, was enjoying story, nearly threw my toys out of the pram a few times, got really dark then OK - ish at the end.... Some puzzles had me jumping out of the water trying to figure out how to do them, infuriating .. Cough..
I became an ACG Gamer on Patreon after watching this latest video. We seem aligned in our gaming tastes so by supporting you I will save money by not buying crap games
first time I check out an ACG review... holy crap, what a non-stop-voice-flow, nearly getting hypnotized by that ^^ That was a positive comment of mine, very good review, honest, and quite complete, IMO. Thnks for that, one thumb more up ;-) Cheers
Excellent review as usual. The only game I've ever gotten my wife to like is Gone Home, but I showed her this game and she actually wants me to install it the second it releases. She has never been excited about a game in her life. Thanks for helping me drag her into my gaming world (finally).
Just finished this beautiful little game, a really lovely experience. A word on performance, either the title was optimized further before official release or there is something wrong with ACG's rig. I have a 6700K and a GTX 1080 and this game didn't ever drop below 75fps. It was very often up at the 144fps limit of my monitor, and was usually hovering somewhere comfortably over 100fps. This was at 1440p resolution with all settings set to Ultra.
+ACG Bizarre, although given my experience I still beleive this represents a potential hardware issue, something the dev can remedy perhaps. I played thru it entirely before the patch launched, and as stated never dipped below 75fps. That's a humongous difference to the 40fps you experienced at the same settings. Given we are using the same GPU and I assume you are using a modern CPU the divide should be small to non existent.
I've got to commend you on your incredibly good use of adjectives. Concerning game reviewers, one of the biggest factors which makes someone good reviewing is heavily dependent on their proficient--and at times almost artistic--utilization of adjectives. Something I wanted to comment on as well, are the different types of water (10:05). In real-life diving, there are certain places underwater (often where rivers meet the sea, and sometimes in caves) where salt water meets fresh, and it really looks like that underwater--it's very cool! Anyways, this is another excellent review, and thanks to your excellent job of describing it, this is a game I'll pick up. That is, once I'm done with the handful of others I've been trying to "Platinum"; so many games!! ~Best Regards from Cape Cod, MA~
ACG it's a well-deserved compliment! BTW, wnen you get the chance, have a look at my comment on your review for "Layers of Fear". I have a quick question for you there!
I may fall into the not for everyone category. it looks really really interesting, I need the "why". The reason for exploring. That music tho....that's right up my alley.
Just finished my first run with the game and while i still prefer Journey's more focused story arc, the art design and movement in this game was amazing. Can't wait to run through the game again to see what hidden secrets I missed. Great review as always!
Very happy to see this hit PC as well. Loved Journey, though part of it's magic was that odd multiplayer. Don't think this will quite match that experience.
more traditional, linear, story driven games are starting to ware on me a bit. an example being the fact that I enjoyed uncharted 4 and certainly appreciated it for what it was, but despite it being better than 3 (in my opinion) i felt as though for some reason i wasn't as engaged as i was with the previous titles when i played them awhile back. I wonder if these more open ended, abstract games could potentially be my new jam. Anyway, fantastic review once again karak, never disappoints.
I just got done playing through Journey for the first time. That experience and world was insanely rich. I doubt Abzu will surpass J for me, so im waiting on a price drop.
When I first saw this trailer for the game, I thought it seemed a bit boring, and I had absolutely no idea what it was about. But, I'm very glad you reviewed it, because I see I was pretty wrong. This whole game seems very peaceful and beautiful. Definitely going to get it when it comes out.
Great review man! I really want to buy this game, but, for me at least, the price point of 20 euro is way too much for my wallet. Same thing goes for Inside who has the same price tag and if I heard correctly both of the games have around 4~ hours of run time. This is why I tend to stay away from experience games..the price to played time ratio is off kilter. I know this is probably a bad mentality to have because you can't judge all games the same, but in my case 1euro = 1 hour. There are very few exceptions to the rule where I would be more lenient (like getting I am Setsuna for 32euro having finished it in 26 hours).
Awesome review! You sir are by far the most intelligent game player on the internet. Thank you for the fantastic reviews that you bring to us with the speed of an embargo. My question is can we play this game with a VR headset?
Abzu isn't like a regular game and that's ok, it's art and it's so beautiful, I really like the visuals and the music and the fact that the world just doesn't care about my existence
Anyone who has a pair of Nvidia 3DVision glasses needs to play this game. Helix mods has you covered (just look it up) 😉. I was truly captivated just sitting on my rock meditating and watching all the different types of fish swim around right in front of my face. It's really cool. Thank you Helix mods and the whole crew for keeping 3Dvision alive and well... 😎👍
Somehow I missed the note that the 20% off PS+ deal for Abzu was ONLY for Pre-Orders. It was pretty fucking annoying to go into PSN at 12:01am and see that the game is no longer 20% off. If this game is so great (which it appears to be), then why were there zero early reviews posted on MetaCritic or anywhere else? Were you not allowed to post this review last night Karak? If not, then why not? Early access was obviously given to the game, so I don't understand the lack of critical reviews prior to the midnight release.
Man that sucks. Nice review tough, thanks. It's pretty shady for Sony and the Developer to only offer 20% on pre-orders when there is a review embargo for the game. Especially when they are dangling the extra 20% off deal with their PLAY 2016 offer.
This looks fantastic. I mean I'm a huge Dark Souls / Prince of Persia / Half Life fan, but this looks and sounds just so beautiful that, like you said, it's an "experience". After all, that's kind of what entertainment is about. Games need to explore the no-death mechanic more. It's such a huge challenge for a designer to have a no-death player-character and still provide a challenging or fulfilling experience.
Just finished this game and your review is spot on. I will even go as far as to say this was one of the best experiences I have had as a gamer. I'm glad I bought it, but it's definitely not for everyone.
great detailed review as always. too bad most mainstream reviews dont go into this much detail. the detail in your reviews help encourage and persuade people to buy games which people may not have considered buying if reviewed by mainstream reviewers
great review, I'm very interested in playing this. it has a journey/echo the dolphin look to it. I am going to wait for a ten dollar price point. personally I play through these types once and never come back.
oh thank you this helped me so much as im in a bus now 7 in the morning to get to the next town go get to the bank so i can get a new debit card and i havent slept at all because i was going to sleep but relized the bus came in 2 hours so thanks for making my day a bit better
Listened to it but did not watch it because of spoilers. Most likely going to get it because it has the same art director and composer from Journey, they deserve my money. Really wanted to hear the price or how long the game is though.
Thank-you. But I'm in Australia, it's $20. Doesn't matter as I just bought it. Reviews from people who say they have completed it have played it for just over an hour so that may answer my question. Hope to play it tomorrow and maybe make some vids of my own.
These games like Flower, Journey, Brothers: Tale of Two Sons and things may not have much of a story but I believe they are best left as surprises for everyone to experience. Ignorance is bliss when going into these types of games I think because it's more about how you react instead how you play with it in game.
Excellent review and an amazing little game that will keep me happy till No Man's Sky drops on the 9th.. I'm just going to take my time and explore everything I possibly can
Karak, as your loyal Patreon Baker and review-watcher, i think Abzu is...beautiful, to say the least. I bought it instantly. And while I completely agree with your general review, I have to say, that the game runs absolutely smooth in 1440p with everything maxed - on a 970. Yeah, the only time i dipped into the 40s in my first hour was that huuuuuge swarm going in circles (can't describe it any better, sorry ^^), other than that - 50+ FPS gaming smoothness (thanks Gsync :)). Until now - fantastic game.
what do you mean when you say "created by the designers of titles as flow and flower"? Those games were made by Thatgamecompany, this one is by Giant Squid? Did some people switch their studio? D:
Well for basics it's the visuals and music. That's for a start. Then it's the underlying story of a lost civilisation (journey). Then it's the multiplayer aspect which is very unique. Then it's the progression with your journey, learning more about what happened in this civilisation and the main goal, getting to the top of the mountain. For flower it's also to do with the visuals. Sounds are great. And it too has a story about man kind ruining the world and how you're fixing it.
They are different from a lot of other games. ThatGameCompany seem to make artistic experiences over traditional mechanic-based games. This means while you're not actually doing very much in terms or variety most of the time, what you are doing is designed to evoke certain emotions and create an atmosphere. People who seek more emotional, artistic and mysterious experiences are these games are made for. I personally enjoyed Flower for its slow reveal of a destroyed civilisation and relaxing gameplay, but disliked Journey as although it was captivating at times, I was bored by the gameplay much of the time, especially during sections where you're constantly attacked but are unable to retaliate. I'm sure this was designed to evoke the feeling of powerlessness but that's not really what I look for in games.
+cylablyat, I'm sorry but you never gave it a chance or are very impatient. The first ten minutes consist of the intro, starting area and green foliage area. Those are the areas to wind you in and get used to the game. After that it's jet streams, the narrative and exploration.
Had this game downloaded when it was free and never really came around to play it Played it for the first time with a friend 😂 Him and I were so amazed when he jumped in the air with a sting ray Wow Hands down first time I've ever laughed out loud out of enjoyment Love the game so far Just give it a try it'll be worth it 👌
I don't know. I loved Journey so I went into Abzu expecting to like it. But after 30 minutes or so, I had no interest or desire to keep playing. I think it's because from the very start, Journey presented you with a goal to pursue while Abzu just kinda puts you in there.
I liked the game overall, but I couldn't help comparing it to Journey, because it's scene-for-scene pretty much the same game, and for me, Journey is better, with more compelling ways of telling the story and with elements that show the player how he's progressing in terms of the collectibles (where is the in-game feature that tells me which shells I've collected? Where is the equivalent to the scarf, which told players of Journey how well they were doing? I also couldn't help feeling unfairly imprisoned/constrained by the game, especially in the later scenes, where you can see interesting areas ripe for exploration, but the game won't let you go there. This was compounded in the ending, which places you in a credits scene which allows no movement beyond the camera's focus. And the credits are unskippable, not just the first time, but EVERY SINGLE TIME we play the game! Then there are the loading screens. I get that it's graphically intensive, so the loads between in-game stuff was fine. What I don't get is why it should sometimes take over 30 seconds to load up a menu screen! I don't see why I get a loading screen to get to the meditation menu screen, which is basically a screen with 12 static selectable images on it - what's up with that? Where Journey was 100% smooth from beginning to end, Abzu is broken up into chapters and menus that plunge the player into seemingly endless black loading screen after endless black loading screen. I wouldn't mind if they gave me something pretty to look at while the game is loading, but they don't. Finally, the lack of multiplayer definitely hurts the game in comparison with Journey. I see no reason why this game couldn't have a similar multiplayer mechanism. I loved Journey - it is an A+ in my book, whereas Abzu gets a B. It's basically Journey underwater with better graphics, but I feel it's been stripped of many of the things I found most fun in the earlier game.
pretty spot on review. The loading screens havnt bothered me but you make good points about how it's not totally seamless. The visuals in this game are just so gorgeous though that it makes up for any minor annoyances.
Preordered it after watching the interview with Austin Wintory - and it's an absolutely amazing game. If there's one recent example of a game that really embodies video game development as an artform, it would be Abzu. Get this game, you won't regret it.
When I see the different areas and amazing underwater features and animations on this video I got a real 'wow' and then again at the same time after a while it seemed to me that it might bore out just as quickly.. I don't want to criticize but I get this feeling like it's missing out on some real intriguing gameplay as if after a few hours you'll get the feeling like you're turning in circles not doing much I don't know maybe I'm wrong..
It's actually pretty simple: Do You like diving into the deep end of the pool(of any size!!??)..then This IS for you :-) On x86 and A GTX 680 :-O = Yes, you CAN!
People often preach that gameplay is more important than graphics. This game reminds me that not only can the two go hand and hand but they can even be one of the same.
It must be hard to recommend a game like this, where the enjoyment you get is entirely dependent on how much gameplay you require from a game in order to enjoy it. Personally I'm renting Abzu at some point to experience it. I only really buy games that I can get a lot of time out of or that I want to replay a lot and Abzu doesn't seem like one of those games to me. For me it's like actual diving; I'd love to give a try someday but I'm not going to buy a heap of diving gear before I know if I enjoy it.
Totally reminds me of Ecco The Dolphin on the Dreamcast (and later PS2), a terrific game in some ways and a terrible one in others. Ecco differs in that it is a goal oriented death feast, but still it is very beautiful.
It really looks beautiful, but that framerate on a freaking GTX 1080 is simply unacceptable. Nothing should run below 60fps on a card far superior to monstrously powerful GTX980Ti. I'm glad you always speak about such issues in your reviews. Way too many reviewers doesn't.
must be something in the code, because the ps4 shows framerate problems. It struggles to keep 30. But it´s not the worst case I have seen in consoles. Fallout 4, Just cause 3 (15 fps unplayable), AC unity and many others. Last gen consoles never showed this problem so often.
Started playing ABZÛ last night, like Journey this is a unique game.
ABZÛ was released Aug 2nd, the day my dad passed away, so I'm finding this game extremely strong and personal because I grew up by the sea, sea life is my life.
Beautiful game.
ya unique title and sorr about your dad
I just started playing it. It is artwork. I've always loved the sea. The feeling of seeing a blue whale for the first time it was amazing.
This game is like a favorite book you have read - you are kind of sad when it's over. But, unlike a book , with Abzu you can find new, undiscovered chapters a second or third time around. Also, it's a good game for younger players - basically non violent, it forces thinking and exercising one's imagination.
Why is everybody so damn against these type of games? They are AMAZING stress relief after a long day at work, some times I don't wan't to fucking prevent global destruction for the Nth time or die, die and die again you know?
Also great review as always AGC, thumbs up!
Not sure. Its fantastic though. and thanks.
Not so much a game when you have no goals, no results, and no challenges..
But it`s a beautiful abstract underwater exploration simulator :)
Oh, and no story..
Jan Christian Frodahl
You have a very narrow definition of what makes a game, which obviously does not hold up in the real world since Abzu is obviously a video game.
It seems you may need to adjust your view.
i always thought the same and always enjioyed relaxed single player games that i can get lost in. i never understood how people wanna keep running PUBG or COD matches back to back every single day. Sometimes i just dont want to play with other people or have to put too mmuch effort in. i want to have a good time, not be stressed out the whole time .
Abzu would be great in VR....
yep
@@ACGreviews yep
@@strikerbowls791 Mmhmm
Just thinking about it twists my stomach, it'd be beautiful nightmare of motion sickness for me
A friend asked me to describe what I liked about ABZU and after several attempts I gave up and said 'look just play it ok' ☺️
This title is proof that games can be far more than a sum of its parts, a truly wonderful journey (no pun) and one that will stand out for years to come.
Great review Karak, you really nail what makes this game tick 👍🏻
Thanks rigged
Jesus this game looks amazing. Never knew a swimming simulator could be so attracting. Awesome review ACG!
thanks!
The only reviewer I trust #ACG
Why the only reviewer you trust?
Worth a bit did a better review on this game. This review sucks. Also Angry Joe does good reviews. Aside from that, stick to what you like or Metacritic maybe
Gggmanlives as well
austinrsimon2, you beat me to it. They're both fucking excellent reviewers.
this is just damn hypnotic. wow like I stepped into a LSD trip .
agreed
Why thank you for the idea, my good sir. This may be the perfect game for tripping. Added to the wishlist!
Just finished it. I think it's a step up from journey, just an audio-visual piece of art. Most gorgeous game I've ever played.
That's great to hear. As I'm very excited to play this since I loved journey and I love aquatic life.
More like lackluster reuse of Journey assets..
The bearded shaman. looking at this game and it's psychedelic influences, that was a perfect way to start of. bravo
LOL glad you liked it
Make Ecco the Dolphin great again!
indeed
I watched the ign review of it, and not once did the reviewer mention how the game made him feel. it was only 3:36 (a shame), but this is what separates you from other reviewers. I don't have a ps4 or gaming PC, and dont plan on getting this, but I can still see a game like this may require more of an explanation than what they gave. Not trying to bash, but wish there were more fleshed out thoughts and perspectives from other reviewers. Great review by you!
You may have mistaken ign for people with feelings that actually know how to make informative reviews ;)
Sup jesse! Thanks man
I’m slowly but surely watching all your videos from review #1. I love it. Even though I won’t play 90% of the indie game I still like hearing your reviews.
Thank you for your in depth and honest reviews I appriciate it and I just dropped you a 5$ pledge, I know it ain't much... But the best I can do to keep that good content coming,
thanks amit
I seriously love you man. I am just going through your videos watching old reviews and you are an industry changer with the way you review things. Keep it up!
Dope ass review, suprised but glad your take on it was so positive, your reviews are detailed af
I loved ABZU. For a game that has no dialogue or any real spoken plotline, it is a pretty incredible story. It's a total feel-good experience. It's free on Xbox right now so I would recommend people to go check it out. Wait for a night where you can play it by yourself with no distractions. Maybe drink a few beers or smoke a joint while it installs. Once it is ready, start playing and I promise you, you will feel emotionally invested in this game.
If journey was 9/10 then this is 8/10. Loved it! a must buy for journey fans.
I'm here because of free games of PS+ may 2017
Just finished this game (Xbox One) and I give it a big 9 out of 10! Love the music and when I play it with my daughter around she’s like “oohh fishy! Oohh shark!!” Love it :D
I love these kinds of games... games like Journey, and Ori in the Blind forest, you know, the ones that feel like fairy tails and arent very traditional in its premise... I'm going to have to check this one out *o*
Thanks for making the best video game reviews on RUclips. Any time I'm thinking of buying a game, I'll see whether or not you've done a review. Unlike IGN and other major reviewers you review nearly every aspect of the game in a very detailed manner and at a great pace, without any outside influence (as you may know major reviewers like IGN and Gamespot get paid for good reviews...). Keep up the great work!
thank you man. Spread the word
Another genuinely sensational review. One of your best ever in my opinion, well done man!
thanks man
Anyone else here after seeing it's included in the Play at Home free games initiative?
Yep! Would've brushed this game off if it weren't for the reviews. An easy copy to pick up and just enjoy swimming around in from what I see here. If I had an extra (spare) controller laying around, I wouldn't mind my niece playing this game as she likes mermaids and sea creatures.
I may not have a way to play it, but, as usual, great work on the review, Karak. Games like Abzu have been catching my eye more and more, especially as I've grown older, as there's something magical about the visual representation, the music, coupled in a glorious three-way with that wonderous sense of discovery -- like the euphoric overload of the Fantasia movies. Great work!
you bet
It's like the player is a witness to a tapestry coming to life.
Excellent review as always. ^^ I really loved Journey and Flower so i was really looking forward to this one. Absolutely amazing visuals, can't wait to "dive in" as soon as it finished downloading on my PS4. :P
Heh :P Nice one :)
At least you could wet your whistle with this fine ACG vid
I really liked this review, but I'm glad I watched it after I played it: the visuals contain lots of...well, not spoilers exactly, but elements that were more impactful for being unexpected. It's a lovely way to spend an evening, with plenty of moments to make one go "wow" or just bring a silly grin to one's face, or just to enjoy the spaces and movement. I'm not sure there's enough exploration to tempt me back for further plays, though if I get the chance to play it on something bigger than my 15" screen it might be worth it!
Great review as always.
Getting a very strong "Journey" vibe from this. No surprise, as the soundtrack is from Austin Wintory, and the creative director from Journey.
Though some gameplay elements seems to be taken directly from that aforementioned game. The camera angles, the themes, the squeak noises your character makes, movement ect... But hey, I LOVED Journey, so if its in the same vein...cant complain with that. Just hope it isn't a retread of what Journey has covered already, and that it can stand on it's own merits.
Bound reminds me alot of Journey! I can't wait for that game
thanks
Great review. Better than the majors. Bought this morning and looking forward to delving in more. Subscribed.
thanks
Thanks for review, I'd purchased last night as it looked nice. Not having any idea about what to do in the game, your review pretty much confirms it; and is making me start thinking about my simulation based games (mostly play fps style).
Ya its damn handes off
Ending needed more work, was enjoying story, nearly threw my toys out of the pram a few times, got really dark then OK - ish at the end.... Some puzzles had me jumping out of the water trying to figure out how to do them, infuriating .. Cough..
I became an ACG Gamer on Patreon after watching this latest video. We seem aligned in our gaming tastes so by supporting you I will save money by not buying crap games
My thanks sir! Appreciate it and hope i can keep saving you money
+ACG you are most welcome mate :)
first time I check out an ACG review... holy crap, what a non-stop-voice-flow, nearly getting hypnotized by that ^^ That was a positive comment of mine, very good review, honest, and quite complete, IMO. Thnks for that, one thumb more up ;-) Cheers
+blacky75 thanks man
Excellent review as usual. The only game I've ever gotten my wife to like is Gone Home, but I showed her this game and she actually wants me to install it the second it releases. She has never been excited about a game in her life. Thanks for helping me drag her into my gaming world (finally).
FYI Grown Home is coming out i a bit the sequel
I'm aware, but appreciate the heads up man. Good looking out and keep releasing these great reviews.
excellent review! just bought from steam $5.99 on summer sale. thank you.
Awesome review as always :) Stay great ACG, you're one of the hopes of RUclips :)
Sup crash. Appreciate it
your knowledge and comparison skills are amazing.
thanks
Just finished this beautiful little game, a really lovely experience.
A word on performance, either the title was optimized further before official release or there is something wrong with ACG's rig. I have a 6700K and a GTX 1080 and this game didn't ever drop below 75fps. It was very often up at the 144fps limit of my monitor, and was usually hovering somewhere comfortably over 100fps. This was at 1440p resolution with all settings set to Ultra.
Nope. Looks like the forums are filled with the complaints. Sadly. But they did patch this morning.
+ACG Bizarre, although given my experience I still beleive this represents a potential hardware issue, something the dev can remedy perhaps. I played thru it entirely before the patch launched, and as stated never dipped below 75fps. That's a humongous difference to the 40fps you experienced at the same settings. Given we are using the same GPU and I assume you are using a modern CPU the divide should be small to non existent.
I've got to commend you on your incredibly good use of adjectives. Concerning game reviewers, one of the biggest factors which makes someone good reviewing is heavily dependent on their proficient--and at times almost artistic--utilization of adjectives. Something I wanted to comment on as well, are the different types of water (10:05). In real-life diving, there are certain places underwater (often where rivers meet the sea, and sometimes in caves) where salt water meets fresh, and it really looks like that underwater--it's very cool! Anyways, this is another excellent review, and thanks to your excellent job of describing it, this is a game I'll pick up. That is, once I'm done with the handful of others I've been trying to "Platinum"; so many games!!
~Best Regards from Cape Cod, MA~
appreciate it Brandon
ACG it's a well-deserved compliment! BTW, wnen you get the chance, have a look at my comment on your review for "Layers of Fear". I have a quick question for you there!
I may fall into the not for everyone category. it looks really really interesting, I need the "why". The reason for exploring. That music tho....that's right up my alley.
I hear you man
+ACG If it makes its way to xbox I would at least check it out. It looks very polished.
No joke I cought myself saying "oh my god" "holy shit" and "wow" to the astetics while watching this review. I need this game in my life!
Just finished my first run with the game and while i still prefer Journey's more focused story arc, the art design and movement in this game was amazing. Can't wait to run through the game again to see what hidden secrets I missed. Great review as always!
appreciate that
Very happy to see this hit PC as well. Loved Journey, though part of it's magic was that odd multiplayer. Don't think this will quite match that experience.
ya no mp here
I usually hate water levels, but this game had me interested since the interview with Wintory.... And I absolutely adored Journey.
more traditional, linear, story driven games are starting to ware on me a bit. an example being the fact that I enjoyed uncharted 4 and certainly appreciated it for what it was, but despite it being better than 3 (in my opinion) i felt as though for some reason i wasn't as engaged as i was with the previous titles when i played them awhile back. I wonder if these more open ended, abstract games could potentially be my new jam. Anyway, fantastic review once again karak, never disappoints.
I just got done playing through Journey for the first time. That experience and world was insanely rich. I doubt Abzu will surpass J for me, so im waiting on a price drop.
Aura Guardian journey sucked
Ian Prescott Yea............ to you.
I'm a new sub and I love your videos! Keep up the good work man!
thanks man
When I first saw this trailer for the game, I thought it seemed a bit boring, and I had absolutely no idea what it was about. But, I'm very glad you reviewed it, because I see I was pretty wrong. This whole game seems very peaceful and beautiful. Definitely going to get it when it comes out.
yup!
I liked Journey, maybe I'll like this. I've noticed they didn't include bubbles and the interesting multiplayer mechanic like in Journey. ah well.
Great review man!
I really want to buy this game, but, for me at least, the price point of 20 euro is way too much for my wallet. Same thing goes for Inside who has the same price tag and if I heard correctly both of the games have around 4~ hours of run time. This is why I tend to stay away from experience games..the price to played time ratio is off kilter.
I know this is probably a bad mentality to have because you can't judge all games the same, but in my case 1euro = 1 hour. There are very few exceptions to the rule where I would be more lenient (like getting I am Setsuna for 32euro having finished it in 26 hours).
brother number 1 reason TO make decisions on games is money. Aint no thing man
This is outstanding to watch, thank you ..
Dont suppose its comin to consoles anytime soon, not with such godly mob-counts, i need to build a pc!
thanks
It's on ps4. Runs at 30 fps mostly. There is footage on youtube.
finally built my pc! strongly considering buying this.
enjoy if you do
I've been so excited to play this game! So happy it's finally here.
Awesome review! You sir are by far the most intelligent game player on the internet. Thank you for the fantastic reviews that you bring to us with the speed of an embargo. My question is can we play this game with a VR headset?
you bet. Yes I have heard that using corpx you can. Can't say I have myself though
thank you, I saw your playing Life is Strange with VorpX and I thought you might have tried this game as well. Thank you
Excellent and informative review as usual.
thanks
Definitely gonna buy. Love underwater stuff.
me too
The only review for this game that matters because of one thing... MUSIC. Thanks Karak. It sounds like Austin knocked this one out of the park.
ya for sure
Abzu isn't like a regular game and that's ok, it's art and it's so beautiful, I really like the visuals and the music and the fact that the world just doesn't care about my existence
Another great game that I'll be buying. You've given me another reason to pull out the ol wallet lol. Thanks and keep it up!
Anyone who has a pair of Nvidia 3DVision glasses needs to play this game. Helix mods has you covered (just look it up) 😉. I was truly captivated just sitting on my rock meditating and watching all the different types of fish swim around right in front of my face. It's really cool. Thank you Helix mods and the whole crew for keeping 3Dvision alive and well... 😎👍
You heard it here first ladies and gentlemen l, "100% less stupid dance parties!" A must buy for all
100% for sure lol
Somehow I missed the note that the 20% off PS+ deal for Abzu was ONLY for Pre-Orders. It was pretty fucking annoying to go into PSN at 12:01am and see that the game is no longer 20% off. If this game is so great (which it appears to be), then why were there zero early reviews posted on MetaCritic or anywhere else? Were you not allowed to post this review last night Karak? If not, then why not? Early access was obviously given to the game, so I don't understand the lack of critical reviews prior to the midnight release.
There was a review embargo until the game released. Many developers don't allow reviews until release day
embargo
correct
Man that sucks. Nice review tough, thanks. It's pretty shady for Sony and the Developer to only offer 20% on pre-orders when there is a review embargo for the game. Especially when they are dangling the extra 20% off deal with their PLAY 2016 offer.
This looks fantastic. I mean I'm a huge Dark Souls / Prince of Persia / Half Life fan, but this looks and sounds just so beautiful that, like you said, it's an "experience". After all, that's kind of what entertainment is about. Games need to explore the no-death mechanic more. It's such a huge challenge for a designer to have a no-death player-character and still provide a challenging or fulfilling experience.
ya highly unique and enjoyable game
Just finished this game and your review is spot on. I will even go as far as to say this was one of the best experiences I have had as a gamer. I'm glad I bought it, but it's definitely not for everyone.
thanks
Cool review. Downloaded the game five minutes in.
thanks
What if 5 minutes in the review went downhill REALLY fast?? :P
not my usual type of game, but it's on games with gold this month so I'll give it a try now. you didn't steer me wrong with Oxenfree!
Love your reviews
thanks man
this was such a beautiful and wondrous experience. everything was so incredibly beautiful. agreed 100% with this review. great video as usual!
thanks
great detailed review as always. too bad most mainstream reviews dont go into this much detail. the detail in your reviews help encourage and persuade people to buy games which people may not have considered buying if reviewed by mainstream reviewers
appreciate that
Thanks for the video, was already going to pick the game up, but now i am 100% in.
+ShiftyInc u bet
Looking forward to exploring every nook and cranny of this game.
enjoy it!
great review, I'm very interested in playing this. it has a journey/echo the dolphin look to it. I am going to wait for a ten dollar price point. personally I play through these types once and never come back.
thanks man
"made for TV movie, Matrix 3" thank you for that lol I lost my shit when you said that
lol glad you liked it.
oh thank you this helped me so much as im in a bus now 7 in the morning to get to the next town go get to the bank so i can get a new debit card and i havent slept at all because i was going to sleep but relized the bus came in 2 hours so thanks for making my day a bit better
you bet
Listened to it but did not watch it because of spoilers. Most likely going to get it because it has the same art director and composer from Journey, they deserve my money. Really wanted to hear the price or how long the game is though.
Thank-you. But I'm in Australia, it's $20. Doesn't matter as I just bought it. Reviews from people who say they have completed it have played it for just over an hour so that may answer my question. Hope to play it tomorrow and maybe make some vids of my own.
These games like Flower, Journey, Brothers: Tale of Two Sons and things may not have much of a story but I believe they are best left as surprises for everyone to experience. Ignorance is bliss when going into these types of games I think because it's more about how you react instead how you play with it in game.
Excellent review and an amazing little game that will keep me happy till No Man's Sky drops on the 9th.. I'm just going to take my time and explore everything I possibly can
thanks.
Speaking of No Man's Sky, do you have an early copy Karak, and are they allowing early critical reviews of the game?
no
OK, thanks.
Karak, as your loyal Patreon Baker and review-watcher, i think Abzu is...beautiful, to say the least. I bought it instantly. And while I completely agree with your general review, I have to say, that the game runs absolutely smooth in 1440p with everything maxed - on a 970. Yeah, the only time i dipped into the 40s in my first hour was that huuuuuge swarm going in circles (can't describe it any better, sorry ^^), other than that - 50+ FPS gaming smoothness (thanks Gsync :)). Until now - fantastic game.
oh well ya thats what Gsync does lol
Hey Jeremy, I dono if you’ll respond to this, but do you do a top 5 soundtracks of the year?
what do you mean when you say "created by the designers of titles as flow and flower"? Those games were made by Thatgamecompany, this one is by Giant Squid? Did some people switch their studio? D:
nevermind, looked it up. Traitors! ;( I hope TGC can still produce such amazing games like journey without them.
Man, this must be incredible, I loved Journey and I have high hopes for this.
I feel settled and confused. But I couldn't have asked for a better review. GJ.
thanks lesno
I know I'm gonna get hate but what do people see in Journey and Flower? I don't get it.
Well for basics it's the visuals and music. That's for a start.
Then it's the underlying story of a lost civilisation (journey). Then it's the multiplayer aspect which is very unique. Then it's the progression with your journey, learning more about what happened in this civilisation and the main goal, getting to the top of the mountain.
For flower it's also to do with the visuals. Sounds are great. And it too has a story about man kind ruining the world and how you're fixing it.
They are different from a lot of other games. ThatGameCompany seem to make artistic experiences over traditional mechanic-based games. This means while you're not actually doing very much in terms or variety most of the time, what you are doing is designed to evoke certain emotions and create an atmosphere. People who seek more emotional, artistic and mysterious experiences are these games are made for. I personally enjoyed Flower for its slow reveal of a destroyed civilisation and relaxing gameplay, but disliked Journey as although it was captivating at times, I was bored by the gameplay much of the time, especially during sections where you're constantly attacked but are unable to retaliate. I'm sure this was designed to evoke the feeling of powerlessness but that's not really what I look for in games.
+cylablyat,
I'm sorry but you never gave it a chance or are very impatient. The first ten minutes consist of the intro, starting area and green foliage area. Those are the areas to wind you in and get used to the game. After that it's jet streams, the narrative and exploration.
I just wish this game was more open-ended like Endless Ocean. Maybe in the sequel?
Had this game downloaded when it was free and never really came around to play it
Played it for the first time with a friend 😂 Him and I were so amazed when he jumped in the air with a sting ray
Wow Hands down first time I've ever laughed out loud out of enjoyment
Love the game so far
Just give it a try it'll be worth it 👌
In a way, this is our long-awaited PC version of Journey.
but underwater and different
I don't know. I loved Journey so I went into Abzu expecting to like it. But after 30 minutes or so, I had no interest or desire to keep playing. I think it's because from the very start, Journey presented you with a goal to pursue while Abzu just kinda puts you in there.
this is true
The sound track should be nominated
I liked the game overall, but I couldn't help comparing it to Journey, because it's scene-for-scene pretty much the same game, and for me, Journey is better, with more compelling ways of telling the story and with elements that show the player how he's progressing in terms of the collectibles (where is the in-game feature that tells me which shells I've collected? Where is the equivalent to the scarf, which told players of Journey how well they were doing? I also couldn't help feeling unfairly imprisoned/constrained by the game, especially in the later scenes, where you can see interesting areas ripe for exploration, but the game won't let you go there. This was compounded in the ending, which places you in a credits scene which allows no movement beyond the camera's focus. And the credits are unskippable, not just the first time, but EVERY SINGLE TIME we play the game!
Then there are the loading screens. I get that it's graphically intensive, so the loads between in-game stuff was fine. What I don't get is why it should sometimes take over 30 seconds to load up a menu screen! I don't see why I get a loading screen to get to the meditation menu screen, which is basically a screen with 12 static selectable images on it - what's up with that? Where Journey was 100% smooth from beginning to end, Abzu is broken up into chapters and menus that plunge the player into seemingly endless black loading screen after endless black loading screen. I wouldn't mind if they gave me something pretty to look at while the game is loading, but they don't.
Finally, the lack of multiplayer definitely hurts the game in comparison with Journey. I see no reason why this game couldn't have a similar multiplayer mechanism.
I loved Journey - it is an A+ in my book, whereas Abzu gets a B. It's basically Journey underwater with better graphics, but I feel it's been stripped of many of the things I found most fun in the earlier game.
pretty spot on review. The loading screens havnt bothered me but you make good points about how it's not totally seamless. The visuals in this game are just so gorgeous though that it makes up for any minor annoyances.
Preordered it after watching the interview with Austin Wintory - and it's an absolutely amazing game.
If there's one recent example of a game that really embodies video game development as an artform, it would be Abzu.
Get this game, you won't regret it.
appreciate that
Would have been nice to have a single review prior to midnight release in order to get the 20% off on PSN.
yep embargo
+ACG embargos are such a corruption within the industry. It's outrageous.
this is hypnotic. I feel like look at it , you have inadvertently walked into someone else's LSD trip....tooo cool. thanks for the insight karak.
true that
Finished the game in one sitting and really enjoyed it. Put your earphones on for this one, it sounds amazing!
thanks
When I see the different areas and amazing underwater features and animations on this video I got a real 'wow' and then again at the same time after a while it seemed to me that it might bore out just as quickly..
I don't want to criticize but I get this feeling like it's missing out on some real intriguing gameplay as if after a few hours you'll get the feeling like you're turning in circles not doing much I don't know maybe I'm wrong..
Well after a few hours you would be done most likely. Its not a super long game. I can't see running out of stuff to do before actually finishing
By far the best review I've seen for this game.
thanks sir
It's actually pretty simple: Do You like diving into the deep end of the pool(of any size!!??)..then This IS for you :-)
On x86 and A GTX 680 :-O = Yes, you CAN!
People often preach that gameplay is more important than graphics. This game reminds me that not only can the two go hand and hand but they can even be one of the same.
yup
Does it encourage replayability, or a revisit, perhaps?
It must be hard to recommend a game like this, where the enjoyment you get is entirely dependent on how much gameplay you require from a game in order to enjoy it. Personally I'm renting Abzu at some point to experience it. I only really buy games that I can get a lot of time out of or that I want to replay a lot and Abzu doesn't seem like one of those games to me. For me it's like actual diving; I'd love to give a try someday but I'm not going to buy a heap of diving gear before I know if I enjoy it.
Totally reminds me of Ecco The Dolphin on the Dreamcast (and later PS2), a terrific game in some ways and a terrible one in others. Ecco differs in that it is a goal oriented death feast, but still it is very beautiful.
Ecco is amazing
It really looks beautiful, but that framerate on a freaking GTX 1080 is simply unacceptable. Nothing should run below 60fps on a card far superior to monstrously powerful GTX980Ti. I'm glad you always speak about such issues in your reviews. Way too many reviewers doesn't.
must be something in the code, because the ps4 shows framerate problems. It struggles to keep 30. But it´s not the worst case I have seen in consoles. Fallout 4, Just cause 3 (15 fps unplayable), AC unity and many others. Last gen consoles never showed this problem so often.
excellent as always. looking forward to playing this with my wife.
report back what you thought
How much it costs will make or break it for myself. I'm not seeing a price on the Steam store page yet so we'll see.
$16 on Steam right now due to release date discount