Reviews

• gamedeal user

  Nov 24, 2021

  [quote]💬 [i]“ABZÛrbing”[/i][/quote] [h1][b]🚀 Overview[/b][/h1] [hr][/hr] [table] [tr] [th]👍 Merits[/th] [th]👎 Flaws[/th] [/tr] [tr] [td] ✔️ Delightful artistic visuals ✔️ Tranquil, dynamic soundtrack ✔️ Relieves excess stress ✔️ Peaceful experience ✔️ Fascinating collection of oceanic wildlife ✔️ Better with keyboard and mouse [/td] [td] ❌ Repetitive gameplay mechanics ❌ No photo mode ❌ No key bindings configuration ❌ Missing technical settings [/td] [/tr] [/table] [h1][b]🚪 Introduction[/b][/h1] [hr][/hr] Do you seek a mind-blowing story driven by a heavy emphasis on characters? Are you waiting for an avant-garde level of gameplay with a brisk progression system and tons of unlockables? Do you look forward to enticing challenges that will showcase your peerless set of skills by pushing your abilities to the limit? Do you expect a gigantic world full of hours and hours of in-depth exploration that will make you lose your way out of your room? If the answer to all of the previous questions is yes, then no, this game is not for you. [h1][b]🎮 Single-player[/b][/h1] [hr][/hr] [b]💠 Diving Into the Beauty[/b] Its surface is blue as the skies, but deep down is a hidden beauty that will surely dazzle your eyes. As a humanoid diver, you get to experience a peaceful breeze of an adventure to the deepest depths of the ocean to witness nature's peak glamour. You are free to roam as you wish and to dive as you like as long as you are within the boundaries of the OCEAN's invisible walls. Beneath the seas, blue may seem like the dominant color that veneers the space underneath, but it isn't the case here in ABZÛ. Embrace your visual receptors for a vivid journey full of alluring colors. [b]💠 A Fallen Civilization[/b] Abzu or Apsu is a word of two Sumerian words: ab meaning 'water' or 'ocean' and zu meaning 'deep' which has another meaning as 'knowledge' according to its pictogram. The Deep Ocean of Knowledge may be the closest interpretation of the word 'Apsu' considering the premise of ABZÛ the game. From the meaning of its name to the submerged temples of a fallen empire is a story crafted from the player's exposition of the elements and details provided by the game. I think it's a warning rather than a story that hints at a catastrophe that might occur provided that we don't withdraw the war between us and nature. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2658554647 [b]💠 Scuba Diving[/b] Alright, let's put this first: there is no combat, stealth, puzzles, or death. You go from point A to point B by unlocking doors that will eventually lead you to a lifeless area of the ocean, where you activate something mystical to bring life back to it. And things go on like this until you reach another dead area. It makes the game repetitive, but not to the point of frustration, as each part of the ocean is visually distinctive with its content, color scheme, and the pacing is as fluid as water. Along the journey, you can explore, collect collectibles, and meditate. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2657154926 [b]💠 Deep Thoughts[/b] There are shark-like statues scattered all around the unique locations within the depths of the ocean. Finding these statues allows you to tap into meditation mode, in which you get a dynamic view of the surrounding marine life and environment. Manual changing of perspective is an option while meditating as it automatically shifts from one species to the other, viewing the area from different angles. The life forms presented by the game are existent with no fictional intervention, so you're getting a genuine documentary here. I really can't find an answer to why the Hell is there no capture mode? It's a sin having such a beautiful game with no one included. [h1][b]🛠️ Technical[/b][/h1] [hr][/hr] [b]💠 Fancy Ocean[/b] Deserving of the eye-candy seal of approval is the well-presented art style. Combine it with superb music and fluid pacing; you're in for a staggering show. Throughout the introduction of different areas is a smooth transition between visuals and music which adds more quality to the pacing aspect. What makes it work perfectly is the solid connection between them. It comes out from a live orchestra, giving it a cinematic, relaxing tone that perfectly matches the player's mood during gameplay; the exquisite music here is nothing less than ideal for the intended outcome of the journey: a tranquil experience. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2658204706 [b]💠 Some Deep Diving Defects[/b] If you hate motion blur, then you'll hate this too: there is no option to toggle it off in-game. Frankly, It isn't that bad but can make your captures blurry when motion is involved in a screenshot. I had some problems with the vsync option in-game, as it randomly caps a solid 60 FPS to a constant 30 FPS. The borderless mode is also missing from the settings menu, which can be a better replacement for the weird vsync of the game. There are other missing options like adjusting brightness, game volume, music volume, etc. The overall performance is smooth, and speaking of controls, key bindings configuration is not an option; however, I think playing it with mouse and keyboard is better than playing via a controller. [h1][b]👨‍🔧 Fixes[/b][/h1] [hr][/hr] [b]💠 Disable the F*cking Motion Blur[/b] 1. Go to %LOCALAPPDATA%\AbzuGame\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor\ 2. Open Engine.ini 3. Add the following lines to the end of the file: [SystemSettings] r.MotionBlurQuality=0 [b]💠 Enable Borderless Fullscreen[/b] 1. Go to %LOCALAPPDATA%\AbzuGame\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor\ 2. Open GameUserSettings.ini 3. Add or modify the following line under [/Script/AbzuGame.AbzuGameUserSettings]: FullscreenMode=1 [h1][b]⚖️ Verdict[/b][/h1] [hr][/hr] That's what ABZÛ is all about, and what it aims to be: a 2-hour stunning therapy of complete relaxation. The only nerves that will be stressed are the ones around your jaw for being open for a long time thanks to magnificent sceneries and fantastic music. It doesn't mean it's perfect, though. It lacks engaging mechanics, and not having a capture mode is a crime in its own rights. [h1][b]💯 Score[/b][/h1] [hr][/hr] [quote][b]🅰️spects[/b] [table] [tr] [th]Aspect[/th] [th]Multiplier[/th] [th]Score[/th] [/tr] [tr] [td]Single-player[/td] [td]40%[/td] [td]9[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Technical[/td] [td]60%[/td] [td]8[/td] [/tr] [/table] [b]🅾️verall[/b] [quote][b]8[/b][/quote] [/quote]
• gamedeal user

  Jan 25, 2022

  undid what subnautica did to me. good
• gamedeal user

  Nov 12, 2022

  An oceanic journey filled with so much life 🔶⫸ Collection of amazing games that you might enjoy ⫷🔶
• Alcest

  Nov 29, 2022

  The heart of man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides and in its depths it has its pearls too.
• gamedeal user

  Dec 3, 2022

  Splendid.
• lukasjak08

  Dec 12, 2022

  my sweet great white boy
• gamedeal user

  Dec 18, 2022

  1. You don't need a controller

  Every so often a brilliant game appears on my shelf and I just let it sit there, savour and let the anticipation grow until I cannot hold out any longer. Was worth saving for a dark winter night, this game will lift your spirits. It's not just beautiful, but has a kind lesson to share. I hope it does not completely spoil it, but Peter Benchley was wrong.

  Beautifull

  I wish this game had a free play or free movement mode - it really is cinematic. It's like being in a movie and you are the director at times. Undersea cutscenes abound, and you will be swooping the camera around at every opportunity when a scripted scene ends. I loved the way the mechanics let you explore each open area, and even if you ignore the clues, gently keeps you on track. You can go back to specific chapters and some places once you complete.

  Story

  It's a simple story, which no matter how you read it gently tells itself in your own words. I love it when the story is in the head of the reader. Without giving it away, the gameplay is pretty standard stuff, find levers, find artefacts and progress the story. At no time do the chapters feel forced, you merely flow along a river of time and water. The soundtrack is superbly scored. epic, but never overbearing, you will almost not notice it until your second playthrough. The sound effects and atmospherics will make it feel as if you are underwater, but somehow at home there, and never drowning. I can find no fault, and on my second playthrough now. If you liked this game and want to find more like it, do check out one of the games lists here https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41773079-EmpathyGames/list/90741/
• GrumpyFreckles

  Dec 25, 2022

  Absolutely stunning game, relaxing with a beautiful soundtrack
• RoseaBee

  Jan 30, 2023

  The game is absolutely gorgeous. The music is lovely. The controls, if you're using WASD computer controls and don't have a controller are terrible. I was getting vertigo from the way the camera whips around to keep up with the character and he controls about as well if you greased up a control stick with butter. I cannot recommend enough for you to get yourself a controller before you try to play this game. I missed a lot of secrets because I couldn't be bothered to fight the movement controls. I also have a bit of a tiff against the lack of direction, but once I got a little bit ahead, it becomes slightly linear in where you're suppose to go.
• ChillBear

  Feb 11, 2023

  Short game, so get it on sale and play it in one go. It's more of an interactive experience than a game, so treat it more like a movie. Soundtrack is great and really makes the game what it is. The controls are also very fluid and fun to mess around with. Game gave me some feels, not gonna lie. You won't like it if you're looking for something challenging. If you think Fantasia sucks and is too artsy, you also won't like this game.