Abzu Review "Buy, Wait for Sale, Rent, Never Touch?" 

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!

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 👍🏻

Abzu would be great in VR....

Jesus this game looks amazing. Never knew a swimming simulator could be so attracting. Awesome review ACG!

Make Ecco the Dolphin great again!

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.

this is just damn hypnotic. wow like I stepped into a LSD trip .

The only reviewer I trust #ACG

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!

The bearded shaman. looking at this game and it's psychedelic influences, that was a perfect way to start of. bravo

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 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*

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.

I'm here because of free games of PS+ may 2017

Dope ass review, suprised but glad your take on it was so positive, your reviews are detailed af

Thanks for making the best video game reviews on RU-vid. 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!

If journey was 9/10 then this is 8/10. Loved it! a must buy for journey fans.

"made for TV movie, Matrix 3" thank you for that lol I lost my shit when you said that

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.

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!

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.

Anyone else here after seeing it's included in the Play at Home free games initiative?

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

Another genuinely sensational review. One of your best ever in my opinion, well done man!

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!

You heard it here first ladies and gentlemen l, "100% less stupid dance parties!" A must buy for all

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!

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).

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).

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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).

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

Great review. Better than the majors. Bought this morning and looking forward to delving in more. Subscribed.

I usually hate water levels, but this game had me interested since the interview with Wintory.... And I absolutely adored Journey.

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!

Looking forward to exploring every nook and cranny of this game.

excellent review! just bought from steam $5.99 on summer sale. thank you.

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.

your knowledge and comparison skills are amazing.

I've been so excited to play this game! So happy it's finally here.

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.

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~

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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... 😎👍

finally built my pc! strongly considering buying this.

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.

I feel settled and confused. But I couldn't have asked for a better review. GJ.

Definitely gonna buy. Love underwater stuff.

Thanks for the video, was already going to pick the game up, but now i am 100% in.

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.

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!

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!

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

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

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?

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.

In a way, this is our long-awaited PC version of Journey.

Awesome review as always :) Stay great ACG, you're one of the hopes of RU-vid :)

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

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.

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.

I just wish this game was more open-ended like Endless Ocean. Maybe in the sequel?

this was such a beautiful and wondrous experience. everything was so incredibly beautiful. agreed 100% with this review. great video as usual!

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.

Hey Jeremy, I dono if you’ll respond to this, but do you do a top 5 soundtracks of the year?

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.

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.

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.

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

Cool review. Downloaded the game five minutes in.

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.

What kill this game for me is 3rd person and camera placement. It is just so frustrating and flat graphics just don't help as you are simply not able to judge depth properly so at the and rather then gracefully dive you fight with controls. Also triple boost had to be discovered as there's no tutorial for it.

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

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!

"When someone asks you what they're about you say something that sounds like what the Riddler would say" Fucking laughed my ass off at that one.

The sound track should be nominated

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 played it at 1080p and it looks gread but on a 1070 I never say it dip below 80fps. I would probably say that this game is absolutely fantastic.

Journey is one of my top 5 favorite games! Can't wait to play this

I'm a new sub and I love your videos! Keep up the good work man!

Just finished the game. It's absolutely amazing!

I wish it was on Xbox One ;\ Got me hyped, you Karak you!

Finished the game in one sitting and really enjoyed it. Put your earphones on for this one, it sounds amazing!

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.

Hahaha the "Moron" part was great. Great review as well but I'll wait because I already have so many games to play I can barely finish them all.

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:

Man, this must be incredible, I loved Journey and I have high hopes for this.

strange, I'm getting a wind waker vibe from this. looks cool, might pick up when I have some extra $