Thatgamecompany abzu
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#THATGAMECOMPANY ABZU TV#
TV and film production company The Ink Factory also helped co-found the company, and was involved in providing funding for the studio's projects. Nava was joined by lead designer Nicholas Clark, and the composer for Journey, Austin Wintory. The ecosystem of ABZU is not without a food chain, and you’ll witness many aquatic animals happily chowing down on others, though none of the sea life poses any immediate danger to yourself, and there is no combat to speak of.Giant Squid was founded in 2013 by Matt Nava, who previously worked at thatgamecompany as the art director for Flower (2009) and Journey (2012). These statues give you the opportunity to focus on the various creatures in the area, learning their species name and behavioral patterns in the process. There are a number of hidden secrets to discover, collectibles to find, and statues to “meditate” upon.
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Without giving too much away, you will not be prepared for the kinds of creatures you encounter as you progress through the game, and the mystery of not knowing what to expect around the next corner was an exciting dimension to the story in and of itself.Īs you might have ascertained by now, ABZU is not an experience to be rushed. The most meaningful form of interaction is via your ability to latch onto certain types of sea creatures and control their movement patterns, either to enhance your mobility or just to enjoy the ride. There are certainly forms of interaction and minor puzzles to solve, but the four to five hour experience (admittedly a little short for a $20 price point) is intended to delight the senses rather than test your brainpower or hand-eye coordination. At one point, I found myself serenely roaming around an area before I realized nearly an hour had passed without having made any real progression turns out I had been too busy simply, and quite literally, bathing in the hypnotic ambiance of the world itself. In between the more linear sections which work to progress each act, ABZU indulges in providing wide, open environments that are ripe for leisurely exploration as you enjoy the aesthetically pleasing atmosphere. This occurs pretty irregularly though, as – for the most part – ABZU probably boasts the most accommodating underwater controls we’ve seen in a video game so far. Your character, too, doesn’t always follow the direction you want her to go as you try to navigate the underwater 3D space. The frame-rate suffers, for example, whenever you get too close to some of the larger schools of fish found in the game. In rare instances, however, the technical limitations of the game’s engine cannot seem to keep up with its artistic ambition. Having taken over 100 screenshots during my first playthrough of the game, I can safely say that ABZU might well represent the best use of your DualShock 4’s share button when experienced on PlayStation 4. The constantly diverse abundance of sea life ensures that no pixel goes to waste in creating an enchanting portrait of a world beneath the water, with the striking color palette and dramatic lighting all working to make for some “can’t look away” moments of wonder.
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It manages to confidently stand next to Uncharted 4 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt as one of the prettiest games of this generation so far. It is a piece of interactive therapy meditative, awe-inspiring, and truly unforgettable.Ī lot of ABZU’s charm rests on the power of its presentation. In fact, perhaps amidst the socio-political turmoil of real world events in 2016, ABZÛ represents the perfect getaway experience.
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Even the narrative arc of the game, divided into a set of distinctly unique acts, resembles that of Journey (heck, there’s even a section which harks back to that game’s memorable sand surfing sequence).īut, as anyone who’s played Journey or Flower will know, this shared DNA is hardly a bad thing. Powerful, breath-taking visuals accompanied by a rousing, orchestral score? Yes, sir. An ambiguous story conveyed through symbolism, which explores the themes of life, death and rebirth? Check. Honestly, ABZU could even be considered something of a spiritual successor to both of those games, as the connective tissue between all three of them is unmistakable. Though the game comes from new developers Giant Squid Studios, both ABZU’s creative director and composer, Matt Nava and Austin Wintory respectively, arrive from the hallowed halls of Thatgamecompany, the highly revered team behind Flower and Journey. In the build-up to its release, many have identified the striking parallels between ABZU and 2012’s Journey, and the comparisons are indeed far from tenuous. Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4 (Version reviewed)