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ABZÛ |OT| A Journey into an ocean of wisdom

Klyka

Banned
I got everything on Ultra on a 970 at 1080p and I get 70-90FPS.
I also get controller buttons for the 360 pad.
So all good here.

Game is unbelievably beautiful.
 

gunstarhero

Member
I'm near the end
shark and I got shocked and shark just died
and I'm stuck in a fucking wall with no control over my character. lol.

GG.

UPDATE: went back to the title screen and reloaded the last checkpoint and it's fine. Still - a little Jankzu there for a minute.
 

jamsy

Member
Just played this for a little bit (on PS4) and it is absolutely stunning visually. Absolutely gorgeous.

Not really a spoiler but...
how do you get the little fossil thing that's in the ruin walls? I kept jamming square but nothing worked...
 

mnemonicj

Member
I played it for a while last night and I love how beautiful the game looks. The controls are also satisfying to play with. Any game that's Journey-like deserves the attention imo.
 
How long on average will this game be? I'm going to have my gf play this and just watch--hopefully I can get some hard cider beforehand.
 

dralla

Member
How long on average will this game be? I'm going to have my gf play this and just watch--hopefully I can get some hard cider beforehand.

About two and half hours for me. It depends on how much exploring you do. The game controls/feels really well, I'd recommend playing it if you're interested in the game at all.
 

Ozium

Member
Hello Divers! We hope you're enjoying ABZÛ! We've pushed out a new update for the game. Details below.

- Added support for changing the language in the options menu.

- Fixed fullscreen/windowed option.

- Fullscreen now runs at desktop resolution.

- More resolution scale settings, and it now shows the final resolution.
 

Rndm

Member
Not really a spoiler but...
how do you get the little fossil thing that's in the ruin walls? I kept jamming square but nothing worked...

Since you marked it as a spoiler I'll do so myself:
You cannot. Those are the ones you have collected.
 

Vire

Member
Beat it...

Hmmm, mixed feelings to be honest. I find it almost impossible not to compare to Journey given the style of game and near constant equivalents of moments throughout the game, almost to the point of distraction, but it definitely falls short of Journey.

Gameplay mechanics that could have been expanded upon are bizarrely left to the side. Ideally, forcing the user to make use of the triple swim dash or the breaching over the water would have made for more interesting moments of engagement. Instead they only require the player to do these kinds of things exactly once.

Most of all though... it lacks the emotional resonance or story impact that Journey brought to the experience. I don't really understand the narrative flow or what it was trying to exactly tell me which ultimately hurts the supposed "payoff" at the end of the game. Instead I'm just left with a bit of indifference, shrugging to myself and saying "oh well at least it was incredibly gorgeous."

Enough cannot be said about the presentation, it is one of the most beautiful games I've had the pleasure of playing and the soundtrack was just as compelling. Each environment is teeming with life and it is amazing to feel like you are dancing with the ocean throughout the game.

So with all that said, it just doesn't really come together as a complete package for me... it's just missing a little something.

I enjoyed it, I'm glad I played it, but I don't think it'll have the lasting impact on me that other games of similar ilk did.
 
Finished tonight, great little game, it definitely is this gen's Journey (and not only for lack of comparable games, even though it little less impactful and less varied).

Simply gorgeus. It begs for VR, even keeping the third person view. Those encounters and environments are so beautiful I want to be there. We need VR.

Buy it guys.
 
Haven't finished yet so this could change, but the games crowning achievement in my eyes is that I'm underwater in a game and not terrified about it.
 
Hello Divers! We hope you're enjoying ABZÛ! We've pushed out a new update for the game. Details below.

- Added support for changing the language in the options menu.

- Fixed fullscreen/windowed option.

- Fullscreen now runs at desktop resolution.

- More resolution scale settings, and it now shows the final resolution.

Been playing this at 4k and I am drooling. This game looks great!!
 

DirtyLarry

Member
Totally forgot about this game.
Downloading now. Too late to start playing, but no doubt plan on doing so tomorrow night.
Also preordered Bound
These PLAY titles on PSN get me every damn year.
 
About lenght: Steam says 94 minutes (including credits).

I thought it was more! Definitely worthy of my time, I guess I'll play some more, maybe trying to make it run in 3D.
 

Bombless

Member
About lenght: Steam says 94 minutes (including credits).

I thought it was more! Definitely worthy of my time, I guess I'll play some more, maybe trying to make it run in 3D.

It took me about 2h30 to beat it. You can beat it quicker if you just race through it but then this probably isn't the game for you.
 
Just beat it and it was pretty ok. Certainly feels like Journey, but it didnt hit me nearly as hard as Journey did. I enjoyed my time with it, but I think it was really light for the price.
 
It took me about 2h30 to beat it. You can beat it quicker if you just race through it but then this probably isn't the game for you.

Guess I'll decide for myself if it's a game for me, what do you say?

It's not like you have to stop and contemplate in every location to enjoy it.

And reporting the time was just that, I wasn't trying to downplay the game.
 

Bombless

Member
Guess I'll decide for myself if it's a game for me, what do you say?

It's not like you have to stop and contemplate in every location to enjoy it.

And reporting the time was just that, I wasn't trying to downplay the game.

I wasn't aiming that comment at you, just a general remark towards those using it as the main reason for "it's not worth it".

Edit : I don't think Journey ever went to PS+ did it?
 

klaushm

Member
Finished it. It fulfilled me as Journey did.
Don't know if it helped me to enjoy it more, but I wasn't trying to compare it with Journey at all. I think if you do try, you will not get it as a whole because it's not Journey 2. It's like an spiritual successor. You still have message to be given, a world to care, a history told and discovered by your interest, but in a different way.

I learned to love the fishes, their habitat, and been one with them. See through the depths of the ocean, communicating with your partner robot
(send multiple responses, it will give them back. it's awesome.)
, dancing and jumping with those fishes as one of them.
I loved it but I can't tell more. That would be a spoiler.

EDIT:
I wasn't aiming that comment at you, just a general remark towards those using it as the main reason for "it's not worth it".

Edit : I don't think Journey ever went to PS+ did it?

I think it hit PS+ at PS3
 
Finished it. It fulfilled me as Journey did.
Don't know if it helped me to enjoy it more, but I wasn't trying to compare it with Journey at all. I think if you do try, you will not get it as a whole because it's not Journey 2. It's like an spiritual successor. You still have message to be given, a world to care, a history told and discovered by your interest, but in a different way.

I learned to love the fishes, their habitat, and been one with them. See through the depths of the ocean, communicating with your partner robot
(send multiple responses, it will give them back. it's awesome.)
, dancing and jumping with those fishes as one of them.
I loved it but I can't tell more. That would be a spoiler.

EDIT:


I think it hit PS+ at PS3

I think it's best to leave comparisons and expectations at the door as best you can for all games. I see too many people get burnt that way.
 
Most of all though... it lacks the emotional resonance or story impact that Journey brought to the experience. I don't really understand the narrative flow or what it was trying to exactly tell me which ultimately hurts the supposed "payoff" at the end of the game. Instead I'm just left with a bit of indifference, shrugging to myself and saying "oh well at least it was incredibly gorgeous."

The story was definitely a big question mark, though from what I gather, I think we can safely assume that the player character being a robot means that he/it is from the same place as all of the other technology present in the game. The reason they came to the planet, who can say? But the player character obviously develops a bond with the world and the native life that causes it to turn against its creators.
I could be completely wrong, but that's what I got out of it. And even then that wasn't really until my second time through.
 

LastNac

Member
Just finished it.

This might sound odd, but I certainly get the vibe that the main creative force behind this was an art director. It certainly has the style but I think overall lacks the substance that Journey had; Journey had something to say whereas I feel Abzu didnt.

It's beautiful, but unlike Journey that beauty is entirely within the images and not the meaning behind them.
 

Vire

Member
The story was definitely a big question mark, though from what I gather, I think we can safely assume that the player character being a robot means that he/it is from the same place as all of the other technology present in the game. The reason they came to the planet, who can say? But the player character obviously develops a bond with the world and the native life that causes it to turn against its creators.
I could be completely wrong, but that's what I got out of it. And even then that wasn't really until my second time through.

I gathered that much, but it doesn't really mean anything to me or move me in any particular way.

More interestingly to me is looking up the Babylonian creationism context of the meaning of 'Abzu'. Via Wikipedia:

The Abzu literally, ab='ocean' zu='deep', was the name for the primeval sea below the void space of the underworld (Kur) and the earth (Ma) above. It may also refer to fresh water from underground aquifers that was given a religious fertilizing quality. Lakes, springs, rivers, wells, and other sources of fresh water were thought to draw their water from the abzu.

Abzu (apsû) is depicted as a deity only in the Babylonian creation epic, the Enûma Elish, taken from the library of Assurbanipal (c 630 BCE) but which is about 500 years older. In this story, he was a primal being made of fresh water and a lover to another primal deity, Tiamat, who was a creature of salt water. The Enuma Elish begins:
When above the heavens did not yet exist nor the earth below, Apsu the freshwater ocean was there, the first, the begetter, and Tiamat, the saltwater sea, she who bore them all; they were still mixing their waters, and no pasture land had yet been formed, nor even a reed marsh...
This resulted in the birth of the younger gods, who latter murder Apsu in order to usurp his lordship of the universe. Enraged, Tiamat gives birth to the first dragons, filling their bodies with "venom instead of blood", and made war upon her treacherous children, only to be slain by Marduk, the god of Storms, who then forms the heavens and earth from her corpse.

How this relates to the story, I'm not exactly sure but I'm certain they didn't stumble upon the name by accident.
My guess is it somehow ties into the idea of the two seperate oceans within the game, an ocean within an ocean if you will and the murals depicting some sort of creationism myth

Eitherway, I think the point stands... Journey was immediately resonant for me and I instantly understood the metaphorical parable for life itself my first time through.

I don't want to sound disparaging because the game absolutely deserves credit for being one of the most sincerely beautiful things I've ever seen.
 
Finished it. Holy shit I loved it! Took my time and finished it in just over 4 hours. I was checking out everything. It was too beautiful to blast through. An amazing audio and visual delight.
 

ghibli99

Member
I think I'm about halfway through this based on the markers, and have put nearly 3 hours into it so far. Just taking my time, exploring every nook and cranny, appreciating everything they did to bring this world to life.

It's overwhelming at times how beautiful this game is. You're doing yourself a disservice if you are just blowing through it. Take it slow and enjoy every moment, every little detail and nuance, like a nice glass of wine. The visuals, animation, music, control fluidity, technical feats... it's damn-near transcendent.

This will make my list of GOTY finalists, I'm pretty sure of it.
 

Unkle

Member
It's probably just me but once the first two notes of the theme are struck I get strong Tomb Raider II/III theme vibes.
 
It's been a nice few weeks for indie games! Hyper Light Drifter, Inside, Abzu and Bound soon after. Certainly a nice change of pace.

Dont forget Overcooked! Im loving that for my local co-op.

I didnt know Hyper Light Drifter was an RPG. Is it worth playing? I enjoyed games like Undertale, Golden Sun...

Im not expecting to be interested in Bound. And Im so excited for Inside to hit pS4.

I still havent played Gone to Rapture and Soma. So many indie games to play!
 

Kyrios

Member
Loved the game, wish it was a little bit longer but I'm definitely going to be playing it through again. Took me about 90 minutes or so.

Soundtrack and visuals were fantastic.
 

RoboPlato

I'd be in the dick
Finished it and loved it. Lots of comparisons have been made to Journey but it reminded me a lot of Flower as well. Peaceful and beautiful.
 

zoukka

Member
I still don't get the comparisons to Journey, they couldn't be more different games on every aspect but because the artist that worked on Journey created this game people just hang on to that and never let go

Lol

It is a spiritual sequel to Journey and lends so much from its design. The music, the game flow and pacing, the collectables, meditation, murals telling the backstory, dark robot thingies made by man, even the story progression.

You'd have to be blind to miss all that.
 

finalflame

Banned
Been playing this at 4k and I am drooling. This game looks great!!

What settings/what are your specs/what performance are you getting? I am trying High/4K and it seems to dip from a locked 60 to 35-45 constantly. i7-6700K + GTX 1080 @ 2050mhz. Been considering just locking it at 30fps.
 
Gotta Show this game to a good friend of me. She loves the ocean and its creatures (especially whales) and she is also very emotional. Will be interesting to See her reactions to this.



It's probably just me but once the first two notes of the theme are struck I get strong Tomb Raider II/III theme vibes.

Lol absolutely!
 
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