There are many references to a great white shark in the temples, as well as to large, inverted mechanical triangles that try to slow your progression later in the game – the great battle of good versus evil. The hieroglyphics clue you in to not only a civilization, but also a people who look exactly like your character. Told in combination with hieroglyphics and contrasting futuristic technology, and set between realistic ocean environments and enchanted underwater cities that put Atlantis to shame, the developers masterfully captured the otherworldly nature of the creation story.ĪBZÛ is heavy on the symbolism, but the in-game action supplements the hieroglyphics and other visual storytelling aids seamlessly it’s like you are reliving the creation story. Knowing the historical context of the name Abzu puts several elements of the story into a clearer perspective and confirms my feeling throughout the game that it was a creation story. I didn’t know this creation story prior to playing ABZÛ, but it is referenced in the credits. For me, the baptismal bowls and pools of Catholicism comes to mind, only the Enûma Eliš dates to several hundred years BCE it’s a more modern comparison to draw. Various bodies of water are thought to draw their water from the Abzu, so many Babylonian temple courtyards contained tanks of holy water for religious washing.
Abzu is also the name for the primeval sea below the void space of the underworld. In the Enûma Elish creation 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. One of the primeval gods from the epic is Apsu (or Abzu) who represents fresh water. Inspiration for the story was taken from the Enûma Eliš tablet, better known as the Babylonian creation mythos. After all, the game is about the dream of scuba diving, and this shines through all aspects – the sea life, the ancient relics, everything.
Abzu reviews simulator#
Rather than a scuba simulator cluttered with gauges, ABZÛ is stripped of all real-world necessities so players can be immediately immersed in the fantasy. Creative Director Matt Nava made sure of that. While the fable-like structure means that it reveals itself subtly and at a satisfying pace, it never says anything particularly original or surprising – a shame, given how fresh the rest of the game feels.You can put ABZÛ into a genre category, but it’s really its own entity. Told through ancient wall paintings and hieroglyphs, the narrative explores humankind's relationship with the natural world, and the way technology has influenced this relationship. Tying all of these elements together is the aforementioned story, which is unfortunately the title's only misstep. Much like the marine life littered throughout the game, the score pulses with energy, never settling on any single theme or emotion. Underscoring this lush soundscape is an equally lush soundtrack, composed by the ever-brilliant Austin Wintory. These understated sound effects serve to further cement the consistency and intricacy of the world. Reactive and uncomplicated graphics, combined with a focus on colour and light, mean that there's boundless joy to be found in simply stopping for a gander.Īnd as you sit and stare, you're treated to some of the most intricate and beautiful sound design in recent memory: the pops and squeaks of deep-sea creatures, the guttural and breathy rush of underwater currents, the dull hum of diving equipment. This liveliness has a lot to do with the way developer Giant Squid has presented its underwater world.
This may be a simulated ecosystem, but it feels just as awe-inspiring and alive as the real thing. The way you cling to the side of larger fish – controlling their movements, and watching as they devour the weaker, more vulnerable creatures. The way sand splutters and coughs as you pass over it.
The way schools of fish heave as you swim through them. It's in the way its submerged forests surge with life. Indeed, there's something uniquely magical about ABZÛ's underwater playgrounds something mythical and hard to pin down. This structure may sound an awful lot like another popular PlayStation exclusive you may have played, but rest assured, this aquatic indie carves its own identity. Finally, there is a story to be slowly unearthed, as well as some basic puzzles to be solved.
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