ABZÛ, developed by Giant Squid and published by 505 Games, is a third-person indie game released in August 2016, belonging to the adventure and exploration genres. The player takes on the role of a humanoid being resembling a diver, who dives and explores the ocean depths, contemplating environments filled with plants and marine animals.

Diving into the currents

The game is built around elementary gameplay mechanics, mainly limited to swimming and interacting with certain objects that form basic puzzle elements.

ABZÛ doesn’t tell a traditional story; it is, in fact, a contemplative adventure game without dialogues or intricate plots, where the core of the experience is finding tranquility by immersing oneself in a game world designed for exploration. Nevertheless, there is a common thread throughout many parts of the game map, where the protagonist can explore seabeds once inhabited by an ancient civilization that left behind mosaics, structures, and various puzzles.

From a visual standpoint, the graphics are quite cartoonish, clearly not aiming to recreate a photorealistic environment: the colors are vivid, and the shapes are simplified, yet the models remain pleasing to the eye. A lot of effort has gone into crafting the overall visual impact of the different zones, with skillful use of lighting effects and vibrant, ever-changing colors.

The audio aspect deserves a description of its own. The lead composer of ABZÛ is Austin Wintory, a renowned video game soundtrack composer, also famous for his work on Journey, which received widespread acclaim specifically for its soundtrack (Best Original Music at the 2013 BAFTAs, to name one). The soundtrack of ABZÛ is especially notable for its ability to capture the immersive and meditative atmosphere of the game, significantly enhancing the overall player experience. The music is very important and perhaps the true focal point of Giant Squid’s game, and it is essential to use a good pair of headphones to fully appreciate it.

ABZÛ, in any case, earned a nomination at the 2017 BAFTAs in the categories of “Artistic Achievement” and “Music”.

Between ocean and desert

ABZÛ moves away from the traditional elements of classic video games, such as challenges, overwhelming gameplay, complicated puzzles, or intricate plots, to embrace a purer game design. The game is a profound meditative experience, strongly reminiscent of the atmosphere of Journey, a game developed by a different studio but shared with ABZÛ the artistic director, Matt Nava, who is also the founder of Giant Squid.

In fact, Journey seems to be the antithesis of ABZÛ, and at the same time its closest counterpart: while in Journey we are surrounded by a vast sun-scorched desert, in ABZÛ we swim through an ocean teeming with plants and animals. Whereas Journey features a cloak, here we have fins for brief bursts of speed. Just like Journey, ABZÛ focuses on visual wonder combined with atmospheric music and sounds.

Meditating in nature

In certain spots, the swimmer can meditate, allowing us to admire the game environment and focus on the living creatures swimming around us. These spots, besides serving as collectibles visible in the game menu, also provide the opportunity to discover new species of real fish: simply frame the animal, and its name will appear in the bottom right corner. Larger fish can also be ridden: we can attach ourselves to their backs and be carried by their movements.

The entire game proves to be a great metaphor for environmentalism: we often find ourselves transforming dark, gloomy, and desolate environments into lush, vibrant underwater scenes filled with life. This mechanic is reminiscent of Kena: Bridge of Spirits, but with an underwater twist.

Everything that happens in the game can be summed up in a straightforward concept: reconnecting with the environment around us. Whether it’s letting yourself be carried by the currents, riding a shark, diving with whales, or swimming among plants, at the end of each level, the protagonist’s final gesture is to give part of themselves to nature to make it bloom again.