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Abzu ps312/8/2022 Regardless of how you twist and maneuver, your character fluidly adapts to your every input. You swim straight ahead by simply squeezing the right trigger, leaving you to look around with the right stick and change direction with the left. In fact, the swimming itself feels surprisingly satisfying, thanks in part to the game's novel control scheme. That's not to say, however, that Abzu abandons gameplay completely. There's something profoundly peaceful about drifting through that world with no score or objectives or heads-up display to break the spell. And yet, somehow, I never felt threatened-curious, awestruck, even intimidated, but never threatened. You'll find all manner of fish, sharks, eels, whales, crustaceans, and more, all of which behave believably. With lush kelp forests, pink coral reefs, and murky black trenches, Abzu captures the otherworldly beauty of the ocean and populates each breathtaking backdrop with its own unique fauna. Doing so doesn't earn you anything it's simply an opportunity to observe and enjoy the thriving ecosystems layered into every environment. You can even pause to "meditate" at certain statues, allowing you to experience the world from the perspective of the animals around you. Though the campaign follows a linear path, you're typically free to explore areas at your own pace, following subtle environmental cues toward hidden details or grasping on to massive creatures like orcas and manta rays as they glide effortlessly through the blazing blue water. But Abzu finds meaning in other places and, like Journey, evokes a vast array of emotions with grace and ease. It even lacks the ambient multiplayer that made Journey such a profound experience for many players. It also eschews many mechanics we might consider standard for a modern adventure/exploration game, including combat, character progression, and fail states. As in Journey, Abzu's characters are nameless, its story wordless, its campaign brief. There's a striking sort of purity about Abzu that invites comparison to another, equally powerful game: Journey. Abzu is serene and meditative, calming and cathartic, moving and timeless, its simple components assembled so elegantly as to become something altogether richer. Its mesmerizing soundtrack and Wind Waker-esque visuals are among the most enrapturing in recent memory, yet the game's true beauty stems not from its bittersweet score and inviting undersea environments but from its unfailing ability to imbue every moment with childlike wonder. When I die, I hope whatever happens next is even half as beautiful as Abzu.
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