The level design is ultimately linear, but each area is expansive enough that you’ll truly feel like you’re exploring and discovering as you swim around and through the ocean. The art plays a huge part in the experience that Giant Squid has created- the bright colors and jagged-yet-somehow-fluid design of the ocean floor and its inhabitants are a joy to take in, and when combined with the beautiful soundtrack, it’s hard not to get immersed in Abzu’s world. One of the first things you’ll notice when you enter the world of Abzu is that the art style can easily be compared to Journey, and that’s due to the fact that both games were developed by the same studio, Giant Squid. There are various collectibles to find, including hidden nautilus shells, meditation shrines that allow you to get an up-close look at the ocean life, and spawn points that release new types of creatures into the sea. You’ll be helped out by cute little scuba drones and accompanied by a variety of sea creatures both majestic and adorable, and you’ll slowly start to uncover what appears to be the ruins of an ancient civilization scattered along the ocean floor. You play as a nameless and virtually faceless scuba diver with no apparent motive for being in the ocean other than to explore the expanse around you. Almost everything about Abzu in this regard is perfect beyond a few minor technical shortcomings, but these are fairly few and far between and are really more slight annoyances than glaring issues. From the magical opening to the breathtaking set pieces scattered throughout and the satisfying ending that leaves you immediately wanting more, you’ll truly find yourself sucked into another realm as you play Abzu, and if you like mesmerizing and therapeutic experiences that are light on action, you’ll love every second of it. This isn’t your typical PS4 experience, but it is an awe-inspiring journey into the alien world that comprises the majority of our planet’s surface… the ocean.

Keep that in mind when you decide to pick it up- the action is brief, the gameplay simple, and the challenge virtually non-existent. Abzu is not a video game it’s a work of art.

Abzu ps4 pro