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[Octavianus]

I enjoyed this for what it is but at the same time I couldn't stop feeling like it didn't live up to Journey's high standards.
I doubt I'll be playing through this again any time soon. It's a really beautiful game, just like Journey, but there were a couple of parts that I felt dragged on a bit and it just doesn't have the same emotional impact for me.

 

[Dangansona]

Found it incredibly boring. The swimming feels worse than games where it's not the main mechanic. You have to hold R2 literally half the game. The mechanics are shallow. It constantly takes control away from you. There's no progression. The sound design is lacking - character doesn't even have footstep sounds on land.

Art direction is the only redeeming quality.

I'm about 30 minutes in and so far it feels like a cheap Journey knockoff. Does it get any better?

I can't imagine being this cynical or reductionist. If nothing else it definitely is the best underwater swimming I've ever experienced in a game.

To me the game is more like Flower than Journey, it's a chill and beautiful experience that has a environmentalist message attached to it (even if this one is a little hard to decipher is some aspects).

It's too bad this game either had to be as good as Journey or a waste of time otherwise.

 

[Ferr986]

I really don't get how people can compare this game this much to Journey.

They aim for different things. It's like comparing Flower and Journey too.

Anyways. Checking the OST, surprised to see the various

Spoiler

Atlantis

themes are split in 3-4 tracks. I expected them to be one full track in the OST, considering they're use the same melody motif.

Anyways, my fav track

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiAteY_orJs

Followed by the spoilered tracks before it

 

[Deckard Chapel]

Truth to be told, game give me more feels than Flower

Spoiler

(whale section especially is so amazing).

That and also

Spoiler

the Sperm Whale/Giant Squid encounter near the very bottom of the ocean really made the game for me. Hopefully, they'll add in a new chapter [in a Collector's/Special Edition] where it's the very, very bottom of the ocean, where it's pitch-black and will incorporate huge prehistoric creatures like Megalodons, Mosasaurs etc. into the mix with the only light being your head-lamps and the drones you can find 8n the inky abyss. I've mentioned this previously, but I'm stuck on the idea and that would make it a perfect experience for me; even above the perfect experience I've already had with it!

 

[dukie85]

That and also

Spoiler

the Sperm Whale/Giant Squid encounter near the very bottom of the ocean really made the game for me. Hopefully, they'll add in a new chapter [in a Collector's/Special Edition] where it's the very, very bottom of the ocean, where it's pitch-black and will incorporate huge prehistoric creatures like Megalodons, Mosasaurs etc. into the mix with the only light being your head-lamps and the drones you can find 8n the inky abyss. I've mentioned this previously, but I'm stuck on the idea and that would make it a perfect experience for me; even above the perfect experience I've already had with it!

Spoiler

If they made a completely prehistoric, deep sea version, I'd buy it as many times as I could. The portions in Abzu that had it were my favorites. They just looked soo cool. And then going on Wiki and reading about when they lived, that was just the coolest thing to me.

 

[Ferr986]

That and also

Spoiler

the Sperm Whale/Giant Squid encounter near the very bottom of the ocean really made the game for me. Hopefully, they'll add in a new chapter [in a Collector's/Special Edition] where it's the very, very bottom of the ocean, where it's pitch-black and will incorporate huge prehistoric creatures like Megalodons, Mosasaurs etc. into the mix with the only light being your head-lamps and the drones you can find 8n the inky abyss. I've mentioned this previously, but I'm stuck on the idea and that would make it a perfect experience for me; even above the perfect experience I've already had with it!

Honestly,

Spoiler

I dIdn't miss pitch black areas.

I mean, it would be cool to see deep sea creatures but a pitch black sea would be far less interesting ambient wise compared to the lush and colorful areas of Abzu.

Also I think the length of this game is perfect right now IMO, considering I like these games to beat them in one sitting.

 

[SolidLifts]

I can't imagine being this cynical or reductionist. If nothing else it definitely is the best underwater swimming I've ever experienced in a game.

To me the game is more like Flower than Journey, it's a chill and beautiful experience that has a environmentalist message attached to it (even if this one is a little hard to decipher is some aspects).

It's too bad this game either had to be as good as Journey or a waste of time otherwise.

Those terms are applicable, but "can't imagine" is a strong assertion. We're talking about a game that offers almost no discerning interactions to the player. Even if you love the game you would have to admit it's very simple - perhaps phrased as elegant. It shouldn't be hard to imagine that this will not resonate with some people - especially considering it's fairly one-note.

 

[UrbanRats]

So is this game more open than Journey? One thing i didn't like about that, is that you had these great environments, but really little room to really explore them and go about your business (not talking about collectibles or anything, but just the ability to not go in an obvious straight line ahead) despite looking massive at a first glance.

 

[Deckard Chapel]

Honestly,

Spoiler

I dIdn't miss pitch black areas.

I mean, it would be cool to see deep sea creatures but a pitch black sea would be far less interesting ambient wise compared to the lush and colorful areas of Abzu.

Also I think the length of this game is perfect right now IMO, considering I like these games to beat them in one sitting.

I agree, but for as beautiful as ABZÛ is, to have a level near the end with completely pitch-black surroundings and absolutely terrifying atmosphere would be a great contrast to the beauty and splendor of everything else. I really hope they consider putting a level like that in a Special/Collector's edition.

 

[delume]

Absolutely loved playing through this! I think it could have lingered in certain areas and hidden things a little better (including puzzle solutions) but overall this game, for me, is about escapism and wonder. My oldest son was with me on this one and he was obsessed at looking for clues in the environment to piece together what was/had happened. Great stuff.

 

[Altairre]

Bought this today, barely into the game and I'm absolutely blown away so far. Spent about 20 minutes in that first area just swimming around looking at stuff, riding turtles and chilling on that shark statue or whatever that was. Loved journey and greatly enjoy diving irl as well so maybe that helps? Can definitely see that it's not for everyone but the under water setting is just fascinating to me. Already worth the money I spent on it.

 

[EatChildren]

I finished, and while it was neat, I'm overall pretty underwhelmed. The incredible fish technology and beautiful art, believable diving motions and feeling of buoyancy, along with the choral soundtrack elevate the project as a whole, but I found the design and structure to be far too safe and formulaic to really hook me. It really does feel like an amalgamation of ideas from Journey and Flower, and while it retains that essential zen, I found it too heavily leaning on established concepts instead of surprising with its own, and at times too reliant on visual/audio stimuli at the cost of interactive immersion (which is, oddly enough, where the simplicity of Journey and Flower actually succeed). The automated rail-like sections really didn't impress me, for example, and are a textbook case of style over substance.

I don't think it's bad and I admire the aesthetic/tech/audio/control work, but as a creative vision nothing really stuck with me once it was over.

 

[Krabboss]

I had moderately high expectations for this and ended up being pretty unmoved by it. It's very nice to look at and the score is very good, but it didn't end up having the same impact as Journey.

 

[TheDarkKnight774]

Just played and finished it. Not at the thatgamecompany levels for me but I really enjoyed it and loved the ride. Loved the visual and audio spectacle and the swimming mechanics.

 

[Apoleptica]

Currently playing through it right now and I'm absolutely in love with this game. The moment where you

Spoiler

encounter the enormous whirlwind of a shoal of fish and are able to swim through it and see clearly each individual fish

is one of the most jaw dropping experiences I've ever had in a game.

Does this game support mods? Because I absolutely need a mod that would allow me to play as Ariel and change the robots that follow me around into Flounder. PLEASE SOMEBODY

Edit: Just finished it and all I can say is wow. This game is perfection and the people who made it are geniuses.

 

[GobFather]

Currently playing through it right now and I'm absolutely in love with this game. The moment where you

Spoiler

encounter the enormous whirlwind of a shoal of fish and are able to swim through it and see clearly each individual fish

is one of the most jaw dropping experiences I've ever had in a game.

Does this game support mods? Because I absolutely need a mod that would allow me to play as Ariel and change the robots that follow me around into Flounder. PLEASE SOMEBODY

Edit: Just finished it and all I can say is wow. This game is perfection and the people who made it are geniuses.

Haha mod support would be awesome. But I agree, playing this game makes me want to take photo everywhere I am at... It feels like an epic underwater journey. Moments like these https://youtu.be/3ZYsmjApS9s makes me love this game. I'm taking my time finishing the game lol

 

[Ferr986]

Got all the trophies! Of course the pool I was missing was the very first one lol

 

[spekkeh]

I really don't get how people can compare this game this much to Journey.

They aim for different things.

What does this game aim for? Because that's why people are comparing it with Journey.

 

[D.Va]

Currently playing through it right now and I'm absolutely in love with this game. The moment where you

Spoiler

encounter the enormous whirlwind of a shoal of fish and are able to swim through it and see clearly each individual fish

is one of the most jaw dropping experiences I've ever had in a game.

Does this game support mods? Because I absolutely need a mod that would allow me to play as Ariel and change the robots that follow me around into Flounder. PLEASE SOMEBODY

Edit: Just finished it and all I can say is wow. This game is perfection and the people who made it are geniuses.

I was going to buy this on the PS4, but now I'm wondering if I should just wait til I get my PC built to get it on there because of this post lol.

 

[crack-king]

Can anyone tell me how long this game is? Something like Journey? I enjoyed Journey so much, because it didn't tried to tell to much. Just what it had to without boring segments and moments. I expect a similar experience from Abzu.

 

[Gattsu25]

I can't imagine being this cynical or reductionist. If nothing else it definitely is the best underwater swimming I've ever experienced in a game.

To me the game is more like Flower than Journey, it's a chill and beautiful experience that has a environmentalist message attached to it (even if this one is a little hard to decipher is some aspects).

It's too bad this game either had to be as good as Journey or a waste of time otherwise.

I beat Abzû last night. It was an enjoyable game with some of the best swimming controls around.

From an emotional standpoint, I agree with the people you quoted. It stands in the shadow of Flower and especially Journey.

From an environmentalist perspective, it also is conveying a very similar message to the one in Journey while, like Journey, not being as in-your-face about it as Flower was (which isn't a good or bad thing).

Can anyone tell me how long this game is? Something like Journey? I enjoyed Journey so much, because it didn't tried to tell to much. Just what it had to without boring segments and moments. I expect a similar experience from Abzu.

It felt similar in length but looks like it was even shorter (steam is saying I finished it in just under 2 hours). I didn't feel like a single minute of my time was wasted. I really enjoyed it.

 

[mrklaw]

Ok I accidentally ignored this game because I got it mixed up with that flying game that was given away on PS+ a while back. I had no idea about this and I instantly want it.

What's the general sentiment after 31 pages? A relatively short game isn't an issue for me (almost welcome)

 

[Ferr986]

What does this game aim for? Because that's why people are comparing it with Journey.

Not really spoilers but just incase...

Spoiler

Journey is about the journeyer, the game shows you his goal and makes you bond with him, the harsh journey he has and the final conclusion when reaching his goal. With this, it's easier to make you more emotional because you're involved with an "human" being trying to reach his dreams.

Also, everything is about the destination, will he reach the mountain? will he not? what will happen? That makes the final area incredibly powerful.

Abzu is not about the diver, there's no clear motivation, journey and no destiny for him. Abzu is just about the wonders of the sea nature, everything about Abzu is done to show this, like the whale scenes, the medidation areas with the different fishes species.... Its like Flower, more about nature breaking free, and the focus is nature, not the character.

That makes it harder to makes you feel emotional because you don't have anything to relate with. Instead, it wants you to care about the sea and wanting to protect it.

It's a more naturist message instead of a more spiritual one from Journey. (and yes, I know Journey also has a naturist message but it's more secondary)

That was my take atleast.

Ok I accidentally ignored this game because I got it mixed up with that flying game that was given away on PS+ a while back. I had no idea about this and I instantly want it.

What's the general sentiment after 31 pages? A relatively short game isn't an issue for me (almost welcome)

IMO it's a Journey'ed Flower (if you played any of them). I f you liked those games you'll probably like this one too. Took me around 2:30 hours to beat, and later there's the usual collectibles.

 

[spekkeh]

Not really spoilers but just incase...

Spoiler

Journey is about the journeyer, the game shows you his goal and makes you bond with him, the harsh journey he has and the final conclusion when reaching his goal. With this, it's easier to make you more emotional because you're involved with an "human" being trying to reach his dreams.

Also, everything is about the destination, will he reach the mountain? will he not? what will happen? That makes the final area incredibly powerful.

Abzu is not about the diver, there's no clear motivation, journey and no destiny for him. Abzu is just about the wonders of the sea nature, everything about Abzu is done to show this, like the whale scenes, the medidation areas with the different fishes species.... Its like Flower, more about nature breaking free, and the focus is nature, not the character.

That makes it harder to makes you feel emotional because you don't have anything to relate with. Instead, it wants you to care about the sea and wanting to protect it.

It's a more naturist message instead of a more spiritual one from Journey. (and yes, I know Journey also has a naturist message but it's more secondary)

That was my take atleast.

Yeah I think that's a bit of a superficial reading of Journey. It's not about *that character's* journey, it is about *our* journey. I wrote this a few pages back (sorry for copy pasting, but everybody seems to have ignored it)

Spoiler

Abzu follows the Journey template to tell a new story. But both Flower and Journey weren't meant as templates for a story; their game design and interaction were developed precisely to enhance the procedural rhetoric of the story and deeper level message. Journey was a parable of life and how the only thing that makes our barren journey to the end worthwhile is being together with other people. And so the whole game design revolved around creating that meaningful connection with another soul until the passing to the other world. Flower, a much simpler story of course, used its gusts of wind mechanic to enhance the feeling of blowing away evil spirits, much like Tibetan Buddhism. And much like blowing away evil thoughts, this process makes it cathartic. Maybe Abzu had this too, but I am oblivious to it. However, nothing in the swimming interaction seems to particularly enhance the message. A message of what exactly? It's ostensibly 'just a story'.

Lacking that, Abzu misses, well I'm not going to say soul because that it has, but definitely some profoundness

For as great as the game is, Abzu, as far as I can tell, only allows this surface level interpretation of its text. It doesn't seem to have any deeper humanistic message. That's why people compare it with Journey and say that it lacks something.

 

[Servbot24]

I wish people could just play a game on its own terms. Not everything has to be a comparison to something else.

 

[KingKong]

I really enjoyed the first half of the game where you were just with the fish and there were some really great moments, but all the alien tech stuff and the pointless repetitive 'puzzles' really let it down

I think this would have been much better if they got rid of the story and focused more on the underwater life

 

[Ferr986]

Yeah I think that's a bit of a superficial reading of Journey. It's not about *that character's* journey, it is about *our* journey. I wrote this a few pages back (sorry for copy pasting, but everybody seems to have ignored it)

Spoiler

Abzu follows the Journey template to tell a new story. But both Flower and Journey weren't meant as templates for a story; their game design and interaction were developed precisely to enhance the procedural rhetoric of the story and deeper level message. Journey was a parable of life and how the only thing that makes our barren journey to the end worthwhile is being together with other people. And so the whole game design revolved around creating that meaningful connection with another soul until the passing to the other world. Flower, a much simpler story of course, used its gusts of wind mechanic to enhance the feeling of blowing away evil spirits, much like Tibetan Buddhism. And much like blowing away evil thoughts, this process makes it cathartic. Maybe Abzu had this too, but I am oblivious to it. However, nothing in the swimming interaction seems to particularly enhance the message. A message of what exactly? It's ostensibly 'just a story'.

Lacking that, Abzu misses, well I'm not going to say soul because that it has, but definitely some profoundness

For as great as the game is, Abzu, as far as I can tell, only allows this surface level interpretation of its text. It doesn't seem to have any deeper humanistic message. That's why people compare it with Journey and say that it lacks something.

Spoiler

I don't agree that Journey is about other people, because you can also play it solo, and I found it also very effective, but I guess everyone sees it it's way

Also, I know Abzu doesn't have a deeper humanistic message, that's why they souldn't be compared, because they do different things. Abzu is just about admiring the beauty of sea nature and making you care about it (hopefully also in the real world...).

Btw, didn't want to sound as being superficial to Journey, sorry about that. Actually, Journey is the only game that made me legit cry.

 

[FunkyDealer]

I absolutely adored this game. It actually made me feel giddy. It looks truly stunning with ultra settings on PC. And the soundtrack is amazing.

Definitely feels like a combination of Flower and Journey.

The 'dark' parts weren't as good as the joyful ones where you release fish, but they didn't drag on too long in my opinion. I would have liked another large area with loads of fish to set free though, that stuff was wonderful.

I loved just holding on to all the different species and how they all reacted differently.

 

[Humdinger]

Finished Abzu last night. I liked it. It didn't have the emotional impact that Journey did, but it's unfair of me to compare it to Journey, although the developers have used so much of the Journey template, it's hard not to.

I liked the art, the music, the swimming with the fishes. The way you and the fish moved together was graceful and sometimes brought a smile to my face. I liked how you could spin and they'd spin. You push forward and they'd move with you. I got to swim with the dolphins, which was a kick. Got to swim with a lot of types of fish.

There were a lot of times when I just enjoyed the immersion in the environment. Lots of moments like that.

The game caused me to appreciate the diversity of life in the oceans -- or just the variety of life on Earth in general. I don't normally spend much time thinking about that. About the huge variety of life down there, living, multiplying, eating each other, dying, going through it all. It just made me appreciate that.

The game held my interest, progressed well. It wrapped up in a satisfying way. If I had a criticism, I felt that all of the fish were a little much. It was like they thought more fish and more colors = more emotional response or something. I would've preferred something a bit more subtle. I got some clipping and weird effects sometimes, with that many fish. Minor niggle, though.

I am still not entirely sure what happened, but that's par for the course with games like these. Something about overcoming death and darkness and restoring life. I'm still puzzling over the robot angle, what the circular globe represents, and some other things.

If I stick a number on it, it's somewhere in the 8.5 to 9 range. 9 if I give a bonus because I appreciate that games like this get made, the artistic, experiential type, rather than the usual.

I'll play through it a second time at some point, I'm sure. It's a very relaxing ride.

 

[BraXzy]

Installing it now on PS4 since I preorders it awhile back, but kinda wishing I'd got it on PC now. Is this best played on PC?

 

[Deckard Chapel]

Installing it now on PS4 since I preorders it awhile back, but kinda wishing I'd got it on PC now. Is this best played on PC?

Whichever platform you choose, choose the one with the biggest screen!

 

[BraXzy]

Whichever platform you choose, choose the one with the biggest screen!

I've got everything hooked up to my new 4K TV so I'm good on that front

Starting it now on ps4 I'm sure it's still great!

 

[Deckard Chapel]

I've got everything hooked up to my new 4K TV so I'm good on that front

Starting it now on ps4 I'm sure it's still great!

I have the PS4 version - no complaints here!

The game plays, looks and sounds amazing!

 

[Chopper]

I know that most people are comparing this to Journey, and I can see why. But having finished it a couple of times now, I think it has more in common with Flower. Alot more, in fact.

 

[BraXzy]

Finished! That was beautiful if a little short! Gonna read through the thread now

I know that most people are comparing this to Journey, and I can see why. But having finished it a couple of times now, I think it has more in common with Flower. Alot more, in fact.

If you were to compare, I'd say it lands somewhere in between.

Spoiler

There's a bit more of a story and puzzle elements but still with the flow and momentum felt throughout flower.

 

[mattp]

i can't believe they had

Spoiler

sperm whales and giant squid in the deep ocean section, and didn't have them fight! missed opportunity

 

[Deckard Chapel]

i can't believe they had

Spoiler

sperm whales and giant squid in the deep ocean section, and didn't have them fight! missed opportunity

I was waiting for that...aaand it didn't happen lol!

 

[qcf x2]

I ended up getting this for Steam. I asked if I should go PS4 instead but the replies were pretty much go with whichever option uses a bigger screen. In my case they both use the same screen so I went w/ Steam for a couple of reasons, not the least of which was the $4 discount.

I just played this for about 15 minutes and it's already justified my purchase. The controls aren't clicking for me yet but the ambience is fantastic. I also like that you can totally tell the producers of the game appreciate nature. Lastly, I like the overall ambiguity of the swimmer, it was an excellent choice IMO.

One thing that's kind of bugging me already is as soon as I found myself doing NiGHTs loops around fauna and sealife, I began wishing there were tricks and such. Maybe there are, but as the focus seems to be on adventure I won't be holding my breath. No pun intended.

So far I would def encourage anybody on the fence to give this a go unless money is super tight. You could do a lot worse for $15-20.

 

[DirtyLarry]

Just finished my first (and very well only) playthrough. It was a truly beautiful experience in every aspect. I hardly use the word beautiful to describe video games, but I do feel it is very fitting for this game.

It goes without saying the visuals are exquisite. Some of the best on the PS4 imho. Even if they are not the most technically advanced visuals (which it would not surprise me to find out they indeed are), they are easily among the best stylized visuals without any doubt.

I had played about 90 minutes over the course of the past few days. Thought I would be wrapping it up tomorrow as my wife has plans. She actually fell asleep real early tonight early as she is not feeling good so I had the TV room downstairs all to myself since about 10 PM. Decided tonight is a good night to try and finish the game knowing it was a shorter experience. This meant all lights out. 7.1 surround sound set to 65. A 65" screen. A controller, Last but not least my couch. I also decided this was as good of game as any to quickly say hello to my good friend Mary Jane. In the right doses she no doubt has the ability to make a game that much more compelling. Tonight was no exception and I would go as far as saying for those that do chill with her, definitely consider doing so for this game. And truly I am generally not like Jon Stewart from Half Baked. I generally tend to think that if something moves you it moves you. Outside influences are irrelevant. However I will say for this game though, especially since I did not visit with her earlier in the week when I played the first half of the game, her charming ways are very complimentary to this game in particular.

All of the above factors combined for a visual and auditory experience that other games are simply just not capable of delivering. It is no doubt an experience as much as it is a game, and I am okay with that. Attempting as I always do to see both sides, I can see the point of view of people saying they need more. That is not my personal belief in regards to this game. I feel it is plenty and pretty much damn near perfect in execution.

In regards to the gameplay elements that are not so much about opinion or interpretation as they are a shared experience of the core elements for everyone who checks it out, I thought the controls were really well done. They nailed the floaty feeling of being under water. Absolutely nailed it. And again the visuals. The visuals. Just so, SO damn good. Of course there is the sound as well. Another aspect of the game I feel is really well done. I thought in particular the orchestral soundtrack really did elevate certain scenes.

I really do not have a single criticism for this game. No doubt it will not be everyone's cup of tea. That should go without saying. However for those gamers that have no problem being an integral part of a game more so than a player in said game, this is easily up there among other similar games, and may even hold the top spot depending on my mood and when you ask me how it compares to games in the similar vein such as Flower & Journey. I personally enjoyed it much more than Flower, and I actually enjoyed many aspects of it more than Journey. Serious depending on my mood when you ask me I may say it is a better game. Right now I am saying it is just as good.

9.5/10

 

[Deckard Chapel]

Just finished my first (and very well only) playthrough.

After all the glowing praise you bestowed upon ABZÛ, did you mean to put "and very well only" implying that you will never play it again?

 

[johnnydrama]

While this game has some stunning environments and art direction, and the music is phenomenal, I didn't find the actual game design and gameplay very engaging or enjoyable. It seemed to build upon Flower and Journey, and I really failed to see many original ideas here. It was definitely a fun two hours, but nothing memorable as far as I'm concerned. 6.5/10. Somewhat disappointed, but I'm a sucker for these kinds of games. Looking forward to Giant Squid's next project.

 

[Meowster]

Such a stunning game. Glad I made a leap of faith and made the purchase. It is just so aesthetically pleasing - not to mention satisfying. Now I want to go and buy the score from the game.

 

[ghibli99]

Played through twice now, and I was definitely affected by the narrative more the second time through. The first time, the spectacle of the environments, animation, and music were wonderful, but on my second playthrough, I appreciated the subtle, circular storytelling it was conveying about the ocean, man, and technology. In that sense, upon further reflection, I enjoyed that aspect of ABZU more than TGC's games, although I still think Journey is one of the most emotionally stunning experiences of last generation, especially the realizations you have after your first time through. Great games, both of them.

 

[Evo X]

Holy crap, playing this game at 21:9 is a religious experience!

Edited some ini files to get it to render at 3440x1440 native and I was treated to an absolutely gorgeous display of audio visuals. Wanted to play the whole game in one sitting, but also savor it at the same time.

 

[badcrumble]

I definitely don't mind games in the mold of Flower and especially Journey, but during this game I felt like I'm beginning to have a problem with all of them following the exact same structure.

 

[Movalpolos]

I enjoyed it for what it is. Definitely didn't have the same impact that Journey had on me but it wan't really meant to. No regrets, but I doubt I will play through it again.

 

[Dineren]

I only have one more achievement,

Spoiler

Ecosystem

. Is there any way to figure out which I am missing? I really enjoyed playing through the game, but I don't really want to go through it all again since there is a decent chance I would just miss it again.

 

[Deckard Chapel]

Such a stunning game. Glad I made a leap of faith and made the purchase. It is just so aesthetically pleasing - not to mention satisfying. Now I want to go and buy the score from the game.

Buy it! I did and so did countless others. It's music for any mood. On nights I can't sleep, I'll start at track one and I'm out by track three. Austin Wintory outdid himself with ABZÛ.

Played through twice now, and I was definitely affected by the narrative more the second time through. The first time, the spectacle of the environments, animation, and music were wonderful, but on my second playthrough, I appreciated the subtle, circular storytelling it was conveying about the ocean, man, and technology. In that sense, upon further reflection, I enjoyed that aspect of ABZU more than TGC's games, although I still think Journey is one of the most emotionally stunning experiences of last generation, especially the realizations you have after your first time through. Great games, both of them.

Great post!

I'm in the same boat, so to speak. I love it the more I play it - and I crave more of it. Hopefully, Giant Squid will add extra chapters to it in a Special/Collector's Edition!

 

[Felensis]

Yesterday I've finished it the second time completing all the achievements. Oh boy this second ride I've took more time because I wanted to give this gem all the time it deserves just like for Journey. This second run was even more mesmerizing, fascinating, relaxing and just beautiful than the first one. I had a good glass of Glenfiddich, turned my LED lamp to a light blue which filled the room with a cozy atmosphere and then just enjoyed the ride.

Thanks Giant Squid for this gem. There will be much more runs follow in the future!

 

[Ferr986]

I only have one more achievement,

Spoiler

Ecosystem

. Is there any way to figure out which I am missing? I really enjoyed playing through the game, but I don't really want to go through it all again since there is a decent chance I would just miss it again.

There's no indication about the hidden pools found.

Here's some rough directions for all of them

Spoiler

There's 4 of them in each chapter minus chapter 5 (ship) and the last one.

Usually 3 of them are in the same area with shark meditation statue.

So, first chapter there's 3 pools in the first statue (area just starting) and 1 in the deep area before the triangle gate.

Chapter 2 there's another 3 in the pinkish area with the statue and dolphins and 1 again in deep area before gate.

Chapter 3 there's 3 in the first puzzle area and 1 just after the gate (there's a statue there too).

Chapter 4 there's 3 in the mines area and one in deep area where the giant squids area.

Chapter 6 there's 2 on each puzzle room.

Hope it helps!.