Haven't been watching E3 myself, but here's the official trailer for this game. It's made by the artist who worked on Journey and is also scored by Austin Wintory who made Journey's music. I'm kind of getting the feeling that if you liked Journey you'll like ABZÛ.
The gist seems to be about exploring a vibrant ocean world, and it'll have a story to it, more than the one in Journey.
Remove the spaces in the youtube tag thing, and it'll work. Game looks interesting. I should really watch a playthrough of Journey to see what the fuss is about .
Yeah but, Journey is like...£12 here so it can't be much more than that in dingo dollarydoos, you'll probably only have to do one handjob...one and a half tops
^Nah, it's by Matt Nava, the art director of Journey and Flower.
(Didn't know his name when I first posted the thread and cba when I was still under the weather to find it)
I guess one of the reasons for Abzu having a vibrant underwater environment was because Journey was a desert (a beautiful ruined desert ) and the guy making this game wanted a place with more life and color to it. I like the underwater choice, it's very beautiful.
I read this info somewhere a while back, probably through Austin Wintory's facebook page or something.
Edit: I think I read it in this article. It also has more info about the game itself.
I was slightly intrigued by this game when I saw Flare post this thread, and I just watched the E3 trailer for it a few minutes ago. It's a visually beautiful and colorful game, and looks like a fairly relaxing one to play. I am eerily reminded of Disney's Fantasia movies.
Also, I kinda want to bust out singing 'Under the Sea'.
Just finished it. Pretty good. Not on the same level of Journey in terms of impact though. The multiplayer aspect added a lot to Journey. Still, lots of great moments, stuff that surprised me, times I went "oh wait.. am I gonna see 'this'?" And then I did and I was so happy.
What it really did tho, was make me crave another Ecco game. I'm also bummed that the theme on ps4 doesn't have any sound or music
This is like if the mysterious individual from Journey had the powers from Flower and it took place in Fl0w, and was based on the Babylonian Creation Myth.
My girlfriend just completed it. It was really lovely, especially seeing all the different creatures. Very clearly inspired by thatgamecompany's works, but not at all in a bad way.
Ahh I want to play this so much <3 I think I might wait to buy it though. I dunno. I know it's 20% off on Steam right now but argh, I'm saving up for other stuff....
It says a controller is recommended though; did anyone play with a controller?
Okay, I bought this game last weekend for PS4, it was 60% off so I had to jump on that chance.
Played it over the course of the past few days, I just finished it tonight. It is gorrrgeous <3 It is awesome and lovely. I was enjoying myself from the moment the game started. It's given me more than one daydream already, and inspiration.
If you enjoyed Journey, you'll enjoy this game. As X says, "Very clearly inspired by thatgamecompany's works, but not at all in a bad way."
Very true. I've played flOw, Flower, and Journey, and this is reminiscent of the atmosphere of them all, mostly the latter two as far as the depth and feeling (flOw is very simple, no story, etc).
The creators of this game definitely achieved the desire of making something akin to Journey, but more colorful and vibrant. Using the ocean for the setting was brilliant; it's helped bring back my innate love of water and ocean and the life that resides within, instead of viewing it with the trepidation I sometimes do (not being able to see in the waters of the ocean where I live makes me a bit nervous).
I had a blast swimming with the fish and creatures in this game. So, so fun <3 I got really excited seeing things like
whales, some of the sharks, and then the later levels with the prehistoric creatures swimming about, oh gosh, I still love them
I spent a lot of time just swimming around, observing even the smallest creatures on the sea floor, meditating, etc. It's very relaxing, puts me in a good mood.
About the story,
I'm still not entirely sure what all the events were, the murals seemed a bit vague in some areas. In some ways it felt more clarified than Journey's story, and in other ways, it didn't. Journey's murals were more straightforward, but I think this game's story was still less vague.
I love them both, I think I'm really a fan of vague stories open for interpretation.
Journey ended on a very open note, you can take it to mean so many things. Abzu ends more straightforward, you might not know all the past events but you get a clear ending. The oceans are restored, pyramids are shut down/destroyed, you and the shark are alive and well, etc.
About the story... I think the part I'm most puzzled on is where the pyramids came from. The device inside the one you explore, it shows three diagrams: First, one of the little bots that you find, then shows that it has the pure energy water inside it. Then same with the pyramids, and then lastly with you, or maybe your entire race even. You even look like part machine when the attack on the pyramid goes awry.
I guess it could mean something like this: You're a machine created similarly to the bots and the pyramids, with your 'heart' being an orb of the pure energy water. Maybe the race that used to reside in this world, the one that left behind those ruins, created all three things; perhaps you are one of a kind, a machine made in their likeness. Or maybe the pyramids are an outside influence, coming from space elsewhere.
Race uses and connects with this energy water, is one with the oceans and the life within. Race eventually builds pyramids and bots for some reason; perhaps not intending harm initially. Either the pyramids become sentient and rebel, they malfunction, or the race begins to use them to fight one another, or for control. Large war ensures, massive destruction. Race slowly dies out, but creates another machine, which is you. You're purpose is to rebuild and restore the oceans, giving them that last push to complete the process.
Just one idea in mind. I'm unsure why you're able to use these pyramid gates safely, and have these bots help you, but still have to destroy the giant pyramid in the end (which does seem quite harmful).
I kind of like the idea of the Great White Shark being a god of sorts, something that the race once coexisted with. I like to think of the ocean itself and everything that resides within it as being sentient in it's own way somehow, able to restore life and 'heal the hurt' within it. Maybe the shark is the ocean's soul, in a physical form that's better able to help in that time.
Aaaaaanyway I'm meandering Point is, I really loved it. Can you tell I loved it? I really did. Gorgeous game, I can't wait to see what the studio creates next. I hope Giant Squid and That Game Company continue making these kinds of unique games. They're a slice of beauty, wonder, intrigue, and emotion.
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