From the very first trailer, I was suspicious of Abzu's visuals and soundtrack. It seemed like it was trying to look and sound too much like Journey. Journey is a brilliant, singular experience; one that I don't think requires copycatting.
But now I'm seeing that Matt Nava, art director behind Journey, and Austin Wintory, Journey's composer, are calling a lot of shots on Abzu—which is doing everything it can to draw comparisons to Journey. The tweet-length pitch on the game seems to be simply "Journey but underwater."
Mystery solved, I guess.
That "Journey but underwater" description is, to me, a discouraging comparison. Much of Journey's magic comes from the implacable feeling that the world feels like an underwater desert. In Journey, light flows like water, birds fly like fish swim, and dragons prey on them all like Great White Sharks in the sky. But Abzu, as magical as it's likewise trying to be, kind of removes that magical abstraction and turns Abzu into the obvious: underwater things are underwater. Pretty, to be sure, in that flatly polygonal artstyle that's been growing in popularity the past few years.
Hopefully the game tells its own unique story. I sound negative, but don't get me wrong. I'm genuinely curious about Abzu's intentions and, ultimately, the story it wants to tell. Because I'm not handing out any bonus points for being overly blunt about your inspirations. "Journey but underwater" isn't the worst starting point, but it isn't the best either. Lacks imagination, just from an elevator-pitch standpoint. Journey will live a long and prosperous life on my list of best games ever. Maybe Abzu also has a seat waiting at that table.
Also, when I see the word the word "Abzu," my brain wants to fill in the blank and call it "Abzu-lutely." I feel like I should get a bottle of Absolut vodka.
Abzu is on PC and PlayStation 4 next week, August 2.
