ABZÛ (PLAYSTATION 4 PS4)

Abzû is an exploration game in an underwater environment. The player character looks like a diver and can be freely moved around the 3D environment, with free rotation of the camera. It is possible to swim in any direction, break through the surface and do a flip, explore the bottom with a lighthouse automatically turned on when it gets dark and so on. Next to a separate button for acceleration, there's a short three-level acceleration function to get an extra short burst of speed. Alongside the interactive tutorial, there are no prompts or HUD elements that explain the objectives. The diver has an unlimited supply of air.

The diver explores different autonomous zones linked together by passages. These are all filled with different types of fish and interaction is possible by swimming through them. There is also a type of ecosystem because some will feed on others. The player character cannot die, and sometimes small environment-based puzzles must be completed to advance to the next area. Sometimes drones can be released that swim around. These open certain passages and the diver can interact with them by sound, but it has no other function. Optional elements include locating places where other types of fish can be released and collecting hidden seashells. The game encourages the meditative element of the game to sit and enjoy the surroundings, as some statues may be located where a meditation feature can be activated. While meditating, the diver is no longer controlled, but the player moves around the camera, following and observing fish in the environment.

No background information is provided initially, but the story of a civilization in the ocean gradually unfolds through background elements and there is a progression system based on contributing orbs to temples. Sometimes there are also different sections, locking the diver to a 2D plane or removing parts of the movement and limited camera actions for swimming past giant creatures, dodging mine-like objects, gliding through a jetstream with other fish. Sometimes it is possible to hang on to larger creatures and hitchhike.