Sword of the Sea — the latest offering from Journey artistic director Matt Nava’s studio, Giant Squid — is out now on console and PC. It has received high praise for its seamless surfing mechanics, enigmatic story, and stunning aquatic environments. But whether you’ve just finished your first Sword of the Sea playthrough and are craving more beautiful oceanic creatures, or haven’t played Sword of the Sea at all yet, stop whatever it is you’re doing and play ABZÛ.
Released in 2016, ABZÛ shares many traits with Sword of the Sea. Both games focus heavily on exploration, puzzle-solving, satisfying movement mechanics, and beautiful sea creatures. They’re even set in the same universe, and many visual assets from ABZÛ also appear in Sword of the Sea. But there’s one major difference between the two titles: ABZÛ lets you dive underwater, allowing you to get up close and personal with the various real-life sea creatures that populate the game’s massive aquatic levels.
ABZÛ is, in many ways, a simple game. There is no dialogue, no text-based lore to discover, and no codex entries to collect. Its story is told through wordless cutscenes and beautiful wall murals. Combat is non-existent. You can’t die or be killed. But despite its simplicity, it’s one of my favorite games ever.
The game takes place almost entirely underwater. Players step into the fins of a nameless diver, who appears to be the only one of her kind who is still alive. At first, you will be stunned by the game’s beauty — despite its simplistic art style, it has some of the most dazzling visuals I’ve ever seen in a game. But as you progress through each level, solving puzzles and releasing trapped sea creatures, you’ll begin to notice that something is off. Much like Subnautica, ABZÛ begins in a safe, shallow area that’s teeming with life. But eventually, you’ll find yourself in deeper, darker, more desolate waters that create a sense of unease. Something is terribly wrong with this ocean, and it’s your job to figure out why. Thankfully, you can restore these damaged biomes with the press of a button, but ultimately, you’ll have to face off with the source of the ocean’s destruction.
As they worked on the game, devs at Giant Squid spent years studying the movements of waves, currents, and sea creatures (especially schools of fish). The end result is a visually stunning work of art that also features the best swimming mechanics I’ve ever experienced in a game. ABZÛ‘s ocean feels real. Smaller denizens of the deep will scatter when you swim too close, while larger ones will allow you to hitch a ride with them (just like the airborne fish featured in Sword of the Sea). ABZÛ’s incredible underwater mechanics have effectively ruined me for other games that feature swimming, as so many of them create the sensation that you’re simply floating in zero-g rather than floating in a body of water with choppy waves and currents to fight against.
Like Sword of the Sea, ABZÛ is ultimately about the beauty of nature, and serves as a reminder of what’s at stake when we abuse it. But it’s not a game that shoves a ham-fisted message about climate change down your throat. Instead, it presents you with an unbelievably beautiful underwater world and a poignant, interesting story that it trusts you to interpret for yourself. It’s relaxing, thought-provoking, and utterly breathtaking.
If you’re craving another Sword of the Sea-esque gaming experience, I cannot recommend ABZÛ enough. Don’t be afraid to dip your toes in, as it’s a short game that you can easily finish in three or four hours. But its story, visuals, and delightful swimming mechanics will still be floating around in your head long after the credits have rolled.