What a sumptuous delight this game was. I was so glad to have finally crossed it off my list and i’m equally as thrilled to say that it largely lives up to the hype. From its visually breathtaking and captivating world, its beautifully atmospheric art direction, its wonderfully paced and consistently varied explorable levels, to its decidedly simple but still highly enjoyable gameplay loop. Everything about this game is such a treat. The soundtrack should also be singled out as one of the game’s richest pleasures on top of being incredibly powerful and moving in its own right. The story itself of the game maybe isn’t particularly thematically deep nor am I entirely sure what the singular point of it ultimately was. I’d also argue that the game ends just a smidge too abruptly for my liking. All in all though? I still enjoyed my brief time with this a great deal. All of these aforementioned elements coalesce to make Abzu a wholly unique short but sweet sensory experience that (even with its slight imperfections) I won’t be forgetting about anytime soon.