If you’ve played ABZU, you understand the review by the title alone. If not, play ABZU. It’s good.
You play as Auk, one of the “People of the Sky”. That means you can transform into a bird. This is because, supposedly at some point, you’ve made a pact with a bird, giving you the ability to take the form of a bird. It’s a bit less confusing once you play the game, as long as you read everything. Even then, you just have to accept it for the most part. It’s how this world works, get over it.
At the very opening of the game, while exploring the cave you start in, you are gifted Karah’s lantern which gives you a new ability – viewing memories and interacting with buttons, keys, and temples. Don’t worry, this, too, will all make sense once you start playing. These keys and temples are located around a fractured world, “islands” floating in the sky akin to The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. While you do have a map, you are not given map markers or compass indicators. Instead, you are meant to speak with the people at The Settlement, the spirit animals you encounter, and do some light reading of texts you find lying about. It’s still very easy to get through without a guide, as long as you’re vibing with it.
Even without a walkthrough, the game is quite short yet it is filled with atmosphere. Pun intended. Your main focus is exploration, followed by completing puzzles. There’s no combat, and it lacks replayability. Its just you, flying around, collecting keys, going through puzzles, getting fragments, and completing the story. That’s it. It’s simple, and I enjoyed it.
If you can find it for $10 USD or less, it’s well worth it.
