From the very first moment, Sword of the Sea has it. As an ancient guardian who awakens on a single drop, you venture forth into this desert-filled world to unleash the water and restore prosperity. There is some deeper lore, but in terms of ambience and vibes, it’s simply breathtaking, almost Breath of the Wild-esque in its reveal.

As you step out into the sea of sands, cutting effortlessly through its dunes, the desolation gives way to vibrancy. Every time you release the water, various aquatic life springs forth, creating this sense of visual buoyancy, which extends to the gameplay as well, especially when hopping on jellyfish or surfing up greenery. Very little else matters as you glide through environments, performing sick tricks to no one in particular (with no risk of messing up, of course).

"Though all the mechanics really come together in the late game (and admittedly not for very long), they still offer a seamless platforming loop that’s very enjoyable. It doesn’t feel punishing at all, but the ease with which you can explore these giant areas is fun in its own right."

From spin tricks and flips to building momentum off half-pipes and leaping over gaps, Sword of the Sea controls as seamlessly as it unfolds. You can easily zone out in an environment, exploring ways to reach certain chests or happening upon collectible seashells. All the collected currency can be deposited at the mysterious merchants present throughout the world (who have a supernatural knack for appearing at the right times), which unlocks more tricks and even the ability to drop down. Which is nice, but you quickly realize their insignificance in the grand scheme of things.

As stylish as a triple front-flip off a mountain can be, it doesn’t really have any impact on the gameplay. You often default to the double-jump, spin, and grinding while traversing the world, embracing a more traditional platforming loop. Even if you care about the score, helpfully revealed while paused, the overall depth of the tricks feels extremely limited from the outset. While I completely understand Giant Squid’s goal – of supplanting this particular type of movement into an exploration game – any sense of style and competitiveness feels completely superficial.

I still need to emphasize the impeccable design of the environments and the pacing. Unlike The Pathless and its open world, Sword of the Sea offers more linear progression with much fewer distractions, as you traverse from one chapter to the next. Familiar locales like snowy mountains and lava-filled caverns still feel incredibly fresh to explore with very little downtime. Some visuals – a city emerging from beneath the sands, floating isles and ships amid a nighttime sky – are downright beautiful, boasting gorgeous and vibrant art direction. The depiction of water and marine biology reminds me of ABZU, and it’s delightful to spot whales and dolphins swimming through the skies seemingly without a care in the world. Being able to ride them and just calmly wade through, even if it is a small predetermined circle, is nice.

Though all the mechanics really come together in the late game (and admittedly not for very long), they still offer a seamless platforming loop that’s very enjoyable. It doesn’t feel punishing at all, but the ease with which you can explore these giant areas is fun in its own right. Other notable sequences also mix up the core gameplay in different ways, and while they can drag a bit, they’re a welcome change of pace.

"While the developer’s previous titles created a sense of emotional connection in their short runtime, Sword of the Sea doesn’t quite nail it. It also doesn’t help that the story starts winding down after hitting what feels like its stride."

Your goal is to essentially restore the Cycle, which becomes interrupted for an unknown reason (that quickly makes itself apparent in fiery consternation). It’s pretty straightforward, and as a result, the stakes can feel low-key until about halfway into the game. Maybe it’s because the focus is so squarely on feeling your way through and soaking up the atmosphere while lore is presented in snippets. The civilization that came before, their demise, the spiritual river that binds everything, so on and so forth. However, I didn’t find myself as invested as in The Pathless or ABZU.

Perhaps it’s because, as a cohesive narrative, there are way too many questions left unanswered. Who was the Minder in charge of that one empty city? What of the Ghost Warriors, whose massive bodies remain frozen in that field as sentries, guiding you from one place to the next? Are those merchants inextricably tied to the Cycle like the Guardian?

There’s also a very familiar-looking character with an important role that barely rises above being a cameo. But then again, they may also be the Champion spoken of in the tablets, given their abilities. Much of the lore, especially its themes of fire vs. water, life and death, spirits and humans, is open for ascribing one’s own meaning. That is, when it isn’t used to explain away why those Ghost Warriors are present in a snowy field (or why exactly it works the way that it does).

While the developer’s previous titles created a sense of emotional connection in their short runtime, Sword of the Sea doesn’t quite nail it. It also doesn’t help that the story starts winding down after hitting what feels like its stride. Overall playtime is shorter than The Pathless – and that’s with plenty of admiring the architecture and combing for secrets. Which isn’t a bad thing, given how much tighter this feels by comparison. I just couldn’t really shake the sensation of, “That’s it?”, even as the credits unfolded.

Sword of the Sea does offer some additional gameplay elements afterwards, which lean further into speed-running and exploration. There’s a Journey-like element to this, but unlike that title and its seamless co-op resulting in wonderfully emergent encounters to this day, I’m not sure if Giant Squid’s approach has as much staying power.

"As endearing as it can be to get lost among the waves, you need something to eventually anchor yourself, and for better or worse, Giant Squid doesn’t quite deliver on that front."

For as long as it lasts, Sword of the Sea is a beautiful, engrossing experience, one that’s easy to get lost in, and that’s in no small part thanks to Austin Wintory’s incredible score. It accentuates the quiet moments and presents some incredible vocal pieces throughout, often carrying the emotional weight when the plot fails to do so.

On the downside, as incredible as the art direction is, there were several performance issues, even with a GPU and RAM that surpass the recommended specs. Perhaps much of it is CPU-bound and my 11th gen i5 is the bottleneck, but frame rate drops occur even when dropping the resolution scaling and quality settings were set to Medium. Upscaling support may have helped with these issues, but there’s no denying that further optimization, or at the very least, better hardware, is needed in some areas.

Despite all these caveats, I would still recommend Sword of the Sea for those seeking a relatively light adventure with outstanding art direction, movement, and music. The fact that it fires on so many cylinders, from the world design to the overall joy of exploration, and yet fails to enthrall me in so many meaningful ways, remains baffling. But as endearing as it can be to get lost among the waves, you need something to eventually anchor yourself, and for better or worse, Giant Squid doesn’t quite deliver on that front.

This game was reviewed on PC.

As previously announced, players explore a mysterious region with expansive deserts to find the buried sea. You’ll traverse it with a Hoversword, which skates across water and sand with ease (while also somehow wall-riding and grinding on rails). The goal is to ultimately free the water while learning more about a lost civilization, though it seems a mysterious threat lurks deep within.

However, the journey is equally relaxing, especially as you chain together tricks. They could provide a burst of speed, not unlike a similar system from The Pathless. Stay tuned for more gameplay from Sword of the Sea ahead of its release.

Developed by Giant Squid, The Pathless is about the Hunter who travels to a mysterious island. With the world suffering from darkness, she searches for the source on the island. After certain events, she receives an eagle companion to help her explore the island and free its cursed beasts. To traverse this massive world, the Hunter relies on her archery, hitting Talismans to gain spirit energy and a burst of speed.

While it doesn’t take long to finish the story, the island is full of collectibles and challenges. The Pathless is also available on PS4, PS5, Apple Arcade and PC (via the Epic Games Store and, more recently, Steam). Check out our review here to learn more about what makes it so good.

The Pathless sees the world shrouded in darkness, and as the Hunter, players travel to a mysterious island to end it. Once there, they gain an eagle companion and set about freeing the cursed beasts to end the darkness. Exploration is open, and in addition to dashing around, the Hunter can land shots to increase her speed and pull off sick tricks.

The Pathless is currently available for PS4, PS5, PC and Apple Arcade. Though exclusive to the Epic Games Store at launch, it released in November 2021 for Steam. For more details, check out our review here. Stay tuned for details on the physical edition in the coming weeks.

As an open-world, action-adventure title, The Pathless focuses on the Hunter who ventures to a mysterious cursed island. Together with her eagle companion, she travels to forests, tundras and extensive meadows, solving puzzles and ultimately coming across the corrupted beasts. Only by taking down the beasts can she lift the curse and ultimately save the world from darkness.

The Pathless features a unique movement system, combining precise shooting with fast movement for quickly traversing the map. It’s currently available for PS4, PS5, PC via the Epic Games Store and Steam, and Apple Arcade. For more information on the gameplay, check out our review here. Stay tuned for the release date of the Xbox and Nintendo Switch versions in the coming months.

THE PATHLESS Coming to #Xbox & #NintendoSwitch this Winter 2022 –
Visit https://t.co/PuJa5zxYrb to learn more! pic.twitter.com/nqjVgQeSpC

— Giant Squid (@GiantSquidology) July 28, 2022

The Pathless has been rated for the Nintendo Switch by the ESRB. Giant Squid or publisher Annapurna Interactive haven’t yet officially said anything about a Switch release for the game, though classification ratings for unannounced games are often followed by official announcements not long afterward, so there’s a good chance that happens here as well.

In our review of The Pathless, we awarded the game a score of 9/10, saying, “The Pathless knows where its biggest strengths lie, and it constantly leverages those strengths to craft a hypnotic, rhythmic, beautiful, and captivating adventure.” You can read our full review through here.

The Pathless is currently available on PS5, PS4, PC, and iOS.

The Pathless sees the world in danger due to a curse. As a sole Hunter, the player ventures to the source of the curse – an island home to god-spirits known as the Tall Ones, who have each become corrupted due to the Godslayer. With the help of an eagle companion, The Hunter resolves to cleanse the Tall Ones and defeat the Godslayer.

Movement is key in The Pathless as the player must time their bow shots to build up enough speed to dash through environments (and take on massive bosses). Of course, there are also different ruins to explore and puzzles to solve along with sneaking past and fighting cursed spirits. The Pathless is also available on PS4, PS5 and iOS. For more details, check out our review here.

It’s been confirmed that The Pathless will be releasing for Steam in just a few months, on November 16, a little over a year after its original launch last year. The game can be added to your Steam wishlist now, so go ahead and do that if you’ve been waiting for it to come to Steam before diving.

It definitely is worth diving in, too. In our review of the game last year, we said, “The Pathless knows where its biggest strengths lie, and it constantly leverages those strengths to craft a hypnotic, rhythmic, beautiful, and captivating adventure.” You can read the full review through here.

Currently, The Pathless is available on PS5, PS4, Apple Arcade, and PC via the Epic Games Store.

Excited to announce that The Pathless will be available on Steam coming November 16th 2021! pic.twitter.com/zkul6mp2UG

— Giant Squid (@GiantSquidology) July 29, 2021

Annapurna Interactive has a new trailer available for The Pathless which released last month for PC, Apple Arcade, PS4 and PS5. It highlights all of the praise that the open world title has garnered along with showcasing its exploration and gorgeous environments. Check it out below.

The story of The Pathless sees a hunter traveling to a cursed island, battling hostile spirits with the help of her eagle companion. It’s easy for the narrative to sink into the background though as players explore their surroundings, using the bow and arrow to pick up speed and momentum. Along with large spirits fought in sprawling battles, there are mysterious ruins with puzzles to solve.

Though the hunter’s Spirit Vision helps to highlight points of interest, there’s no mini-map. Instead, one must use their wits to explore the island properly. For more details, check out our review here. Stay tuned for more details on The Pathless in the future, especially with regards to its release on other platforms.

You play as the Hunter, a master archer who’s taken it upon herself to rid the land of a decaying corrupted inflicted upon it by an evil, ominous entity known as the Godslayer. The Eagle Mother, the land’s guardian spirit, was defeated in battle by the Godslayer, and her children, guardians of different areas of the game’s world, have become corrupted and are in thrall of the entity. Accompanied by a reborn avatar of the Eagle Mother, the Hunter has to travel across the land to free the spirits of the guardians, and ultimately defeat the Godslayer to rid the world of his corruption.

"The Pathless is an experience I’m unlikely to forget about anytime soon."

The narrative setup is a simple one, and the story itself isn’t particularly unique, but The Pathless tells it quite effectively. There isn’t much of a focus on active storytelling, with only a handful of cutscenes interspersed throughout the story, and most of the lore and backstory is handed to you via accounts and text boxes that you find scattered throughout the world. What you do find is captivating enough though, and creates an aura of mystery that elevates the narrative and the game’s world to solid heights.

The focus, however, is very much on gameplay, most of which revolves around an accessible yet incredible traversal system. By holding down the left trigger, the Hunter begins sprinting, which drains a stamina meter, and shooting emblems scattered throughout the world refills the stamina meter, and with the right timing, can provide a speed boost or launch you higher in the air if they’re shot while you’re airborne. Meanwhile, your eagle companion can also help you hover, and depending on how much you’ve upgraded your abilities, flap its wings a number of times to take you to greater heights.

Shooting the emblems is a mostly automatic process, and the game automatically locks you on to them, saving you the act of manual aiming, and instead letting you focus on speed and placement. The traversal system is one that’s easy to get into, but holds just enough of a skill cap. Combining your abilities with your eagle’s to chain together multiple dashes, glides, and jumps can take some getting used to, but pulling off these combos and watching the Hunter flit through the world at incredible speeds feels incredible. Thanks to this fast, fluid, and speedy traversal system, the simple act of moving about in the world of The Pathless is an absolute treat.

"Thanks to its fast, fluid, and speedy traversal system, the simple act of moving about in the world of The Pathless is an absolute treat."

Besides traversal, exploration and environmental puzzle solving are what will define your time with The Pathless. There’s hardly any combat in this game, with your bow mostly used for moving around and solving puzzles. Your path forward in every new area of the world is activating a number of obelisks, for which you require Lightstones, and these Lightstones are found by exploring the world and solving environmental puzzles.

Exploration is organic and pulls you right into the game’s world. There’s no map, no markers, no compass, and you’re instead made to rely on visual navigation as you look for points of interest in the world from vantage points or using your Spirit Vision ability (which is what The Pathless calls Eagle Vision, or Detective Vision, or Witcher Vision, or whatever you want to call it), which highlights points of interest in a red hue from a distance.

This diegetic style of exploration is what gives The Pathless its name. Much of your time is spent wandering about the world looking for visual cues to follow, and while you’re never quite sure what exactly you’ll find when you get to your intended destination, the reward is always worth it, without exception- whether its a puzzle to solve, a spectacular sight to see, orbs to collect as you work toward your eagle’s next upgrade, or more.

"Much of your time is spent wandering about the world looking for visual cues to follow, and while you’re never quite sure what exactly you’ll find when you get to your intended destination, the reward is always worth it, without exception."

Exploration in The Pathless always strikes the perfect balance between aimless and being directed- I mostly never knew what exactly I was looking for, but coming up my next discovery always felt rewarding. It helps that the game’s world is an absolutely beautiful one. Like Shadow of the Colossus or Journey, The Pathless’ world is sparsely populated, and consistently and desolately beautiful. Ancient structures stand out and beckon you forward from distances as you survey the land from heights, and beautiful landscapes and vistas are plentiful.

Puzzles in the game are also very well designed. Like its story or its exploration or much else in the game, puzzles have no tutorials or handholding, and rely simply on visual and diegetic cues. As you explore the world, you’ll come across various mini-dungeons, where you’ll be tasked with taking on satisfying brain-teasers, tasking you with everything from lining up rings to shoot and thread arrows through to using your eagle to drop blocks onto buttons to open new paths forward. Not once did I come across a puzzle in The Pathless that I did not enjoy figuring out and taking on.

Where The Pathless does stumble is in your encounters with the corrupted forms of each area’s guardian spirit. These corrupted beasts move about their designated parts of the game’s world dynamically, and if you get caught in their sphere of influence, you trigger a sequence where you have to avoid being noticed by them and stealthily make your way back to your eagle. In theory, they sound great, but really, all they do is get in the way of the real fun, which comes from exploration and puzzles. These sections also almost always play out the exact same way, and end up repetitive pretty quickly.

"Like Shadow of the Colossus or Journey, The Pathless’ world is sparsely populated, and consistently and desolately beautiful."

Once you’ve activated all the obelisks in an area, you take on that area’s corrupted beast in multi-stage set-piece boss encounters- which, too, are a mixed bag. The chase sequences that kick them off are thrilling sections, accompanied by wonderfully swelling music and the thrill of of The Pathless’ excellent traversal system put to great use, while the head-on combat in the subsequent stages can also be a fun ride, since it feels less like combat and more like fast-paced puzzle-solving. That said, the penalties for getting hit or failing to land a shot in The Pathless are negligible – you can’t really die – so these sections end up feeling a bit blunted.

It’s a good thing that these sections are few and far between. Like any good game, The Pathless knows where its biggest strengths lie, and it constantly leverages those strengths to craft a hypnotic, rhythmic, beautiful, and captivating adventure. Running through its main story takes less than ten hours, depending on how you play, but I wager I’ll be spending a lot more time exploring its world and taking on the activities that I blew past on my way to the credits. The Pathless is a beautiful game, and one that nobody should miss out on.

This game was reviewed on a PlayStation 4.