Sword of the Sea Evaluate (PS5)

Large Squid is likely one of the greatest builders within the biz in relation to crafting fantastically breezy indie adventures. Sword of the Sea, its newest outing, won’t ever escape the plain Journey comparisons, but it surely nonetheless stands tall because the group’s most refined sport thus far.

With out desirous to strip the title of its class, Sword of the Sea is mainly what you’d get for those who mashed Journey and ABZU collectively, and seasoned them with The Pathless. It is a delicate mixture of meditative exploration and slick platforming, backed by easy however evocative storytelling.

In numerous methods, it appears like a real religious successor to each Journey and ABZU, and so for those who’re accustomed to both, you will already know precisely what you are stepping into right here.

Sitting at round 3 hours in size — virtually definitely much less on repeat playthroughs — Sword of the Sea gives a satisfying journey throughout the desert sands and deserted cities of a misplaced civilisation.

All of it begins with the awakening of your unvoiced character, who’s able to using a big sword as if it is a surfboard. Gloriously clean controls make traversal a delight, particularly whenever you’re zipping by means of the sport’s bigger, extra open environments.

Really, Sword of the Sea is a surprisingly speedy expertise, and as such, it requires a bit extra finesse than one thing like Journey. As you progress, the platforming challenges get a little bit trickier, and you may want to start out fascinated about hitting prime speeds earlier than taking over sure jumps.

That is to not say this can be a tough sport — the one penalty for falling into an abyss is a quick reset again to stable floor — however it’s extra concerned than its religious predecessors. The identical is true of the puzzles, which, whereas simplistic in design, do make you take into account your environment.

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Our level right here is that Sword of the Sea is extra of a sport than Journey or ABZU are — and that is additional evidenced by the truth that you may rack up factors atop your surfsword by pulling off tips and flicks midair. Studying and mastering these strategies is fully elective, however once more, there is a sure diploma of gameplay depth on supply.

Does that detract from the general expertise, although? Journey is such a masterpiece as a result of it is so streamlined as a slice of interactive media; it does not get hung up on components that will be thought-about ‘conventional’ sport design, like scores or collectible currencies — and even textual content.

Sword of the Sea dabbles in all of these items, and we expect, at the least to some extent, that they cheapen the title’s meditative tone. Do not get us unsuitable, a lot of the sport is masterfully pieced collectively — but it surely’s some extent that is value pondering.

As an example, gathering that collectible foreign money we simply talked about, or stopping to learn lore-related messages connected to obelisks, usually disrupts the circulate of every locale, pushing you to backtrack for the sake of unlocking new aerial tips. There isn’t any doubt that Sword of the Sea is at its greatest whenever you’re simply gliding between environments and absorbing the vibes with zero distractions.

Certainly, as an audio-visual expertise alone, that is one thing fairly particular. It is a luxurious launch to gawk at, filled with daring color palettes unfold throughout sensible artwork course.

In the meantime, a largely orchestral rating from Journey composer Austin Wintory hits the spot each time, with a mixture of understated melodies and galvanizing swells.

However what actually units Sword of the Sea aside is its use of distinction; the protagonist has the power to revive water and aquatic life to their barren world, leading to gorgeous moments the place crystal clear lakes and rivers sprout from the sands, and every kind of fish begin gliding by means of the air.

Environments begin to tackle dreamlike, virtually surreal atmospheres, and all of it simply provides to the sport’s already eye-popping charms.

As soon as the credit have rolled, you are free to leap straight again into Sword of the Sea because of a New Recreation+ mode, which helps you to replay the entire thing with all your trick-based upgrades intact. It additionally introduces a couple of attention-grabbing bonuses, together with the choice to toggle further HUD components with the intention to see your present velocity and method scores.

Due to its quick size, we expect this can be a sport that is effectively value replaying at the least as soon as. Understanding precisely the place you are happening a second and even third run provides the title an much more seamless really feel.

Conclusion

Sword of the Sea definitely will not have the identical influence that Journey did all these years in the past, however in so some ways, it appears like a direct evolution of that legendary expertise. It is a fantastically clean sport, set throughout a collection of attractive environments which are a pleasure to discover. Whereas its extra game-y components do really feel a tad pressured, they are not sufficient to distract from what’s a luxurious journey.