Sword of the Sea Evaluation (PS5)

Large Squid is among the greatest builders within the biz relating 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 workforce’s most refined sport thus far.

With out eager to strip the title of its magnificence, Sword of the Sea is mainly what you’d get in case you 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 plenty of methods, it appears like a real religious successor to each Journey and ABZU, and so in case you’re acquainted with both, you may already know precisely what you are stepping into right here.

Sitting at round 3 hours in size — virtually actually 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 driving a big sword as if it is a surfboard. Gloriously easy controls make traversal a delight, particularly once you’re zipping by means of the sport’s bigger, extra open environments.

Truly, 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 will want to start out fascinated with hitting high speeds earlier than taking up sure jumps.

That is to not say it is a troublesome 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 think about your environment.

Gameplay
Assists
Controls
Audio
Content material

Full Accessibility Report

Information by Household Gaming Database

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’ll be able to rack up factors atop your surfsword by pulling off methods and flicks midair. Studying and mastering these strategies is totally 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 would not get hung up on parts 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 this stuff, and we predict, at the very least to some extent, that they cheapen the title’s meditative tone. Do not get us improper, a lot of the sport is masterfully pieced collectively — but it surely’s a degree that is price pondering.

As an illustration, gathering that collectible forex we simply talked about, or stopping to learn lore-related messages hooked up to obelisks, typically disrupts the circulate of every locale, pushing you to backtrack for the sake of unlocking new aerial methods. There isn’t any doubt that Sword of the Sea is at its greatest once 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, full of daring color palettes unfold throughout sensible artwork path.

In the meantime, a principally orchestral rating from Journey composer Austin Wintory hits the spot every time, with a mixture of understated melodies and provoking 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 all types 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 your whole trick-based upgrades intact. It additionally introduces a couple of attention-grabbing bonuses, together with the choice to toggle additional HUD parts with the intention to see your present pace and approach scores.

Due to its brief size, we predict it is a sport that is properly price replaying at the very least as soon as. Realizing 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 actually will not have the identical impression 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 easy sport, set throughout a sequence of attractive environments which can be a pleasure to discover. Whereas its extra game-y parts do really feel a tad compelled, they don’t seem to be sufficient to distract from what’s a luxurious journey.