Sword of the Sea Evaluate

Based by the Artwork Director of 2009’s Flower and 2012’s Journey, developer Big Squid has put out a gentle stream of sleeper hits over the past decade or so. 2016’s Abzu was a contemplative underwater journey, 2020’s The Pathless was a extra action-focused expertise, and Big Squid’s newest enterprise, Sword of the Sea, is a superb mix of the studio’s previous and current.

One other compact journey, Sword of the Sea places meditative vibes above all else, however its gameplay is greater than strong sufficient to maintain gamers hooked for the whole thing of its succinct runtime.

Sword of the Sea Is a Modern, Streamlined Journey

Sword of the Sea opens with a mesmerizing shot of a swirling pool of water. The digital camera follows one runaway drop of this ethereal liquid because it gracefully falls on high of a stone statue, regularly filling it with life. This now-living statue is Sword of the Sea‘s player-character, an historic warrior who’s tasked with restoring this dry, desolate world to its former underwater glory. With their trusty sword-shaped surfboard in hand, gamers set off to discover the primary of Sword of the Sea‘s a number of well-themed biomes, an unlimited desert that covers an array of historic temples.

Sword of the Sea‘s gameplay loop strikes a powerful stability between the extra stripped-back nature of video games like Journey and Abzu, and barely extra mechanically-complex experiences like The Pathless. Gamers use their sword surfboard to elegantly glide by means of a wide range of environments, overcoming quite simple puzzles and platforming challenges, and “Resonating” with an object within the atmosphere to carry water and marine life again to the encompassing space.

Although this loop is easy, it is given some depth by way of Sword of the Sea‘s degree design. Most of Sword of the Sea‘s levels drop gamers right into a small open-ended space, they usually’re given free rein in how they strategy the extent’s few targets. There is not any goal marker, which forces gamers to depend on context clues within the atmosphere and their very own want to discover the sport’s clearly signposted factors of curiosity.

Exploration is of course inspired by means of Sword of the Sea‘s non-compulsory content material, with gamers with the ability to discover well-written lore obelisks hidden in every degree that element the world’s historical past and the player-character’s mysterious origin. Gamers may also search out a handful of problem areas in every degree, with a number of the recreation’s greatest being Tony Hawk Pro Skater-like arenas which have gamers grinding on historic rails, skating alongside temple partitions, and performing a variety of smoothly-animated airborne methods to attain a excessive rating.

Finishing these challenges and completely exploring every degree will reward gamers with ‘Tetra’, a useful resource that may be exchanged for brand new methods and in-game talents. On paper, these rewards aren’t probably the most thrilling causes to discover Sword of the Sea‘s assorted biomes, however they’re an incredible excuse to maintain participating with the sport’s riveting traversal mechanics.

Sword of the Sea: Tony Seal Professional Surfer

Sword of the Sea‘s ‘surfboard’ is an absolute pleasure to regulate. Gamers merely have to push ahead, and the board will skate easily throughout a biome’s floor, regularly gaining velocity on downhill slopes and reacting naturally to the terrain beneath it. Big Squid has taken The Pathless‘ intoxicating sense of momentum and refined it even additional, delivering a streamlined, seamless expertise that offers Sword of the Sea a mighty basis.

This robust basis is then constructed upon constantly all through Sword of the Sea, with every degree including not less than one new traversal mechanic to the loop. These mechanics usually take the type of new environmental objects that seem every time the participant restores an space, resembling bioluminescent jellyfish that the participant can bounce on to succeed in new heights, and tall seaweed stalks that they’ll experience vertically.

Sword of the Sea‘s common drip-feeding of recent mechanics outcomes is an ideal marriage of gameplay and narrative. The extra gamers restore the world round them, the extra gameplay advantages they’re given. And the extra traversal strategies are on the participant’s disposal, the extra engrossing Sword of the Sea‘s moment-to-moment gameplay turns into.

Sword of the Sea is a Actually Restorative Journey

However simply as followers of Journey, Abzu, and The Pathless would anticipate, whereas Sword of the Sea‘s gameplay is completely pleasing, the sport’s most spectacular qualities lie in its presentation and ambiance. Put merely, Sword of the Sea is a really breathtaking recreation.

Sword of the Sea carries over the minimalist artwork type present in Big Squid’s earlier work. Character and animal fashions are given easy shapes which are outlined clearly with robust linework, giving them a definite look whereas letting the sport’s environments take middle stage. Every of Sword of the Sea‘s biomes affords an entirely distinctive set of visible delights, starting from intriguing structure to fantastically stylized surfaces that shift playfully beneath the participant’s board.

Sword of the Sea additionally contains a vibrant colour palette, which is elevated at each flip by some phenomenal lighting that dances gleefully atop every biome’s terrain. The sport’s dynamic digital camera additionally delivers some noteworthy assists, with it panning fastidiously across the participant whereas they flip to keep up the sense of momentum, and zooming out at particular moments to hammer dwelling a strong sense of scale when approaching new areas.

Any given body of Sword of the Sea is screenshot-worthy, however it’s in movement that the sport’s visuals actually sing. Although, they don’t seem to be the one distinctive a part of Sword of the Sea‘s presentation.

Echoes within the Wells of Silence

Minimalist like its artwork type, Sword of the Sea‘s audio design does so much with little or no. The quiet but crisp sound of speeding wind accompanies the participant’s each transfer and the refined however satisfying faucet of the metallic board on sand, rock, or ice accompanies every bounce. Sword of the Sea makes use of its understated audio to intensify each in-game motion completely.

The partnership between Big Squid and famend BAFTA-winning composer Austin Wintory continues with Sword of the Sea, and his rating steals the present as soon as once more. Wintory’s trademark sound brings a continuing sense of serenity to Sword of the Sea‘s moment-to-moment gameplay, and the rating’s gradual ramp-up as gamers achieve momentum is all the time thrilling to expertise.

Sword of the Sea‘s exceptional presentation comes collectively and goes hand-in-hand with gameplay to ship an extremely soothing and contemplative expertise. Gliding effortlessly to an goal and respiratory life again into the barren wasteland is endlessly fulfilling, with lush foliage and fantastically animated sea life slowly filling the world whereas the stress-free sound of flowing water and Wintory’s delicate however highly effective rating fills the air.

Sword of the Sea actually appears like a restorative journey, not simply in a literal sense, however in an emotional sense too. Each in-game restoration felt like I used to be soothing one thing deep inside myself, and the calm journey between targets eased my thoughts, relaxed my shoulders, and jogged my memory to breathe. Sword of the Sea is way over an interactive artwork set up; it is a deeply satisfying journey of meditation. However that journey does not final eternally.

The Trance Involves an Abrupt Finish

Sword of the Sea is just round two and a half hours lengthy. That will not come as a shock to followers of Abzu and Journey, however it could catch new gamers off guard, particularly given the abrupt nature of the sport’s ending. Although Sword of the Sea options wonderful pacing all through nearly all of its runtime, the final quarter-hour or so really feel like a little bit of a blur, and the ending feels a tad rushed. It is a enjoyable set piece and the emotional beats land pretty effectively, however Sword of the Sea‘s ending may have used only one or two extra ranges to correctly construct up its finale.

Gamers are inspired to stay round after the credit, nevertheless. Sword of the Sea affords a New Game Plus mode that provides a couple of new talents and modifiers to the core gameplay loop. These do not drastically change the expertise, however they seem to be a first rate incentive for gamers who need to expertise the sport’s tranquility over again.

Sword of the Sea is the epitome of brief and candy. All facets of the sport’s presentation, from visuals to audio design to attain, are the very best they probably may very well be, they usually all go hand in hand with the sport’s exceptionally clean and interesting traversal mechanics to ship a peaceable, introspective expertise that is greater than deserving of nearly anybody’s time.

Sword of the Sea

Reviewed on PS5

Techniques

9/10

Launched

August 19, 2025

ESRB

Everybody 10+ / Fantasy Violence

Developer(s)

Big Squid

Writer(s)

Big Squid

Variety of Gamers

Single-player

Steam Deck Compatibility

Unknown

Execs & Cons

• Streamlined and interesting traversal mechanics
• Glorious visuals, audio design, and rating
• Contemplative ambiance is extremely stress-free

• Ending feels a bit rushed

Sword of the Sea is out there now for PC and PS5. Recreation Rant was offered a PS5 code for this overview.