Sword of the Sea
A hoversword adventure to revive a dead world.
Sword of the Sea is a 2025 adventure video game developed and published by Giant Squid. The player controls a character named Wraith, who rides a hoversword to restore life to a barren wasteland. It was released on PlayStation 5 and Windows on August 19, 2025.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Giant Squid
- Director
- Matt Nava
- Designer
- Tim Ambrogi Saxon
- Producer
- Patrick Quah
- Programmer
- Derek Cornish, Brian Balamut
- Writer
- Steve Lerner
- Composer
- Austin Wintory
- Platforms
- PlayStation 5, Windows
Facts from the source article.
Development
Giant Squid, the studio behind Abzû and The Pathless, developed the game. Matt Nava, art director of Journey, directed it and returned to a desert setting to use ideas not employed in Journey. The game has no dialogue, relying on visuals and music for storytelling. It was unveiled in May 2023 and released on Windows and PlayStation 5 on August 19, 2025. Gameplay was influenced by snowboarding games like 1080° Snowboarding, but focuses on exploration rather than scoring. The team drew from scuba diving, snowboarding, and surfing experiences, reflecting on how these sports foster a spiritual connection with nature. Early prototypes included Sonic the Hedgehog elements like speed boosts and grind rails, later removed as they did not fit the style. Shadow of the Colossus inspired leviathan encounters. Austin Wintory composed the music with the London Voices Choir and Phoenix Boys Choir, describing the score as an electronic soundscape enveloping a piano. Werner Herzog was an influence, with Nava noting Herzog's use of Orthodox monk chanting for a skating documentary.
Reception
Sword of the Sea received generally favorable reviews on Metacritic and mighty approval on OpenCritic, recommended by 96% of critics. Chris Tapsell of Eurogamer compared it to skateboarding games but noted forgiving gameplay focused on feeling good rather than being good, praising optional locations. Rachel Watts of GamesRadar called the gameplay simultaneously thrilling and relaxing, praising pacing, Wintory's soundtrack, and replay value from upgrades and collectibles. She wrote it combined the majesty of Journey, action of The Pathless, and tranquillity of Abzû. Sean Martin of PC Gamer compared it to Alto's Odyssey, praising spectacle-to-spectacle movement but noting short length and simple puzzles. Kyle Hilliard of Game Informer praised fluid and fast movement and art direction, but felt the story was weaker than other aspects.
More in Skateboarding Video Games
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced