Sword of the Sea Reviews

You’ve probably never wondered what it would be like to ride a giant sea turtle across the roofs of a city, questioned if it would be possible to perform a snowboard rail trick along the fossilised spine of an Elasmosaurus, or asked yourself what kind of noise a shark would make if it were to swim through sand. You’ve probably never actually thought about any of these things (unless, like me, you have some pretty trippy dreams from time to time!), but once you’ve played Sword of the Sea, this will all change, and you’ll be pretty darnn happy about it!

Sword of the Sea perfects Giant Squid's meditative adventure formula with stunning visuals, fluid hoversword surfing mechanics, and a masterful score from Austin Wintory. This beautiful three-hour journey is both the studio's magnum opus and hopefully its last iteration of this familiar formula.

Sword Of The Sea takes the vivid template drawn in previous titles Journey, Abzû, and The Pathless into boundlessly creative new territory. Across eight levels, you traverse landscapes ablaze with life and reawaken vibrant imagined worlds. It’s a majestic, immersive – and mostly convincing – celebration of extreme sports and a reflection on Earth’s disintegrating environment in an era of climate change.

While each playthrough might be short, the experience Sword of the Sea delivers and the many reasons it offers to play it again make for a spectacular experience. If you liked Journey, Pathless, or if you're a fan of skate and surf games, give Sword of the Sea a try.

Can video games be art? It’s a topic that’s always been up for some debate but now developers Giant Squid are here with Sword of the Sea, and they make a pretty strong argument that games most certainly can be art. With gorgeous visuals, a great gameplay loop and an incredible soundtrack, Sword of the Sea looks to bring a little life back into the world.Let’s hit the waves in our spoiler free review for Sword of the Sea.

Sword of the Sea is the epitome of short and sweet. All aspects of the game's presentation, from visuals to audio design to score, are the best they possibly could be, and they all go hand in hand with the game's exceptionally smooth and engaging traversal mechanics to deliver a peaceful, introspective experience that's more than deserving of just about anyone's time.

I love games with this kind of laser focus on good mechanics. Sword of the Sea is all about how amazing it is to surf over sand, seas, and stone with liquid ease. Every subsequent mechanic, every environment, and every plot development springs from this one idea. But because of this, the game is also quite short. You can surf through the whole thing in a handful of hours. This also makes it perfect for speedruns and repeated playthroughs. Frame perfect freaks and other obsessives will be thrilled. But more than that, this is a beautiful world to explore, to simply live in. The music is chill, the vistas are fabulous, and the vibes are immaculate. If you’re looking for a short, singular gameplay experience, Sword of the Sea will be perfect for you.

Sword of the Sea is Journey for people who wanted to be marine biologists when they were kids.

Developer Giant Squid was born from members of the team that created 2012’s Journey. Giant Squid founder and Sword of the Sea’s director, Matt Nava, is credited as Journey’s art director, but frankly, you could have guessed that just from looking at the screenshots at the top of this page. This is Giant Squid’s third game, but it is arguably the one that feels the most indebted to Journey – and that’s a compliment. It certainly has its own distinct vibe, story, and, as you progres...

Sword of the Sea is a beautiful, almost-cozy experience that, like Giant Squid’s other titles, stands as a strong argument for games as art. The game has chill vibes and a gorgeous, atmospheric aesthetic while still delivering an eloquent narrative. If you’re looking for something short and sweet, Sword of the Sea is the low-friction adventure for you.

Movement, meaning and mindfulness combine in Giant Squid's latest, a game of free-form expression and flow.

A short but spectacular surfing game, Sword of the Sea's atmosphere and movement propel it where its simple and repetitive puzzles can't.

"Sword of the Sea is everything we could have hoped for, and then some. Offering sights and sounds that most games could only dream of replicating, but with the added caveat of incredibly satisfying and slick traversal that makes moment-to-moment gameplay much more involved and fun compared to its contemporaries. It's an all-killer, no filler experience with jaw-dropping moments at every turn, and a soundtrack that is sure to win a slew of awards in the near future. My only gripe is that the story doesn't offer a grandiose message or hit as hard as I would have liked, relying more on pageantry and spectacle to get by. But, rarely does a game take me aback and thank my lucky stars that the medium of video games exists, and that's why we see this one as one of the standout performers of 2025 so far."

Giant Squid, the indie studio behind ABZÛ and The Pathless, is gearing up to release Sword of the Sea. The latest addition to their credits, Sword of the Sea is a new atmospheric surfing adventure that continues the studio’s tradition of unique artistic design, captivating scores, and above all else, exploration.

There are a few bumps along the road, but overall, Sword of the Sea is an effortless ride. The majesty of Journey, the action of The Pathless, and the tranquillity of Abzu are all present here. Sword of the Sea’s release marks the end of a four-game odyssey that started in 2012 and has reached a simultaneously exhilarating and meditative crescendo.

Sword of the Sea is like a siren - beautiful, inviting and great to listen to. Despite cutting through with an impeccable sense of style, the lack of a cohesive narrative and short runtime feels like you're treading water.

Subscribe to Push Square on YouTube161k