The Pathless

Giant Squid Studios’ debut title ABZÛ was a stunning debut for the studio founded by former thatgamecompany art director Matt Nava. Given how great that debut title was, surpassing it was never going to be an easy task. However, the team – with the help of one of the best publishers in the business, Annapurna – has not only pulled it off, but has done so with flying colours.

A subtle, immersive upgrade to an already brilliant game. The Dualsense really shines in making your traversal and combat feel more alive. The game runs brilliantly, looks beautiful, and has a great score to match. You cannot go far wrong with The Pathless, no matter what version you play.

The Pathless offers players a beautifully heartbreaking way to revive a dead world by forging a bond between you and an eagle alone. Every so often, you come across the corpses of the fallen and you can see their final thoughts moments before death, which elevates the tragedy and sadness of the world around you. Even then, you never really feel lost, both literally and figuratively, mainly because...

It turns out that The Pathless goes in the right direction.

Ever since the release of Journey back in 2012, there’s been an insatiable appetite for whimsical, exploration driven adventures set in a magical and awe inspiring landscape. Giant Squid’s Abzu was one such effort, and one of the more successful at that. The Pathless follows a similar formula, but replaces the relaxed vibe of Abzu with one of tension. The world is in peril.

The Pathless’ reliance on a simple but engaging movement system allowed me to explore Giant Squid’s beautiful open world with ease, placing its challenge more on the environmental puzzles you inevitably arrive at rather than on the journey itself. Its story may settle into some familiar territory, but it still finds ways to fascinate with this world and the history its landscape holds. I found mys...

The Pathless switches effortlessly between relaxing exploration and exhilarating story moments, and it's altogether incredible.

You’ve probably played a game like The Pathless before, but you haven’t played The Pathless. If you’re into these types of games (you know who you are), this is another one you can add to the pile. I say “pile” endearingly, as it’s short enough to justify playing right away without becoming backlog fodder.

Ultimately, The Pathless is somewhat an uneven experience. Its epic boss battles are thrilling, and the majority of its puzzles are enjoyable to solve. It’s just a shame that there’s so much aimless running around between all the fun. Even dashing around at full speed grows tiresome after a while. Providing some sense of direction may go against what The Pathless strives to be, but it would help m...

Open-world exploration is the central idea and purpose of The Pathless, and its beautiful world rewards embracing your wanderlust.

I would prescribe The Pathless to anyone feeling numbed and locked by our days of inanition; it’s perfect if you feel your home becoming an isle on the edge of the world.

While it's not without its flaws, The Pathless is still more fun than it is not, with impressive visuals, fun boss fights, relaxing puzzles, and an interesting movement system. It's one of the better PS5 launch games, and it's easy to see how a sequel could elevate the concept to the next level and become something special.