The best games are often the simplest, and players who want something relaxing and low-stress will find a surprising number of visually breathtaking titles with simple objectives on the PlayStation Store and Steam.AbzuandThe Pathlessare two such titles, and they were both developed by Giant Squid and directed by Matt Nava, the art director for the hit indie gameJourney. Giant Squid and Nava have developed a new game,Sword of the Sea, which was first announced two years ago and is set torelease on PlayStation Plusand Steam on July 21, 2025.
Sword of the Seafollows the same basic concept asAbzuandJourney, with players taking on the role of a masked individual and visiting environments that can be made to flourish. The player guides their character, once again a masked figure, through vast desert dunes, ancient runes, and massive caverns. As the player taps into the mysteries of each area, the environment transforms, creating a world of whimsy and wonder.
Sword of the Sea Combines the Best of Journey and Abzu
Sword of the Sea’s trailers depict environments that look very similar toJourney’s desert landscape filled with the ruins of an ancient civilization, complete with the distant mountains.Fans ofJourneyandAbzuwill recognize the basic mechanics and art style, butSword of the Seagoes a step further and combines the best parts of those games into one experience.
One of the key areasSword of the Seaempahsizes is the connection between the player and the environment, which is explored by using the player character’s surfboard-like sword. As agame focused on exploring environments, movement is especially important. DescribingSword of the Sea, Nava says that “the surface-level premise is that it has surfing movement that’s inspired by the old snowboarding and skating games, but in the context of an exploration game rather than trying to accumulate a high score or go down the hill.”
“It’s extending the ideas from my previous work onJourneyandAbzubut alsoThe Pathless, which had this kind of movement where you get into a flow state.” - Matt Nava, Director
A lot of thought and care has gone into how players will traverse each zone. To emulate the experience of surfing or snowboarding, the player character uses their magical greatsword as a makeshift surfboard. The lines between desert sand and ocean water blur inSword of the Sea, as the player surfs animated environments and leaves transformed landscapes in their wake.
Sword of the Sea Brings the Best of Whimsy and Adventure
The beautifulvisuals ofSword of the Seaare accompanied by music composed by Austin Wintory, who collaborated with Nava onJourney. Music plays an important part in any game, but even more so in this one. AsSword of the Seawill have no dialogue, music will play an especially essential role in creating immersion, capturing players' imaginations, and telling the game’s story.
Players looking for arelaxing gamewill likely find a favorite inSword of the Sea. With no goal other than exploration, diving into these games is akin to achieving a state of meditation. The seamless and easy movements within the environment create what Nava describes as a “flow state,” where the player learns to move with the natural world around their character and forms a connection with their environment.
IfSword of the Seafollows in the footsteps ofAbzuandJourney, it shouldn’t take more than a few hours to play it from beginning to end. At a time when games often take a long time to complete, this makes it perfect for gamers who want to unwind for a couple of hours without making a huge time commitment.
