Through Sand, Sea, & Snow

“Insane”, “Crazy”, and “Challenging” were some of the early adjectives lobbed by developer Giant Squid at the initial pitch for Sword of the Sea, according to its creative director and studio co-founder, Matt Nava. Part contemplative narrative adventure, part extreme sports game, these polar divides are wrapped around a technically demanding world of gorgeous vistas and terrain that ripples like water at the touch. 

Much like the studio’s previous efforts, Abzû and The Pathless, as well as the game that put Nava’s artistic talents on the map, thatgamecompany’s Journey, Sword of the Sea is a silent adventure centered on traversing a visually alluring space. However, instead of trudging through a desert to climb a mountain or diving into the depths of an ocean, players ride across environments atop a giant sword like a high-speed skateboard. 

Having played an early section of the game, Sword of the Sea is already my favorite Giant Squid title when it comes to pure traversal; surfing on that oversized sword is extremely fun. Speaking to Nava, I learned about Giant Squid’s approach to designing Sword of the Sea’s skatepark-like world as well as exclusive details about its previously teased snow biome.