Sword of the Sea is not only one of the most beautiful and breath-taking games I have ever played, but it is also one of the most fun in terms of movement, which is a total surprise for me considering I hadn't ever actually contemplated wanting to speedrun any of the previous Giant Squid games.

Mechanics:

The level of depth the movement in this game is actually paramount. Granted, most of the depth really comes from some abilities you unlock through New Game+, but even the NG playthrough has some in-depth mechanics that will be mastered over time. Giant Squid put such a nice amount of attention to detail when it comes to the movement in this game to the point where I feel like I haven't been as invested in improving my movement at a game since playing Diabotical Time Trials back in early 2022. The momentum preservation in this game is sublime, stacking your speed and reaching absolutely crazy heights with the huge open levels that Giant Squid has created is some of the most satisfying gameplay I have had the pleasure of engaging in in literally years. I need every new game to have this. This will absolutely be a game that will be worth speedrunning for a long time to come. It's fun to play and also incredibly fun to watch the movement in the game reach its potential. Every day since the game came out we are finding new things to do with the movement and it's just so enthralling. I honestly could gush more about this game's movement but I wanna try to avoid spoilers as much as possible. Just trust me that if you're into any kind of speedrunning and you dig in-depth 3D movement, you'll 1000% love playing this game and might wanna speedrun it. Easy to learn, hard to master.

Design:

Giant Squid has designed some immaculate levels in SotS. While the game's length is definitely on the shorter side compared to most games on the market, that shouldn't be too much of a surprise with previous games Giant Squid has made. They definitely strive on quality over quantity. Navigating through each of the levels feels incredibly satisfying to do. GS somehow makes linear-level design feel not that linear, especially when you go out of your way to explore and really take in all the detail of each level. You are consistently rewarded for your curiosity and exploration. Of course, not every level is perfect. Some will take some issues in a couple levels in the game for trying to do something different but I think that even those levels you have some level of depth that can be mastered and engaged with. I have 45 hours in the game so far and still have much to see. Not even from just a gameplay perspective, but also the architecture and spectacle in so many of the levels is astounding. The level design feels like it complements the mechanics of the game so well and vice versa. Giant Squid set out to make a fun game to get through and boy did they really do it. Some of the levels have even been stuck in my head since first playing them a little over 2 weeks ago. I want so badly for those places to be real and for me to visit them. If any of them ever become VRChat worlds to explore, that would be absolutely amazing. The level design is *that* good.

Narrative:

GS is usually known for their compelling narratives in their previous titles. Sword of the Sea's narrative is decent and helps drive the flow from level-to-level, but it doesn't quite punch as hard as the other stories they have made. The characters are cool and I always can really appreciate how much personality GS puts into the characters they create with literally no dialogue and only body language and expressions to work with. I like the bits of lore that are scattered throughout the world as well, helps to make it feel alive. At the end of the day it's a pretty simple and standard narrative. I don't think this game was *trying* to be as narratively-focused as GS's previous games have been, but it certainly doesn't suffer for that at all. I thought it was cute, did what it needed to do, and helped you feel immersed.

Aesthetic:

Anything that Matt Nava touches, turns to gold, especially when it comes to the aesthetic and art style. If Matt Nava is the art direction for a game, there's pretty much a 100% guarantee in my book that it will never be anything less than a 9.5/10. This game is truly no exception. Just a drop-dead gorgeous atmosphere to the game. Every single moment, crevice, and vista is a work of art. To compliment the beauty of the game even more, Giant Squid has done wonders with adding a really well-made Photo Mode so that you can get the perfect shot for anything you can think of. Sword of the Sea not only is being added to the plethora of games that are considered pieces of art, but I would go even as far to say it's near the top as one of the prime examples. There is so much life that is brought into how it appears that it is constantly captivating. You can get lost in it.

Audio:

It would be a great injustice to talk about this game and not mention it's splendid soundtrack composed by Austin Wintory. His unmistakable style of composing and sound shines very brightly in this game, honestly helping make the game feel half as good as it does. He has done it yet again. Admittedly, it's not the most compelling music that he has ever made. It is an incredibly difficult task to create a soundtrack that surpasses the majesty of Journey, but Wintory doesn't sell himself short with providing something that's very pleasant and engaging to listen to. I hope at some point this game's soundtrack will be available to purchase physically. It reminds me of Journey, but almost like an evolution of that soundtrack. It's just hard to match the timelessness of that previous creation of his, but who knows, maybe I'll be proven wrong as time goes on. Sound effects are also satisfying and work with the theme of the game very well. The sound of sand, ice, lava, etc. provides a great attention to detail. Even your sword-board has a nice sound to it if you listen hard enough.

TL;DR: Please play this game. If you even remotely liked playing Tony Hawk games and you kinda wonder what a cross between Journey and Tony Hawk would look like, this is the game to check out. 1 playthrough simply won't be enough.