From Journey to Sword of the Sea: This masterpiece could be next year’s must play game

There’s a stirring in the gaming waters, and it’s called Sword of the Sea. Developed by Giant Squid, the studio behind Abzû and The Pathless, this is a game that’s genuinely worth your anticipation. I mean, just look at the trailer below and tell me you’re not excited for this. You can’t, can you? Allow me to share why I’m so eager for its release, and why you might find yourself just as giddy.

Isn’t this the same studio that made Journey?

One name to highlight here is Matt Nava. He left thatgamecompany, where he was the art director for titles like Flower and Journey, to pursue his own creative ambitions with Giant Squid. While thatgamecompany and Giant Squid are entirely different studios, with Nava at the helm, Sword of the Sea feels like a continuation of his visionary work in Journey and Abzû. His desire to craft something distinct yet resonant is evident in every frame of what we see so far.

I’m particularly keen on the soul-stirring, wordless narrative that Sword of the Sea promises. If you’ve played Abzû, you’ll know that Giant Squid doesn’t just create games; they create experiences. The setting in Sword of the Sea, with sand flowing like water, is the real hook here, and has really piqued my interest on so many levels.

Abzû: A Prequel to Sword of the Sea?

If you haven’t ventured into the world of water, it’s high time to do so. While I haven’t yet conquered Journey, Abzû was stunning. In fact, it was probably up there with Gris, though much less emotionally gripping on a personal level. This is very clearly a piece of art.

Playing Abzû feels like a perfect preparation for what’s to come in Sword of the Sea, especially as the sand parts and shows an ocean below it! I’m not saying this is a prequel to Abzû or anything, but if it ends up being so in some weird, shared universe sort of way, I’ll scream. The fact that there are shared elements could just be because the same developer has an obsession with these concepts, and this could simply be Journey and Abzû having a beautiful baby.

A Future Bright with Promise

Are you excited for The Sword of the Sea? I’m going to assume you said yes behind your keyboard just now, but just in case I’m in an echo chamber – which I very highly doubt – leave a comment below so we can chat about it and ramp up the hype train! While there is currently no release date, I have a feeling and a raging hope that it will release this next year. As an indie dev myself, I can only dream of making games like this, though I hope those dreams become reality one day with Faithdrawn Studios.