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Sword of the Sea Review: Giant Squid’s Latest Is as Deep as You Want It to Be

Giant Squid’s Sword of the Sea makes surfing, exploration, and atmosphere its focus—not a deep trick-combo challenge. Here’s what to expect and where it’s available.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Sword of the Sea is an atmospheric adventure built around carving across sand, snow, and water on a Hoversword. Its momentum-focused movement, striking audiovisual presentation, and room to explore make it appealing if you want a meditative ride; its tricks are not meant to sustain a demanding combo challenge.

What is Sword of the Sea?

Developed by Giant Squid, Sword of the Sea follows a Wraith through the desolate Necropolis on a quest to unveil or restore a lost ocean. Rather than telling its story through extensive dialogue, the game leans on its landscapes and visual changes as the world is brought back to life. It released on August 19, 2025.

The central tool is the Hoversword, which Giant Squid describes as moving “like a snowboard, skateboard, and surfboard all in one.” The studio’s official game page emphasizes building momentum, riding terrain, and performing flips and spins as you cross the world.

How does the movement feel?

Movement is the game’s main attraction: the Hoversword turns traversal into a continuous activity of gaining speed, finding a crest, and launching into a trick or flowing onward. Its terrain shifts between open, rideable spaces and more constructed areas, including skatepark-like ruins. PC Gamer’s reviewer summed up their individual impression this way: “Long story short: Sword of the Sea’s surfing feels great.”

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#1 Best Overall
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That praise is about the feel of riding, not a promise of a technical trick simulator. PC Gamer says the trick system is not particularly deep, and that complexity is not the point. Flips and spins add expression to movement, but players looking for a demanding score-chasing combo system should adjust expectations.

How much exploration and challenge is there?

The game balances speed with quieter exploration. PC Gamer describes a structure of linear areas that contain substantial open spaces for surfing, alongside relatively straightforward puzzles. That means the route gives the adventure direction without making every stretch a narrow corridor: there is space to ride around and take in the environment, but the available review evidence does not describe a sprawling, systems-heavy open world.

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Environmental restoration gives those journeys a larger purpose. As the Wraith moves through the Necropolis, the contrast between the desolate setting and renewed life carries much of the game’s emotional effect. The result is better suited to players who enjoy atmosphere, movement, and discovery than to those seeking intricate puzzles or escalating mechanical difficulty.

Are the visuals and soundtrack a major part of the experience?

Yes. GamesRadar’s September 6, 2025 review highlights the vivid visuals and Austin Wintory’s soundtrack, both central to the game’s sense of scale and mood. The official PlayStation listing credits Matt Nava as creative director and Wintory as composer. Together, the visual transformation of the world and the score help make traversal feel like more than a way to get from one objective to another.

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Which platforms is Sword of the Sea on?

The cited official listings show the game on PlayStation 5, Steam, and the Epic Games Store. The PlayStation listing, Steam listing, and Epic Games Store listing establish those platforms. These sources do not establish a Nintendo or Xbox release, so an eventual version for either platform should not be assumed.

On PS5, PC Gamer’s reviewer found that the DualSense controller’s haptics made the terrain feel more grounded. That is one reviewer’s observation, not a requirement: the controller is an optional benefit, not a prerequisite for playing.

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What do players think of it?

Steam displayed 89% positive from 1,625 all-time user reviews when accessed on October 8, 2026. Its separate recent snapshot showed 85% positive from 41 reviews in the last 30 days on that same date. These are Steam user-review aggregates, not critic scores, sales figures, or a guarantee of how an individual player will respond; the recent figure can change as new reviews arrive.

Who should play Sword of the Sea?

  • Consider it if you want fluid surfing movement, evocative scenery, a prominent soundtrack, and exploration that leaves room to pause and look around.
  • Look elsewhere if your priority is a deep trick-combo system, highly demanding puzzles, or an expansive open world full of complex activities.

For its intended appeal, the critical balance is clear: movement and atmosphere lead, while tricks and puzzles support rather than define the experience. The published reviews favor its fluid ride and audiovisual presentation, with PC Gamer specifically cautioning that the trick system is not especially deep.

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Quick Recap

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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