Sword of the Sea is not presented as a Journey sequel. For Giant Squid founder and creative director Matt Nava, it is a chance to carry forward an interest in expressive movement, striking environments, and quiet storytelling while taking the player in a new direction: high-speed surfing and tricks that can still invite a meditative kind of attention.
What Matt Nava did after Journey
Nava went on to lead Giant Squid, the studio behind Abzû, The Pathless, and now Sword of the Sea. The new game builds on themes and artistic instincts associated with the studio’s earlier work, but its central movement is different: rather than treating travel mainly as a way to cross a landscape, it makes surfing, momentum, and tricks part of the experience itself.
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In a June 2025 interview with GamesBeat, Nava said Giant Squid’s games share ideas and imagery, but the studio prefers to let players infer connections from clues. That is a more careful description than calling Sword of the Sea a direct continuation of Journey: the interview establishes creative continuity, not a confirmed shared plot or sequel relationship.
A secondary report by LesNews, summarizing a Polygon interview, says Nava had been reluctant to reuse Journey’s recognizable orange visual motifs after that game’s success, and later became more open to making an “orange” game. That account offers context for the new game’s visual choices, but it is a secondary summary rather than the original interview transcript.
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Why a fast extreme-sports game can feel meditative
Nava’s interest is not simply in making a character go faster. He connects the intensity of surfing and snowboarding to focus and presence. “When you’re actually doing that stuff, you’re moving fast, and it’s extreme, but it’s really this kind of meditation,” he told GamesBeat. He added, “I’m really interested in the meditative, spiritual side of those extreme sports.”
That idea explains the apparent contrast at the heart of Sword of the Sea: exhilarating movement can coexist with a reflective mood when it draws attention to the environment rather than distracting from it. As Nava put it, “You want to be in nature. You want to connect with nature. You want to explore.” “Extreme bliss” is a useful way to describe the creative aim behind that mix, not a promise that every player will have a spiritual experience.
What the Hoversword does
The Hoversword is the game’s mystical board and primary means of movement. The PlayStation Store describes its handling as drawing on surfing, skateboarding, and snowboarding. In practice, the design emphasizes momentum and the ability to surf, grind, jump, and perform tricks across sand, water, and other terrain.
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The movement also depends on how the world changes. In Sony’s June 2025 hands-on report, the player awakens as the Wraith and uses Ocean Seeds to cleanse land and restore oceans and marine life. Restored water can help build speed, while elements such as jellyfish and seaweed can open traversal opportunities. The environment is therefore not just scenery: its restoration affects the routes and movement available to the player.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteGiant Squid’s developer article, “Animating The Wraith,” describes some of the work behind the fluid motion. The team used overlapping action and follow-through, so different parts of the character lead or trail one another, and blendspaces to interpolate between poses according to movement parameters. Those techniques help explain the craft involved in making surfing over dunes and waves look fluid; they are not evidence of how players will respond to it.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A quiet story told through the world
Like the studio’s earlier games, Sword of the Sea favors atmosphere over conversation. “There’s no dialogue in the game,” Nava told GamesBeat. The story is conveyed through characters, environments, and other atmospheric elements, with optional lore fragments and poems for players who want more written context.
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The distinction matters: the game is not wholly without text, but its main narrative delivery is visual and environmental rather than spoken exposition. Nava’s approach leaves room for interpretation, matching the studio’s stated preference for letting players form connections instead of explaining every one outright.
What the PS5 version adds
Sony’s hands-on report says the PS5 version uses the DualSense controller’s haptics and sound effects to respond to different surfaces. That adds tactile and audio feedback to traversal, but the report does not establish that a DualSense feature is required to play.
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Sony announced that Sword of the Sea would be available in the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog on its August 19, 2025 release date. That was the launch announcement, not a guarantee of present-day inclusion: catalog availability can vary by time and region. The PlayStation Store listing identifies a PS5 release by Giant Squid; the listing consulted was localized for Japan, so check the store in your region for current purchase and subscription options.
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