Life’s an unparalleled journey with no true indication of where you have to go. You’re dropped into the world, unknowing of what path or which direction you have to take until you find your own pace, your own flow. This is the inspiration of The Pathless, where you venture into unknown lands as the Hunter, desperately trying to save the world from corruption, always guided by your own flow and curiosity. It’s not an easy journey but in the end, it’s worth fighting for.
Find your purpose
The Pathless was one of the first games I tried on my new PlayStation 5 console and I wasn’t disappointed at all. This isn’t your typical big triple-A game, instead, it’s created by the creative team over at Giant Squid Studios, the team that brought us the mesmerizing ABZÛ before. In a way, The Pathless is very similar to that experience. You’re dropped into a mysterious land without a real purpose until you start walking. Shortly after your first minutes in the game, you’ll find your purpose. The lands are facing difficulties and corruption. It’s up to you, a mysterious Hunter, to track down the evil in the world and replace it with pure energy once more. The story of The Pathless isn’t told in traditional ways, instead, you’ll learn more about the world and its lore by interactions with other characters and exploration of the world. Although I won’t spoil a single thing about this incredibly touching story, it’s worth mentioning that the team really managed to create one of the most mesmerizing and mysterious stories I had the privilege of discovering. Right from the start, you’ll feel connected to the Hunter and you’ll want to learn the truth behind all those mysterious locations. The game quickly gives you a purpose but it’s entirely up to you on how you want to reach your goal.
Find your flow
Exploration is at the game’s heart and the way you’re traversing the world is enriching and original. All over the world, you’ll find gems hanging over the field. The goal here is to shoot them down with your bow and arrow, your only real weapon. If you manage to shoot down a gem, you’ll gain a speed boost until you’re able to shoot the next one. What the game does is giving you a natural flow at a high pace. If you shoot the gems in order, you’re running over the land at an incredibly hard speed all while you never truly have to worry about your aim. The game automatically aims for you to ensure that your journey is as smooth and fun as possible. Due to this system, you barely have time to think about where you want to go and that’s precisely the charm of it too. Instead of overthinking your goal, you’re forced to enjoy your journey and you’re forced to go wherever you feel like going. Although it takes some time to get used to this mechanic, the game truly is at its best when you just surrender to the flow of movement and explore the lands guided by your curiosity alone.
Besides the gems to shoot down, you’ll also get help from your trustworthy eagle companion. This strong bird will help you travel the lands and will even lift you up to reach higher grounds. To keep it all in balance, you’re limited in the number of flaps at first, so the eagle won’t be able to reach each and every spot, in order to do so, you’ll need to gain more flaps by continuing in the story and by solving the various environmental puzzles. The game really motivates you to push forward and carry on while never forcing you into any direction. It’s a complex and fragile balance to maintain but Giant Squid really succeeded in it. They managed to create a game that’s both extremely relaxing at thrilling at the same time. You’ll lose yourself to its natural flow and rhythm almost instantly but you’ll also want to continue your adventure to discover the truth behind all mysteries.
Reach your goals
Running around and shooting down the gems to speed up your journey is one of the game’s most charming and fun mechanics but it’s not its only trope. Unlike games such as Journey, there’s a true adventure game to be found here too, similar to the modern The Legend of Zelda games. Just like in those games, you’ll travel the lands in search of mysterious items, gradually unlocking more lands and mysteries. As if this isn’t adventurous enough already, you’ll also have to face down with some bosses. Most of those involve an adrenaline-packed chase, in the style of the general gameplay and some Zelda-esque fighting sequences where you’ll need to learn the weaknesses of the boss to bring them down. These more action-packed deliver a different kind of gameplay that really blends in well with the more relaxing exploration of the lands.
Conclusion:
The Pathless is a great addition to the PlayStation 5 line-up and adds something unique to its library. This gorgeous looking game finds the perfect balance between relaxing exploration and action-packed fights, all while unraveling an intriguing mystery. It won’t be a game for everyone but if you just bought your new PlayStation 5, this certainly is a game worthy of your time and money as it delivers a truly unforgettable experience.
