There’s a moment of pure joy in the 2012 game Journey where, instead of trudging through the desert, your character gracefully surfs down a shifting sand mountain, accompanied by Austin Wintory’s beautiful soundtrack. Sword of the Sea feels like that moment stretched into an entire game.
Matt Nava, director of Sword of the Sea and former art director for Journey, wanted to create something fresh in the snowboarding/surfing genre. He envisioned a sea made of undulating sand, where your surfboard doubles as a weapon. Sword of the Sea combines elements from Nava’s previous games, including the serene underwater exploration of Abzû and the action-adventure gameplay of The Pathless.
The game draws inspiration from Abzû, transforming the desert into an ocean filled with marine life. And like The Pathless, Sword of the Sea aims to make the player feel like a pro hoverboard surfer, capable of performing impressive tricks without complicated button combinations. The game’s visuals are reminiscent of Journey, with vast deserts and mysterious ruins, blending different architectural styles to create a unique world.
In Sword of the Sea, the ocean remains mountainous when it returns to the desert, providing a thrilling surfing experience. The game allows players to interact playfully with airborne creatures, embracing the game’s surrealism. Combat in the game takes inspiration from Shadow of the Colossus, featuring epic encounters with enormous leviathans that require constant motion. However, the focus is more on movement than slashing through enemies.
Originally, the prototype for Sword of the Sea included elements seen in Sonic games, such as grind rails and boosters. However, the developers decided to remove those elements to create a more immersive and spiritual experience. Unlike Sonic, the game focuses on spirituality and developing a deep connection between the player and the environment. The main character is a hollow vessel, and the environment itself takes on the role of a character.
Nava’s own experiences with scuba diving, snowboarding, and surfing have influenced the game’s emphasis on spirituality and connection with the natural world. He believes that games have the unique ability to deliver a spiritual experience to players. Sword of the Sea will be released on PC and PS5, with the release date yet to be announced.