THE PATHLESS
Giant Squid returns to make myths on PS5
This verdant land, with its grassy plains and wooded foothills, is overshadowed by a corrupting presence. The Hunter has travelled alongside her eagle to this strange new place, not only to purge the corruption with her trusty bow but to better understand the land’s secrets.
Boasting a massive open world to shoot across, The Pathless is a departure for developer Giant Squid Studios, which is known for compact, artistic titles. Creative director Matt Nava explains this choice by reflecting on the studio’s last title: “Abzû is this kind of linear game [where] every single area that you enter is unique and we didn’t really know how many rooms there were going to be until the very end – it was this kind of mad dash putting the track in front of the train. And so instead this time we were like, ‘what if we made one big map, and we knew how big it was from the start?’”
TAKE POINT
The world of The Pathless is much larger, packed with a variety of biomes and secrets to discover. Abzû’s fluid movement has been carried over and then supercharged as the world is so much bigger. The team realised the Hunter would need a way to traverse large areas quickly, so shooting the floating talismans found scattered across the landscape not only gives her a speed boost but also refills her dash meter. This allows her to bound across the world as quickly as her eagle can fly, something which becomes especially helpful when pursuing the source of the aforementioned corruption.
Nava tells us the landscape is a dynamic space designed to be re-traversed, being particularly influenced by the weather. Unusually for an open world, though, there are no traditional waypoints, nor do you have a minimap to refer to.
Nava explains, “[Waypoints are] fantastic in a ton of games. But in the context of a Giant Squid game they feel like they kind of break the immersion a little bit – they remind you you’re in a game. And that was
“YOUR EAGLE CAN HELP YOU GLIDE TO ADVANTAGEOUS VIEWPOINTS AND ASSIST WITH PUZZLES.”
something that we wanted to avoid, we wanted to make you feel like you’re in a myth.”
Instead, the Hunter has a special mask that allows her to see into the spirit realm. This view functions as a sort of spirit sonar, illuminating nearby points of interest. On top of that, you’ll need to seek high ground, memorise landmarks, and generally engage with the space more authentically to find your way.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Your feathered friend can help you glide to more advantageous viewpoints as well as assist with puzzles. The eagle is the Hunter’s companion, but if you get caught in one of the ominous red storms that rip across the countryside, you’ll be separated.
Within the storm’s eye, a massive cursed spirit stalks you. They are the source of the darkness that coats the land beyond the tempest’s clouds and they know that you want to purge their corruption – they’ll do anything to keep the Hunter and eagle apart. We see the Hunter crouching among tall grass bathed in a crimson hue, and can hear the eagle pitifully keening somewhere nearby. It’s best to take the stealthy approach at this point, because the cursed spirit will remain invulnerable to the Hunter’s arrows until she’s relit the extinguished obelisks that lie beyond the storm, and so she carefully picks her way towards her companion.
The Hunter’s eagle is more than a cute companion, it’s essential to completing the journey and, Matt
Nava shares with us, the team felt “a connection was really important to give [the open world] space meaning.”
He later says, “In Abzû, we had this connection […] with the shark – an unlikely companion. And in this game, we were like, ‘What if we could take that further? What if we had another companion that was more central?’”
With the eagle, the team didn’t want to invoke Tamagotchi-like mechanics and saddle you with the stress of caring for a creature that would die without your constant attention. Nava uses his own dog as an example of the moments of connection the team are trying to convey with your bird of prey.
Nava explains, “What we ended up with is this kind of focus on the
connection without a lot of pressure to focus on the connection, which makes it feel voluntary, which makes it feel more meaningful.”
When you both emerge from the storm, you’ll need to wipe away dirt from the eagle’s wings. This isn’t a canned animation and you’re encouraged to act out the motion through the analogue stick before both Hunter and eagle come together for a heartwarming hug.
This next-gen title is also coming to PS4, and promises all the charm we’ve come to expect from a Giant Squid game. We can’t wait to disappear into this myth-in-the-making on PS5’s launch day, 19 November.