Sword of the Sea lands on PS Plus at launch

A preview of Sword of the Sea, Giant Squid’s flowing exploration game that blends movement with meditative pacing.

Sword of the Sea Delivers Fluid Movement and Calm Exploration on PS Plus

Sword of the Sea is Giant Squid’s latest project, following Abzû and The Pathless. It centers movement as the core engine of exploration, with the player wielding a sword that also acts as a surfboard. The world shifts from desert to ocean as players progress, unlocking new routes and abilities. The game launches on PS5 and PC on August 18, and arrives on PS Plus at launch, offering a wide audience a chance to try its calm, flow forward design.

Gameplay is simple in input—jump, double jump, a pulse for interaction, and a few aerial tricks—but it rewards exploration and world building. Collect prisms by clearing areas, smashing pots, and exploring, then use them to upgrade and open more dunes, walls, and half pipes. The game blends extreme sport energy with mindful pacing, inviting players to feel movement rather than chase a score.

Sword of the Sea sits at a crossroads of movement focused games and meditative experiences. It uses simple controls to unlock complex feeling, inviting players to sense space and rhythm rather than rush toward an endpoint. The PS Plus launch strategy could help a niche title reach a broad audience and spark conversations about how subscription models shift what indie games become widely played.

The approach may not suit players seeking intense action, but it reflects a growing appetite for games that slow pace without losing wonder. For Giant Squid, it continues a thread from Abzû and The Pathless by threading spirituality and motion into game design, offering a rare form of digital mindfulness wrapped in bright, kinetic motion.

Highlights

Movement as a language may define the next wave of indie exploration.