Annapurna Interactive is bringing Giant Squid’s mythic adventure game The Pathless to Switch and Xbox consoles this winter.
Currently available for PC, PlayStation, and Apple Arcade users, the open-world action-adventure game has you taking control of the Hunter, who must find a way to lift the curse from the world. This curse stems from an island where ancient gods reside. These gods are known as the Tall Ones.
When the Hunter arrives on the island, she finds a Spirit Mask that shows the world’s secrets. Here, she meets the Eagle Mother and cleanses her of a curse before the entity known as the Godslayer attacks and appears to have killed the spirit.
Responsible for the curse and the corruption of the Tall Ones, the Godslayer is intent on destroying the world, and it is up to the Hunter to stop this from happening.
Traveling to the sky land known as the Floating Isle, the Eagle Mother asks the Hunter to cleanse her four children, Tall Ones cursed by the Godslayer. She then reincarnates into a live Eagle and joins the Hunter.
A master archer, the Hunter will need to use her skills to shoot talismans scattered throughout the land to fill her dash meter, which will help you quickly explore the world. Her eagle companion can also carry the Hunter while flying over certain distances.
Because the game does not feature a mini-map, navigating the world requires Spirit Vision which will help you find various locations. Spirit Vision will also come in handy in other areas of the game.
While out exploring and solving various puzzle types, you will collect crystals used to upgrade the eagle’s abilities. The eagle can assist in these puzzles by interacting with different items in the environment.
On your quest as the Hunter, cursed spirits will attempt to separate you from the eagle, and to avoid detection, stealth is in order. To defeat these spirits, you will first need to weaken them by returning light to obelisks located throughout the game.
Should you be defeated by a cursed spirit, you will lose any crystals collected. There is, however, a short window of opportunity to recover them before they disappear.
The game is at both times interesting and lovely, and one you should seriously consider playing. In our review of The Pathless, we called it a “PS5 launch gem” you should not ignore – and we mean that wholeheartedly.