Releasing on November 12, The Pathless is already looking to be one of the PlayStation 5's most stunning games, tasking players with traveling to a mysterious island and cleansing it of a sinister evil. Early previews have already pegged it to be a striking next project for Giant Squid, with the studio's work on the meditative, underwater adventure ABZÛ putting the developer on the map back in 2016.
The new title seems to focus on swift movement around gorgeous environments, centering on the game's protagonist using a bow and arrow to string together free-flowing traversal. Throughout their adventure, the player will come across giant beasts that they'll need to take down and monsters they must sneak past, with many comparing the experience to that of Team ICO's Shadow of the Colossus. Overall, it looks to mix ABZÛ's reflective tone with a greater emphasis on action-focused set pieces, suggesting it's likely to be the most expansive experience Giant Squid has tackled yet.
With The Pathless' release date being just a few days away, players are likely wondering what to expect from Giant Squid's next major project. Luckily, some of the media's biggest publications have had early hands-on with the game, and with its embargo lifting today, reviewers have been posting lengthy deep-dives into what players can expect. As Metacritic begins to amass more reviews for The Pathless, it's worth looking at how the game is currently faring in the eyes of reviewers.
GAMINGbible (Ewan More)
"In a year that has already provided its fair share of surprises, The Pathless might just be the best one yet. I knew this was a game I'd enjoy after seeing its debut trailer, but the way it manages to twist the well-worn open-world formula into something new and genuinely intimate is one of the most unexpected delights of 2020. I truly believe this is one game everybody needs to check out at their earliest convenience."
Score: 9 / 10
TheSixthAxis (Alan Wen)
"A larger more ambitious game from Giant Squid that shares influences with Breath of the Wild only to subvert it in clever ways: retooling a bow as an ingenious mode of traversal and puzzle-solving, an open world with no map, and a shooter where you don’t have to aim. It’s an accessible and streamlined approach making for an unmissable adventure to lose yourself in."
Score: 9 / 10
IGN (Jonathon Dornbush)
"The Pathless’ reliance on a simple but engaging movement system allowed me to explore Giant Squid’s beautiful open world with ease, placing its challenge more on the environmental puzzles you inevitably arrive at rather than on the journey itself. Its story may settle into some familiar territory, but it still finds ways to fascinate with this world and the history its landscape holds. I found myself easily getting lost in its varied regions, but I was never really “lost” - each new crumbling building or encampment rewarded me in some way for coming across it. Giant Squid’s thoughtful mechanics and layered puzzle design makes the very act of finding your way a thrill in and of itself."
Score: 8 / 10
GameInformer (Andrew Reiner)
"The Pathless is a wonderfully different game that makes you feel like you have ownership over the entire experience and are not being led along by a pre-scripted playbook. It’s one of those adventures that will stick with you long after you play it."
Score: 8 / 10
VG24/7 (Tom Orry)
"I hope it’s clear that I really enjoyed The Pathless, a game that prior to playing hadn’t really caught my eye. I hope it isn’t lost amongst the PS5’s bigger, noisier releases, as it’s something different and uplifting. It’s rare to find such tension and threat in a game that’s also so peaceful, but Giant Squid has managed it. In truth we could all do with a bit of light in our lives at the moment."
Score: 4 / 5
DualShockers (Peter Hunt Szpytek)
"At the end of the day, the traversal alone is enough for me to recommend The Pathless. It’s just fun to get from place to place using your bow; everything else is just a bonus. The overall story is good with performances from Laura Bailey and Troy Baker, the different environments are vast and beautiful, and while the puzzles have a wide range of difficulty, they’re still fun to figure out. It’s just a shame that there’s no synergy between each individual gameplay loop. The Pathless is absolutely worth your time if you’re looking for a game with a sense of adventure and a rich atmosphere."
Score: 8 / 10
GameSpot (Mike Epstein)
"There are only a handful of those moments in the game, though. Most of The Pathless plays to its mechanical strengths, free-form exploration, satisfying movement, and methodical puzzle-solving. At times, that lowers the stakes a little too much, but it maximizes the kind of gameplay the game is named for. For a player like me, who bee-lines for an objective every time, it's refreshing to simply take things as they come. The Pathless is the rare game that gives you more by not asking too much, and that makes it special."
Score: 7 / 10
ScreenRant (Bryan Lawver)
"Whether in a boss fight or out in the wild, one area where The Pathless does deliver consistently is in its score. The music by Journey composer Austin Wintory is somewhat sparse, but never fails to ramp up the game’s feeling of danger and adventure whenever it swells up. The Pathless may have a bit of an identity crisis, with its disconnected segments never really combining to their full potential, but its impressive presentation and exhilarating speed make it worth a try nonetheless."
Score: 3 / 5
It seems Giant Squid has done it again, with The Pathless currently enjoying amazing reviews on both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Aside from some critics stating that the game lacks challenge and is missing something in terms of narrative, it seems, on the whole, it has been a unanimous success. Reviews have heavily praised the game's free-flowing traversal, while its gorgeous world and laidback approach were huge talking points as well. As it stands, it seems The Pathless has all the makings of a sleeper hit, with a number of critics claiming they were blown away by Giant Squid's ambitious new adventure.
As it stands, the game's PlayStation 4 outing pulled in an 80 on Metacritic from only 5 reviews, while its PlayStation 5 counterpart just topped it with an 81 from 7 critics. It seems the numbers could fluctuate greatly with the arrival of some more listings, however, it's definitely a strong score thus far. The game's PlayStation 5 version will join a pretty hefty launch-lineup for Sony's newest console, featuring the likes of Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon's Souls, Godfall, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, and Bugsnax.
The Pathless will hit PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and iOS on November 12.