PlayStation appears to have picked up another platform exclusive title coinciding with the PS5's launch. Publisher Annapurna Interactive announced today that The Pathless, the action-adventure game from Abzu developer Giant Squid, will launch on November 12 alongside the PS5. The Pathless will also be available on several other platforms, including PC, PS4, and Apple Arcade, but it will not be available on Xbox, at least at launch.
The Pathless is the sort of game that seems to typically excel in a console launch scenario. Not only is The Pathless an action-adventure game, but it's also open-world. Players will be heavily encouraged to explore and discover through their own means, and Giant Squid decided against using fast travel and maps to keep players immersed in the experience.
Quick traversal options will ensure the player remains speedy, of course. Not only can the player run at fast speeds, but they are able to use their eagle companion to glide and lift themselves high distances in short bursts. As befits the open-world game, traversal options expand the more the player progresses. According to the developers, there are no loading times to slow players down, a feature made more prominent due to the PS5's solid-state drive (SSD).
In The Pathless, players take on the role of the Hunter, who wields a bow as their main weapon. She also wears a magical mask that allows her to look into a spirit world. While a high point or tower won't unlock a fast travel point, it will allow the player to see important locations with relative ease, and there's no need for a map when your next location is highlighted in bright glowing red while using spirit vision.
The increasingly popular open-world game concept isn't without its challenges, though. Players will be exploring a cursed island inhabited with giant, firey beats. The Hunter has come to this island with purpose, but the more left unsaid about the island's secrets and the nature of the invaders, the better.
Suffice to say, for gamers looking for a next-gen experience filled with mystery and action, The Pathless may be a great option on PS5. It could serve as a counterpoint to more multiplayer-focused games or AAA releases that focus on forward-facing progression mechanics. Publisher Annapurna Interactive clearly has high expectations for The Pathless if it's willing to make it a PS5 launch title, so now the game just has to prove itself.
The Pathless releases November 12 on PC, PS4, PS5, and Apple Arcade.