5/29/2023 0 Comments The pathless trophiesThe world-building is another asset to the game, as there are lore tidbits all throughout the land and even more spots that look as though they have interesting stories, though the game leaves it up to the imagination to decide what those stories may be. There are hints of civilization all over, sometimes so subtle you could easily miss them, but there are many labyrinthine areas, completely devoid of life, and hints of ancient settlements. It’s not just the use of colour or the nature on display that sells the game on its look, though. The first two are different interpretations of forested areas, with wildly differing geography, while the third is a wide-open plain with rolling fields, and sparse foliage, before transitioning into a stark wintry city nestled in the mountains, long since abandoned. It has more nuance to it than we’ve experienced previously, and the results are downright stunning.Įach of the plateaus – each new “level” sees you climbing a little higher up the land – are distinct, too. Of particular note is the way HDR allows the art team to use different shades of the same colour on screen all at once. The use of highly contrasting colours help to make the world look absolutely stunning. The Pathless is one of the best uses of HDR we have seen a game take advantage of to date. That is largely due to just how brilliant the world is. While the controls aren’t perfect – jumping doesn’t feel great – it’s moments like this which offer the greatest reward. If you chain these totems properly, you can spend entire minutes without touching the ground. You don’t have to stop to shoot, and the auto-aim is incredibly generous, especially when you fully charge a shot. While we were puzzled by this design decision initially, it's actually extremely fun. Shooting these provides energy to recharge stamina, as well as speed boosts, increased elevation, and so on. You use your bow to shoot totems that are absolutely everywhere, which allow you to run faster. You have a vision pulse that shows where you need to go, marking key points in red, but beyond that, there’s no map, and you have to find anything of note yourself. The world and the manner in which you interact with it evoke similar feelings to that of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Shadow of the Colossus. The rest of the game is focused around myriad puzzles and archery at the most basic level. Even more interesting is the fact these boss fights are the only combat in the game. All four – technically five – sections of the game adhere to this formula, but it never gets stale. Barring one segment, the boss fights are exhilarating and interesting, particularly the first stage, which delivers an intense chase sequence through a fire-ravaged wooded area. Upon locating them, you engage in multi-stage boss encounters that are all fantastic. By collecting these totems, you can then purify the towers which help to pinpoint the corrupted deity for you to cleanse. You have to find locations around different “plateaus” to unlock totems. Once the rules of the game start to coalesce, however, it becomes a wondrous, freeing experience. We found it pretty overwhelming at first, and honestly, we’d have welcomed a little more guidance in the prologue. An open world with virtually no handholding, the title drops you in and just lets you stumble your way into figuring everything out. Not to be outdone by your feathered friend, the gameplay exceeds expectations as well. It’s an aspect of the title we had no real expectations for, but it’s one of the standouts. The relationship only grows stronger as the game progresses and you help one another achieve more and more. And that’s when we decided our heart belonged to this eagle. The bond is established instantly, as you help the bird nurse a wound, brushing the “curse” – which looks akin to fire and soot – off of their wings shortly before he nuzzles you affectionately. Not only does the eagle allow you to jump higher, fly further, and solve more complex puzzles, but the relationship between you and this bird evolves and grows as the game goes along. To do this, you are equipped with a bow, and shortly after starting the game, an eagle companion. With the help of some benevolent deities intimately intertwined with nature, it’s up to you to stop The Godslayer, a warrior of unspeakable power, as he corrupts and twists the spirits of the land to his will. The Pathless sees you controlling a huntress, setting out in hopes of lifting a curse from a sacred land. However, the team – with the help of one of the best publishers in the business, Annapurna – has not only pulled it off, but has done so with flying colours. Given how great that debut title was, surpassing it was never going to be an easy task. Giant Squid Studios’ debut title ABZÛ was a stunning debut for the studio founded by former thatgamecompany art director Matt Nava.
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