You’ve probably never wondered what it would be like to ride a giant sea turtle across the roofs of a city, questioned if it would be possible to perform a snowboard rail trick along the fossilised spine of an Elasmosaurus, or asked yourself what kind of noise a shark would make if it were to swim through sand. You’ve probably never actually thought about any of these things (unless, like me, you have some pretty trippy dreams from time to time!), but once you’ve played Sword of the Sea, this will all change, and you’ll be pretty darnn happy about it!
In Sword of the Sea, the player-character is a Wraith that has been resurrected into a world where war has annihilated the oceans and left nothing but lifeless desolation. Equipped with a magical sword, the Wraith must travel across the realm restoring life by re-introducing flowing water, giant shoals of fish and other majestic marine animals. The sword acts as a surfboard-come-snowboard-come-skateboard that the Wraith rides upon, and so it naturally follows that you’ll unlock new board-tricks to play around with on the half-pipes and rails cleverly built into the environments.
Sword of the Sea has a wonderfully heart-warming story, with silent, yet relatable, characters and immeasurable quantities of ambience. Although the characters in Sword of the Sea never speak a word, the gorgeous atmosphere of the game is heightened by the flawless use of sound effects. The resonances of the Wraith’s sword on different surfaces in the environment are faultlessly observed. And the noise of a shark swimming through sand? I’ve never heard a sound quite so satisfying!
The visual aspects of Sword of the Sea are some of the most stunning I’ve ever witnessed. It really is a treat for the eyeballs! Riding their sword-board, the Wraith traverses over glistening, snow-covered mountains, eerie, foggy landscapes and exquisitely detailed cityscapes. Even the desert locations – which I can often find quite visually flat and uninspiring; I’m frankly baffled as to why they’re so regularly used in video games! – are filled with life, colour and movement. The sand dunes undulate like waves. Each grain of sand seems to sparkle and the gleam from the sun creates silhouettes of craggy cliffs and rocky monuments in the distance.
A special mention must go to the water and sea visuals. Just whoa. The perfectly blue water glistens with light, surges with texture and swells with the waves. Glance down and you’ll spot vibrant coral, waving kelp and ghostlike shipwrecks resting on the seabed beneath the rippling surface of the water. Not to mention the occasions where the sea melts seamlessly into the sand or snow of the surrounding environment. It really is beautiful.
The storyline is told through a satisfying combination of linear narrative segments mingled with sections of open-world exploration. This pleasing blend keeps the storyline progressing whilst still allowing the player to exercise their sense of curiosity. In the open-world portions, players are rewarded for exploration by visiting new areas, capturing currency to unlock power-ups, and yes, the occasional ride on the back of a giant sea turtle, blue whale or orca! Best. Day. Ever.
If you’re a marine nature lover, snow/surf/skateboarding game enthusiast or just a devotee of stunning visuals and a gorgeous atmosphere, this game won’t disappoint.
