Giant Squid have released yet another classic banger. I have been wanting to play this one for a long time. I remember the trailers, and how this was one of the first PS5 games, along with Demon Souls Remake and Returnal. I knew it would be a relatively short, and lower budget experience, so I only purchased the game in early December 2025 (i.e. around 5 years later, as it came out in Nov 2020). What I liked: I was happily surprised by the extent of the lore/story. This way of delivering a story, meaning through some cutscenes and reading messages left by corpses and stone monuments, really clicked with me. It was effective and made the game much more interesting, and I would even say made the world feel more real and tragic. I learnt about what the god slayer had done to the old gods, what his vision was, and how many people died either defending him or going against him. This made the final boss fight much more compelling than otherwise. Secondly, the language used by the characters and the Mongolian soundtrack are unique and a delight to listen to. Thirdly, the gameplay was pure dynamic fun. The movement was the core of the game, and the basics were successfully developed. Finally, I thought the length of the game was appropriate. I beat it in 4-5 days, around 18-20 hours I believe. I appreciate that. One of my main criticisms of their first 2 games was that they were way too short. So this addresses my critiques vis-a-vis their previous releases. What could have been improved: Perhaps it was a technical error limited to myself, but in a few instances, tense music was playing when I was just trying to relax and roam around the world. Secondly, the puzzles were on the easier side, which many have commented on in their reviews, but I didn't mind it too much. I did not get this game looking for a challenge or tough time. The easy puzzles were congruous with the fluid overall experience and traversal. What I am saying is that I had a consistent relaxed mindset while playing. Having difficult puzzles could have made the game much longer, much less chill. And it would not have been worth it. The rewards only warrant this level of difficulty. But I'm still conflicted, and would understand the criticism that some were ridiculously simple. Furthermore, you unlock more wing flaps, but the gameplay is rather stagnant. I did not might it while playing, but I am simply sharing an area for improvement which would elevate the game to the 80s/100. Unlocking double jumps, reducing aiming time, or giving multiple arrows as rewards for beating bosses, for example. Something along those lines. Finally, the final boss fight felt just a bit underwhelming. It was a spectacle, but the 4 corrupted gods were harder, which is a philosophy I do not personally agree with. I would have made the Godslayer the most difficult part of the game, since it is the final part, and should be the most climactic and emotionally rewarding. I gave Journey 77/100, despite it being short, having inferior gameplay, and the story being too vague. I would give The pathless 79/100, and I look forward to the next Giant Squid game!

Imagine if Shadow of the Colossus were developed by Annapurna Interactive, with a greater sense of urgency in the gameplay and a stunning art direction. It would be an absolute favorite of mine.

The Pathless takes you on a unique expedition that pleasantly surprised me. Not your typical game but this is a genuine compliment. The graphics and music reminded me of Journey. Puzzles were intuitive and thoughtful but not overly difficult which is a positive. It takes a little getting into (definitely felt lost at the beginning) but happy I completed the adventure!