CDodsley99

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Sword of th​​e Sea is a pretty game no doubt and the skateboard/surfing mechanics are very fun and relaxing. The feeling of soaring through the air or blasting around these pretty landscapes is very enjoyable and it’s definitely a game that delivers on atmosphere. That being said, there’s a lack of meat on the bones here. The game can be very easily beaten in just over an hour. If you are going for 100%, it’s around 10 hours, probably less. I don’t need quantity over quality but even for a very short game, there are sections that drag a little. The riding sections can be a bit tedious and that’s 2 out of the 7 levels on offer here. This is also not helped by some quality of life issues, particularly when it comes to cutscenes. Look, I get this is an atmospheric game and the cutscenes add to that. But why are cutscenes always unskippable even in NG+ or Chapter Select? Especially for a game that has trophies dedicated to replays and perfecting the boss fight. The final boss being 5 minutes of cutscenes for a boss fight that’s about 10 minutes long entirely is just tedious and having to constantly replay it gets old very quickly. Sword of The Sea is a staggeringly beautiful game and one that is fun to experience but it is bogged by repetition and cutscenes. For a free bonus, it’s probably worth picking up if you want to try something a bit more relaxing alongside the various big titles coming out at the moment but I’m just not sure I’d pay for it.