"The Hoversword feels like snowboarding, skating, and surfing all at once, but with the freedom of flight." – Matt Nava, Creative Director
When Giant Squid (the studio behind Journey, ABZÛ, and The Pathless) revealed Sword of the Sea, the focus wasn’t on combat or story—it was movement. At its core lies the Hoversword, a magical board that transforms traversal into a flow state: surfing across dunes, carving downhill like a snowboarder, and pulling off tricks with skateboarding flair.
Community players on Reddit call it “a siren—beautiful, inviting”, while others compare it to a “playable meditation.” The blend of sports-inspired mechanics with meditative exploration sets Sword of the Sea apart—not just from extreme sports titles like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater but even from its spiritual predecessor, Journey.
1. The Hoversword: Surf, Skate, and Snow in One
The Hoversword is more than just a traversal tool—it’s an extension of the Wraith’s body. Designed to feel both familiar and otherworldly, it merges three sporting traditions:
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Surfing: Glide effortlessly over sand and water, with dunes behaving like waves that carry momentum. Each carve leaves ripples in your wake, reinforcing immersion.
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Skateboarding: Perform flips, spins, and grabs in ancient ruins. Half-pipes and rails emerge naturally from the environment, but tricks emphasize style and freedom—not score.
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Snowboarding: Speed down massive slopes, carving with precision and launching into floaty aerial maneuvers reminiscent of SSX.
Key Innovation: Unlike Tony Hawk, where missed tricks punish you, Sword of the Sea smooths over imperfections. Misaligned jumps auto-correct, and collisions rarely kill momentum. The result? A “ballet-like rhythm” that rewards creativity instead of precision.
2. Flow Over Failure: How Forgiving Physics Boost Accessibility
Giant Squid’s design philosophy prioritizes immersion and meditation over punishment.
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No Harsh Fail States: You can’t faceplant or lose abruptly. Landings subtly self-correct, and the camera reorients to preserve flow.
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Momentum-Based Movement: Downhill slopes naturally accelerate you, while tricks give slight boosts, making style part of movement rather than mandatory for progress.
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Streamlined Tricks: Instead of complex combos, grabs and spins use single inputs. This keeps movement organic, not mechanical.
Community Insight: Some players noted that tricks feel “unnecessary for progression” but add joy to exploration. The freedom to choose depth or simplicity is what makes the system click.
3. Sword of the Sea vs. Tony Hawk vs. Journey
| Feature | Sword of the Sea | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater | Journey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Movement Focus | Flow + exploration | Score-driven tricks | Meditative gliding |
| Physics | Forgiving, momentum-first | Precision + punishment | Effortless |
| Trick System | Optional, style-driven | Mandatory, combo-heavy | None |
| Environment | Shifting sand, ruins, water | Static skateparks | Linear desert |
| Replayability | Mastery + New Game+ | Endless score chasing | Narrative one-shot |
Takeaway: Sword of the Sea lands in its own niche—it’s more interactive than Journey, less punishing than Tony Hawk, and balances adrenaline with meditation.
4. Depth Beneath the Surface: Mastery and Replay Value
While accessible, there’s depth for those who seek it:
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Advanced Techniques: Chaining tricks to build speed or using late-game upgrades like super jumps to access hidden areas.
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New Game+: Revisit earlier zones with unlocked abilities, almost Metroidvania-like in how exploration evolves.
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DualSense Haptics: On PS5, the controller mirrors terrain textures—sand feels gritty, ruins vibrate subtly, and icy surfaces glide smoother.
5. The Secret Sauce: Animation Craft and Flow
What makes it all feel so fluid? Giant Squid’s animators leaned on film-inspired techniques:
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Overlapping Action: Movements like cloak flutters and board rebounds continue naturally after inputs.
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Blendspaces: Animations smoothly transition between carving, gliding, and spinning, erasing jankiness.
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Environmental Feedback: The sand reacts like water, carrying momentum while shifting underfoot.
This craft is why reviewers from GamesRadar to Polygon describe the movement as “silky-smooth” and “addictive to watch as much as to play.”
Conclusion: A New Standard for Movement in Games
With the Hoversword, Sword of the Sea redefines how games can merge flow state psychology with extreme sports inspiration. It’s accessible for newcomers, rewarding for trick chasers, and emotionally resonant for fans of meditative play.
If Tony Hawk is about score and Journey is about transcendence, Sword of the Sea is about losing yourself in motion—a zen adrenaline rush that feels unlike anything else in gaming.
Does the idea of a “flow state game” appeal to you, or do you prefer strict, skill-based physics like Tony Hawk? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
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