The Pathless

From the creators of Abzu comes an equally stunning game called The Pathless. Take control of the Hunter, a mysterious character dressed in red, as she traverses an island searching for a way to lift a curse consuming the world. Solve puzzles, fight bosses, and explore the vast world for all it has to offer. Before you download it, let’s take a look at some of what you can expect from this brand-new action-adventure game.

A beautiful open world

The game’s world is huge and full of places to explore and secrets to discover, drawing some similarities to Nintendo’s hugely successful The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Puzzles can be found scattered across the land in various biomes, from wide-open meadows and thick forests to snowy tundra landscapes.

The lack of a mini-map may be surprising and disappointing to some, but it really adds to the unique gameplay by helping to immerse players in the world more as they work to familiarise themselves with their surroundings.

Fear not though if you’re worried about getting lost, as a feature called “Spirit Vision” will allow you to see important points of interest around the map. You’ll always be able to figure out where you need to go next.

The fearless companion

The Hunter doesn’t navigate the world on her own. She’s joined by an eagle that gives her the ability to soar through the skies and navigate difficult terrain with ease. The eagle is pivotal to the gameplay as it has a few abilities that are relied on a lot for solving puzzles as well as just getting around.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that you’re able to pet your eagle companion as much as you like – that’s a win in our books.

Fun game mechanics

The Hunter’s weapon of choice is the bow, and the way she moves around and fights in this game is incredibly satisfying. Talismans are dotted around the landscape which players can shoot to fill up a dash meter and rapidly navigate their way around the world. Players don’t need to aim down their sights at the talismans, but rather can auto-lock onto them at the press of a single button. This feature is crucial for allowing the player uninterrupted and fluid movement.

Though simple, the movement mechanics are great fun and are sure to make you feel unstoppable as you zoom around with ease.

Pros

• Satisfying movement mechanics
• Lots to explore and discover in the open world
• Variety of fun, rewarding puzzles
• Beautiful soundtrack and visuals for an immersive experience

Cons

• Not enough boss battles
• Puzzles can be a bit too trivial at times
• Traveling by foot everywhere feels somewhat sluggish and time-consuming
• Lack of mini-map can leave players disorientated