The Pathless

The Pathless combines a simple but fun movement system and a world brimming with secrets to uncover.

Open-world exploration is the central idea and purpose of The Pathless, and its beautiful world rewards embracing your wanderlust.

Vast maps bring out the best in this sparse yet memorable adventure.

A smooth and mesmerising experience that includes nothing it doesn't need.

The Pathless switches effortlessly between relaxing exploration and exhilarating story moments, and it's altogether incredible.

Clocking in at roughly seven hours, don't be surprised if you complete it in one or two sessions. It's a hard game to put down

In trying to apply the formula behind games such as Journey and Abzû to an open world, The Pathless ends up overstaying its welcome

I hope it’s clear that I really enjoyed The Pathless, a game that prior to playing hadn’t really caught my eye. I hope it isn’t lost amongst the PS5’s bigger, noisier releases, as it’s something different and uplifting. It’s rare to find such tension and threat in a game that’s also so peaceful, but Giant Squid has managed it. In truth we could all do with a bit of light in our lives at the moment.

You've probably played a game like The Pathless before, but you haven't played The Pathless. If you're into these types of games (you know who you are), this is another one you can add to the pile. I say "pile" endearingly, as it's short enough to justify playing right away without becoming backlog fodder.

The Pathless is an incredible experience, and easily one of the best launch titles available on the PS5 in what is already an excellent selection. A wondrous, beautiful open world with innumerable locations and secrets to uncover is placed alongside a moving narrative further heightened by an unexpectedly tender relationship between player and bird. And that's to say nothing of the game's exquisite use of colour, or the beautiful and wickedly unique soundtrack. The Pathless excels on all fronts.