The Pathless

[h2]Overall: 7.5/10[/h2] [h3]Story:[/h3] The narrative being told is a pretty simple and straightforward one that's visually driven and values environmental storytelling over dialogue-heavy cutscenes, and despite the minimalist nature it's presented with, I still think it's a pretty well-told story with a genuinely meaningful underlying message. The broad goal is obviously to [spoiler]restore serenity to the mystical island you've been sent to[/spoiler], but I really appreciated how most of the finer details of the narrative are pieced together by [spoiler]reading letters left behind by fallen soldiers/reading memories of the deceased, slowly helping you understand what these people endured as you stumble across their final resting places. It gives the world a quiet sense of tragedy without ever needing lengthy exposition, and because so much of the storytelling is optional, it never interrupts the flow of exploration or gameplay. If anything, it enhances it.[/spoiler] The pacing is also decent enough if you're primarily playing for the broad narrative, with each new region gradually revealing another piece of the world's history while steadily building toward the final confrontation. It's definitely a simple story, as I already mentioned, and there aren't really any shocking twists or deeply layered characters, but I don't feel like it even needed either anyway. The biggest highlight is for sure the message The Pathless leaves you with. It's subtlety supported for most of the journey, but the ending clearly reinforces that the overarching theme/message revolves around [spoiler]rejecting extremism and the toxic mindset that there is only one correct way to live your life, fulfill your destiny, or achieve salvation. This game argues that individuals should choose their own direction rather than let others dictate their purpose and I really respected how it doesn't shy away from telling you that following ANY path without free will/individuality is not a true "path" for anyone at all, especially because I initially expected the narrative to be as minimal as that in ABZU, which didn't particularly resonated with me when I played it.[/spoiler] [h3]Gameplay:[/h3] The gameplay revolves almost entirely around maintaining continuous, rhythmic movement and seamlessly flowing through its environments or relying on your eagle companion as a simple gliding mechanic. It took me a little while to fully appreciate the movement system, but once everything clicked, traversing the world became genuinely enjoyable. Unfortunately, much like the rest of the gameplay, it doesn't really develop beyond the first biome. Outside of earning additional flaps for your eagle so you can remain airborne longer or unlocking new talismans to shoot that let you cover greater distances than before, the core mechanics stay almost exactly the same from beginning to end. Progression is handled by exploring biomes, solving environmental puzzles, and eventually restoring peace to the corrupted Tall One of each respective region after cleansing enough Light Stones to repair its three corrupted towers. There are no quest markers, no mini-map, and no traditional compass directing you where to go. Instead, you're expected to rely entirely on visual landmarks and environmental cues through the Spirit Vision mechanic to locate unexplored areas/uncover puzzles scattered throughout the landscape. I actually liked this approach while playing since it encouraged genuine exploration, and I also appreciated that you never have to 100% clear every biome in order to move on to the next one. The problem is that, just like the movement, the exploration and puzzle design barely develops after those opening hours. Yet, where the fluid traversal remains enjoyable simply due to how satisfying it feels to maneuver, the puzzles quickly become repetitive because they function more like a visual hidden-object game than genuine challenges; very few of them ever felt rewarding or clever enough to justify how frequently they appear. Additionally, the supernatural storm brought on by the cursed Tall Ones is visually spectacular and serves as a genuinely cool gameplay gimmick the first few times it appears, but, you guessed it, it never evolves either. Instead, these storms repeatedly interrupt the gameplay's otherwise graceful sense of momentum by abruptly forcing you into slow-paced stealth sections where a massive corrupted beast stalks you through a dark arena. The contrast between soaring effortlessly across beautiful landscapes one moment and suddenly being forced to slowly crouch through tall grass feels intentionally jarring, but as these storms occur so and constantly try to cut you off, they quickly become way more exhausting than exciting. [h3]World:[/h3] The world design is probably the area where I have the most mixed feelings. On one hand, every biome is absolutely stunning to look at and has its own distinct visual identity, both before and after being cleansed of corruption. Each region does a great job of conveying a unique atmosphere through its architecture, color palette, and environmental storytelling. On the other hand, though, since the gameplay itself doesn't really innovate in meaningful ways after the opening hours, the world eventually starts to reinforce that sense of repetition rather than alleviate it. Every new biome ultimately feels like the same collection of puzzles, ruins, and collectibles with a fresh coat of paint on top. The aesthetics are different enough to initially create the illusion of variety, but the disappointing reality is that the underlying structure rarely changes, so the excitement of discovering a new area quickly wears off. Personally, I feel this issue could have been somewhat mitigated if the regions were a lot smaller. While I completely understand that the developers made them as expansive as they did to make sure they gave players plenty of room to take full advantage of the movement system across long stretches of terrain, once you realize exactly what each biome is going to ask of you, those larger spaces often feel less like opportunities for exploration and more like unnecessary filler between points of interest. [h3]Visuals:[/h3] The visuals are great, and I really like the art style since it embraces a clean, stylized aesthetic built around bold colors, simple geometry, and sweeping environmental vistas that I'm sure will help it stand the test of time as an indie gem. Even when this game leans more into the minimalism vibe, it never feels plain or lacking in detail because the direction is so intentional that every area still ends up feeling memorable and visually distinct. Furthermore, on the technical side, the game also supports ultrawide effortlessly and ran flawlessly for me, which made the whole experience feel even more immersive and smooth. [h3]Music/Sound Design:[/h3] Out of every aspect, the music and sound design was easily my favorite, although that's almost entirely because of just how phenomenal I found the soundtrack. The general sound design is crisp, weighty, and immersive in its own right, with satisfying audio for everything from firing arrows and gliding across the landscape to the powerful winds within the cursed storm or the chaotic chase sequences. Still, it's the music that consistently steals the show. Whether I was peacefully gliding across said landscape with the eagle companion or in the middle of an intense boss fight that demanded complete focus, there were several moments where I found myself genuinely captivated by the auditory experience accompanying every scenario. The OST effortlessly shifts between serene, atmospheric vibes and high energy, emotionally charged pieces without ever feeling jarring, so it's constantly reinforcing the sense of wonder, scale, and urgency this game is aiming for. It's one of those rare soundtracks that doesn't just complement the gameplay but also actively elevates it.

又一个被莫名其妙的体量给拖死的游戏，我是真搞不懂有些独立游戏作者为什么老要往大了做，往长了做。最终给人的感觉就是该堆料的地方不堆料，不该堆的地方往死了堆。 首先是本作的流程设计和玩法一眼望到头，除了前期以外往后的流程几乎没有任何新鲜感可言，关卡设计里经典的三次设计更是变成了紧箍咒圈在这傻逼设计师头上，什么都要三下，玩到后面一撅屁股我就知道设计师要拉什么屎。最终boss的战斗设计更是烂得不能再烂，中途还有段巨拖节奏的缓慢走路环节，除了让我能更加坚定的给本作差评以外毫无意义。剧情也是土得不能再土，土到你无法想象的那种30年前游戏的终级土逼剧情。 其次就美术而言四张大地图除了最后一张还不错，我是真搞不懂前面为什么不删掉一张，第一和第三张的美术几乎都是绿色平原，没有任何独特的地形或是美术设计，纯纯是为了大而大。 最后音乐算是这游戏最核心的优点了，颇具民族特色的配乐和人声吟唱，既独特又好听。 哦对了还有摸鸟，做得也很棒，摸完之后的鹰和主角的互动算是我在这游戏里为数不多能露出笑容的时刻了。 如果你是那种愿意在寺庙待上一天也不会感到乏味的玩家，那么这款游戏你可以试试

Если в Breath of the Wild вам нравилось искать короков так же сильно, как мне, знайте: эта игра про сбор короков со схожим разнообразием простейших загадок. Ещё про спинномозговые перебежки между точками интереса, которые сложно пропустить благодаря местному ведьмачьему чутью. И про сказочную историю, в которой добро побеждает зло, а природные силы — человеческую гордыню. После знакомства с птичкой в прологе кор-геймплей не изменится до самого финала, поэтому не ждите откровений. Смело рекомендую по скидке, мне доставило.

I loved this game!! The story was great, the graphics are very pretty, the music is absolutely epic (Austin Wintory). It is rather short because I beat it within 10 hours but I will be playing through it again so I can get all the achievements. I also know there are some secrets I need to find as well. The boss fights are challenging but I like the fact that you don't have to start the whole battle over again if you "die" because you get knocked out of the area instead. I give this 9/10, only because I wish it was a little longer. I will be attempting to get that extended ending next :) I like the fact that Troy Baker was the voice actor for the Godslayer too.

Я был недоволен [url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/zhareg/recommended/384190]ABZÛ[/url], предыдущим проектом этой студии, а вот игры издателя [url=https://store.steampowered.com/publisher/annapurnainteractive]Annapurna Interactive[/url] мне обычно нравятся. И то ли авторы прислушались к моему отзыву (ага, конечно), то ли издатель смог повлиять на разработчика, то ли из-за какой-то другой причины, но от [b]The Pathless[/b] я остался в восторге. Часто медитативные игры находятся на грани скучности, а экшены слишком контрастируют с медитативностью. Но в данном случае золотая середина была найдена! Для прохождения игры не нужно собирать все руны на каждом плато, но как же хочется это делать, ведь местные головоломки просты, но при этом уникальны. Чтобы это не заняло вечность, передвигаться по локациям стоит на высокой скорости, для чего придётся постоянно стрелять из лука по талисманам, но в этом, как ни странно, ощущается не спешка, а воздушная изящность азиатских легенд. Кстати, парить придётся не только по горизонтали, но и вверх, для чего нужно прокачиваться, решая те самые головоломки и находя тайники. И происходит это всё на фоне упрощённо нарисованных, но очень красивых гор, рек, озёр, лесов, замков и башен. Как только вам надоест или локация будет зачищена, можно приступать к фазе борьбы с боссом. Каждый из них не похож на другого визуально, а бои с ними скачут по жанрам от платформера до пулевого ада. Они не так сложны и не занимают много времени, но явно добавляют бодрости между длинными эпизодами пылесошения уровней. Единственным аспектом, который может показаться кому-то недостатком, является относительная монотонность, поскольку в ходе игры придётся преодолеть 4 огромных плато, логика прохождения каждого из которых примерно одинакова. Лично я вижу в этом ещё одну грань медитативности. Теперь я очень хочу поиграть в [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2453160/Sword_of_the_Sea]Sword of the Sea[/url], в которой как будто должны соединиться элементы всех предыдущих игр этих авторов: пустынной [b]Journey[/b], морской [b]ABZÛ[/b] и медитативно-быстрой [b]The Pathless[/b].

The Pathless foi uma experiência incrível. Gostei muito da forma como o jogo mistura exploração, movimentação fluida e uma atmosfera quase mágica. A sensação de correr pelo mundo, acertar os alvos com o arco e ganhar velocidade é muito satisfatória, deixando a exploração leve, dinâmica e divertida. O visual é belíssimo, com cenários abertos, cores marcantes e uma direção artística que dá personalidade ao jogo. A trilha sonora também combina muito bem com a proposta, criando momentos de aventura, mistério e contemplação. Outro ponto que gostei bastante foi a relação com a águia, que deixa a jornada mais emocionante e ajuda tanto na exploração quanto na conexão com o mundo do jogo. Os puzzles são interessantes, os chefes são bem apresentados e cada área tem uma identidade própria. The Pathless não é um jogo enorme ou cheio de sistemas complexos, mas entrega uma experiência muito bem feita, envolvente e diferente. É aquele tipo de jogo que prende mais pela sensação de liberdade, pela beleza do mundo e pelo prazer de se movimentar. Recomendo muito para quem gosta de aventura, exploração, jogos artísticos e experiências mais contemplativas, mas ainda com bons momentos de ação. Nota pessoal: 10/10. Uma jornada linda, fluida e memorável.

主角是少女和🦅很喜欢，美术还不错。缺点是作为小而美有点太拖沓了，地图挺大的但可玩性略低，解密和跑酷爽在一张图里就能够完全体验，四张图内容相对重复，且boss都是一模一样的追逐战，战斗上也没做出太大区分度，直观感受删掉一个图并不影响剧情演出。有些地方考虑到玩家的游玩耐心适当做做减法可能会更好

DNF. BORING. REPETITIVE. i'm very thankful that i got this game on sale because holy shi it's so bad. everything is so repetitive and literally the only thing there is to do is shoot and get keys to unlock towers. that's it. i'm unsure if i still want to buy abzu after experiencing this atrocity of a game.

In some ways, I enjoyed this more than Breath of the Wild because it was much shorter. Movement is great like everyone says. Art design is top. I'd only want to play for 30-60 minutes at a time before it started feeling like a lot of the same, but I like it when a game frustrates my desire to binge it.

This is a very beautiful game, the story of the world is very interesting, the way you traverse the map is pretty fun, the puzzles are not very challenging but they don't intend to, they're there more so you can have fun solving them and the boss fights are amazing, they always start the same way but throw something unique halfway through. The game have a launching problem that apparently is related to Nvidia 50 Series cards and there's no excuse for the devs to leave this problem unsolved, but I was able to find a quick workaround so it wasn't that much of an issue for me, but it can be to some people, solve this guys, even if this problem was created by Nvidia, it's hurting YOUR game.