Though its boundless movement is exhilarating, my favorite moment in Sword of the Sea wasn’t pulling off some sick tricks or surfing on a wall. It was when I unexpectedly landed atop a flying turtle. Instead of bouncing off it and falling into the cavern below, my character put their surfboard sword to the side and enjoyed the slow ride, winding in a circle around the Lost Grotto.
Without dialogue to tell its tale, those abstract moments define Abzu developer Giant Squid’s latest movement-focused delight. What you might get out of it will surely be different than what I get out of it, especially depending on how much we engaged with (and remember) the dollops of history scattered around its maps. That abstraction can be a strength or a weakness for various works of art, and with Sword of the Sea, it’s a strength; it has something profound to say. It presents a story of climate change and how the actions of individuals can make a difference.
Sword of the Sea has you playing as a nameless figure, freshly awoken from some deep slumber by a drop of water. From there, they journey through a few hub worlds, surfing across the desert sand or grinding on giant chains like it’s a Tony Hawk game. All the movement is done with intent; your player character sets out to restore the world’s oceans. Except, the flowing water in Sword of the Sea isn’t quite what you may expect. Fish and turtles fly above the streams and vast bodies of water, initially hidden underneath a layer of rolling desert sand.
During my first playthrough of Sword of the Sea, I played the game as I normally would; exploring, but not going out of my way to find every little bit of lore or collectible. I rolled with the game’s story, filling in its themes with my own interpretations. Like a well-written song, it asks you to bring your own backstory to it and interpret it how you will.
With its opening dry, desert world, lacking life and water, Sword of the Sea presents a very strong metaphor for climate change. Its opening map is desolate, almost Mad Max-like in the way it lacks any shades of green or blue. But the desert isn’t the only biome— other levels have their own extreme climates, serving as a reminder that debilitating climate change doesn’t just result in global warming; our world also suffers from extreme winters and weather phenomena.
Yet, through the actions of an individual, the desert can be reversed; your player character surfs around, restoring life, showing us that we as individuals can make a difference. We may not be able to enact change surfing on a rad sword, but we can still be a force for change. (Why do they surf on a sword? Why not, I say.)
On my next playthrough, I slowed down a bit (tough in a game where you can surf at over 100 miles per hour!) and tried to find every bit of lore I could. Learning about the history of the world, its gods, and its wars provided some context as to why there are giant dolphin warrior statues dotting the lands. Still, even knowing more, and having already played the game once, Sword of the Sea still leaves plenty of room for interpretation.
And you’ll want to continue replaying Sword of the Sea because it’s just so hard to put down; I completed my first run in just under three hours, and was immediately eager to jump back in for more. There are high scores to achieve and new tricks to learn, sure, but calmly surfing around the maps offers such a tranquil and equally fun experience. For the thrill-seekers, to unlock all the game’s tricks and movement options, you’ll want to replay it anyway as you may not collect enough currency on a first playthrough to unlock everything.
I’m still thinking about that turtle, and Sword of the Sea’s other aquatic animals, some of whom fly alongside you while surfing. As a child, I loved turtles; I kept a turtle collection of various turtle figurines. As an adult, I recognize many species of turtles are endangered, due in large part to human interference and climate change, among other factors. I tried to save a turtle once; it was hanging out in the middle of a curving road, a pond thirty feet away. I picked it up and plopped it in the dirt on the way to the pond, only for the little bastard to turn around and haul ass back across the street and onto the sidewalk.
I couldn’t save the turtle that day, and maybe it didn’t need saving after all. But I could save the world of Sword of the Sea, and I want to continue doing so — and rack up some high scores in the process.
Sword of the Sea will be released August 8 on PS5 and Windows PC. The game was reviewed on PS5 using a prerelease download code provided by Giant Squid. Valnet Inc. has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Valnet Inc. may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.
