If you’ve so much as caught a glimpse of Sword of the Sea, you’re probably reminded of the gorgeous indie hit Journey, what with the game’s main character gliding across a sea of sand. And that’s not a coincidence, as Sword of the Sea is the newest game from Giant Squid creative director, Matt Nava, who was also the art director of Journey. Is it all making sense now?
While Journey told a somewhat slower and more thoughtful tale, Sword of the Sea opts for speed and unique traversal, largely thanks to the titular sword your character uses like a skateboard. Surfing the sand in Sword of the Sea is a joy, so you may want it to last forever. But this charming and beautiful experience is purposefully brief, offering replayability in favor of padding its length. Here’s how long it takes to beat Sword of the Sea.
How long does it take to beat Sword of the Sea?
Beating the main campaign in Sword of the Sea will only take mostly players around 3 hours. It’s a very short journey designed not to overstay its welcome, but rather, to leave you yearning to dive back in for a second run.
And you’ll probably want to do just that — but not only because it’s such a thrill to sword surf. It’s also because Sword of the Sea’s NG+ mode allows you to keep all of the skills from your first run, giving you a chance to chase after the trophy or achievement for beating the game in under 2 hours. It sounds tougher than it is, but it still takes some skill and understanding the game’s flow, so be prepared!
If you’re a completionist, there are plenty of collectible shells and other one-off discoveries that also count towards trophies and achievements. You’ll even need to defeat the final boss without taking damage, which is made much easier once you unlock chapter select after beating the game for the first time.
As you can see, there’s no shortage of reasons to keep going back to Sword of the Sea after the credits roll for the first time, so it’s easy to forgive its initial brevity. If you want to check out the game for yourself, Sword of the Sea is available now on PS5 and PC.
