Sword of the Sea's New Game Plus: When Your Chill Art Game Accidentally Becomes a Sonic-Slaying Speed Demon
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Jeff reports on *Sword of the Sea*'s New Game Plus mode, which transforms the atmospheric game into a surprisingly intense speedrunning challenge, complete with a speedometer that reveals truly absurd speeds, much to the developers' initial apprehension. It's a delightful blend of art and chaotic fun, perfect for players seeking high-octane thrills in an unexpected package.
Right, so you know that feeling when you're just gently pottering along in a game, enjoying the vibes, and then – *POOF* – you accidentally blow a hole through reality and discover it's actually a high-octane thrill ride? Yeah, that's pretty much what's happening with *Sword of the Sea*'s New Game Plus mode, and bloody hell, it's wilder than I first thought.
I've been tinkering with this story all morning, delving into what Giant Squid – the clever chaps behind the gorgeous *ABZÛ* – have cooked up. And let me tell you, their latest offering, *Sword of the Sea*, has a secret identity. It starts off as this wonderfully serene, atmospheric experience, all about flow and exploration across vast, desiccated ocean landscapes on your trusty Hoversword. You glide, you trick, you soak it all in. But then, you hit New Game Plus, and mate, that's when the real magic, or perhaps accidental wizardry, kicks in.
Now, anyone who played *ABZÛ* (which, by the way, shares a universe with *Sword of the Sea* – nice little lore thread there, eh?) will remember that bittersweet feeling upon finishing it. You've explored every coral garden, freed every trapped creature, found all the hidden shells. And then... poof. It's done. No reset button for your brain, no easy way to just replay those first, awe-inspiring moments without feeling like you're just going through the motions. A bit of a bummer, really, for such a visually stunning game.
But Giant Squid, bless their cotton socks, clearly learned a thing or two. *Sword of the Sea* is a much grander affair, with way more collectibles (fifty shells, if you're counting, plus a heap of trophies), and those intriguing Ocean Seeds that reset with each playthrough, essentially letting you re-experience those beautiful environmental puzzles with a fresh perspective. Plus, there are more Hoversword tricks to unlock if you didn't quite hoard enough Tetra (the shiny currency) the first time around. And for the competitive souls among us, a visible score counter pops up, pushing you to beat your previous runs. All good stuff, fair dinkum.
However, the absolute pièce de résistance, the spell that truly transforms the game, is something deceptively simple: a speedometer. And oh, boy, does it spill the beans on *Sword of the Sea*'s true nature. See, in your first playthrough, you *feel* fast. You're kick-flipping, rail-grinding, soaring through canyons. It's fluid, exhilarating. But you don't actually *know* how fast. That's where New Game Plus steps in with the Wisp Cloak, allowing you to generate and unleash up to five speed-boosting Wisps whenever you fancy. Pair that with the newly visible speedometer, and suddenly, you're not just fast; you're challenging the very fabric of reality.
Creative director Matt Nava, one of the brilliant minds at Giant Squid, spilled the beans during an interview. He reckons it turns into a straight-up racing game. And here's the kicker: they almost didn't show the real speeds! Nava admitted that during development, they actually considered dividing the speedometer numbers in half, because they worried players would think the actual speeds were, get this, *too crazy* to be true. Can you imagine? "We can't let them know how truly bonkers fast this is, they'll think we're making it up!" It sounds like something out of a fantasy novel where the wizard accidentally makes a potion too potent and tries to water it down.
And after hearing that, it totally makes sense. The original article's writer mentioned accidentally hitting a Wisp in a circular tunnel and watching the speedometer rocket past *1,000 miles per hour*. One thousand! That's not just fast; that's blurring the line between game and glitch. You'd expect those kinds of numbers from some hyper-optimised, physics-breaking mod, not an official New Game Plus feature in what many might dismiss as an 'art project.'
This isn't just about going fast for the sake of it, though. It highlights a fascinating internal struggle in game design: the tension between 'serious' artistic vision and pure, unadulterated player fun. Nava confessed they initially thought, "No, we can't do that. It wouldn't be serious enough." But in New Game Plus, after you've had the story, after you've absorbed the initial artistic intent, they essentially hand you the keys to a digital drag race. It's a glorious embrace of chaos, an admission that sometimes, just going absolutely bonkers fast is exactly what players want. And from a player perspective, that's what we love – discovering hidden depths, unintended consequences, or frankly, just pure, ludicrous fun in games we thought we had pegged.
Nava also mentioned that the Giant Squid team themselves have been having a blast, competing for the highest scores, the craziest trick combos, and, naturally, the fastest speeds. It's always a good sign when the developers are genuinely hooked on their own creation's emergent gameplay. And he's spot on: speedrunners are absolutely going to *devour* this mode. The sheer potential for physics manipulation, Wisp deployment strategies, and finding optimal lines through those vast environments is immense. It transforms the game from a beautiful journey into a complex, high-speed puzzle.
So, if you've been sitting on the fence, maybe thinking *Sword of the Sea* was just another pretty face, a 'walking simulator' (or 'hover-gliding simulator' in this case) designed more for introspection than adrenaline, then think again, mate. This New Game Plus mode isn't just an addition; it's a revelation. It proves that a game can be both a stunning art piece and a legitimate speed demon, a truly chaotic and exciting combination that makes me genuinely enthusiastic for what else Giant Squid might accidentally unleash on us next. It's a beautiful, fast, and surprisingly competitive experience that perfectly blends the contemplative with the utterly ludicrous. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to see if I can break the sound barrier on my Hoversword.
Tags: SwordOfTheSea, NewGamePlus, Speedrunning, IndieGames, GameDesign
Original article: Polygon