Wizards of Wanderlust: Matt Nava's 'Sword of the Sea' and the Quest for Extreme Zen
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Matt Nava of Giant Squid opens up about 'Sword of the Sea,' revealing it's a visually stunning, meditative journey of hover-surfing that connects to *ABZÛ* and *The Pathless*, and marks his return to the 'orange game' aesthetic after *Journey*'s success.
Right, so apparently, some folks spend their time building intricate worlds that make you feel like you've accidentally stumbled into a glitch in the Matrix, but a really, *really* chill one. That's the vibe I get whenever Giant Squid – the studio behind the utterly mesmerising *ABZÛ* and the high-flying *The Pathless* – pops up on my radar. And their latest creation, *Sword of the Sea*, seems to be dialling that ‘immaculate vibe’ up to eleven.
I’ve been tinkering with the details from Polygon’s chat with Matt Nava, Giant Squid's co-founder and creative director, and bloody hell, it’s wilder than just another pretty indie game. Nava, for those who reckon they've seen his artistic fingerprints before, was also the artistic director for *Journey*. And if that doesn’t get your curiosity sparking like a faulty spell, I don’t know what will.
Now, Giant Squid has this brilliant knack for crafting vast, soothing digital playgrounds, and *Sword of the Sea* is no exception. It’s visually stunning, as you’d expect, but what's truly fascinating is how Nava sees all his games as iterations on a core idea – both visually and in terms of design. Think of it like a digital wizard's ever-evolving spellbook, each new incantation building on the last, pushing the boundaries of what's possible.
Fair dinkum, *ABZÛ* and *Sword of the Sea* aren't just lookalikes; they actually take place in the same universe, a cosmic neighbourhood that also houses *The Pathless*. If *ABZÛ* was about healing the oceans as a lone diver, *Sword of the Sea* flips the script, sending players on a quest to restore water to arid lands and frozen tundras. You won't be doing any deep-sea diving here, mate. Instead, you'll be hover-surfing across vast sandy deserts, icy peaks, and even bodies of water filled with creatures that seem to have skipped gravity class entirely.
Nava mentions they design a whole backstory and mythos, then keep it deliberately ambiguous, letting players connect the dots – like finding hidden glyphs in an ancient ruin. No clunky dialogue or endless text logs here; it's all about visual storytelling, music, and colour, with just a sprinkle of poetic steles to guide the way. It’s a bit of a middle-ground approach for them, actually. After the text-free *ABZÛ* and the lore-heavy *The Pathless*, they’ve settled on something that leans into the art of silent narrative, which, frankly, I reckon is a brave and brilliant move in a world obsessed with exposition.
Apparently, there's a creative pendulum swing at Giant Squid HQ. After *ABZÛ*, they went 'bigger!' with *The Pathless*, which Nava admits was 'huge, it's crazy.' Then, after that epic, they thought, 'maybe something a little smaller, a bit more condensed.' It’s the kind of creative self-reflection you love to see – a studio understanding its own rhythm rather than just chasing the next big trend.
But the real magic trick in *Sword of the Sea*? The movement. Oh, the movement! If *ABZÛ* gave us serene swimming and *The Pathless* delivered 'hardcore skate-sledding,' then *Sword of the Sea* is all about the 'Hoversword' – part surfboard, part skateboard, part snowboard. This thing lets you glide, grind, and soar across environments riddled with half-pipes and rails. Nava confessed they’ve been toiling on this movement system for almost *five years*. Five years! That’s longer than some full game development cycles, which just goes to show their dedication to getting that 'intrinsic reward' feeling just right. You know that feeling when you cast a spell and it works a bit too well, giving you an unexpected burst of power? That's what they're chasing with this movement.
Nava’s love for surfing and snowboarding really shines through here. He explains how these extreme sports aren’t just about the adrenaline rush; they're about a meditative connection with nature. You're not in control, you're becoming part of the environment, letting it act upon you. And that’s the message he hopes to convey in *Sword of the Sea*. It’s a game where you can 'go fast uphill' on a snowboard, a basic premise you barely think about, but one that completely rewrites the rules of movement and exploration. It’s like breaking a fundamental law of physics, but in the best possible way!
And here’s the kicker, the lovely human story behind the corporate announcement: Nava finally feels comfortable returning to the 'orange game' aesthetic of *Journey*. After *Journey* became this absolute 'Game of the Year' phenomenon, he admits he was reluctant to tread similar visual ground. Every Giant Squid game pushed forward, 'being very careful not to use the color orange.' But with *Sword of the Sea*, he declared, 'You know what? I'm ready to do my orange game.' It’s a wonderful moment of a creator fully embracing their own legacy and finding confidence in their continued artistic evolution.
Despite the long hours and creative challenges, Nava is still genuinely excited about making video games, especially with his team. And honestly, mate, that’s all you can ask for from the folks bringing these digital worlds to life. Keep tinkering, keep exploring, and keep blowing our minds with those immaculate vibes, I reckon. Because when the chaos of development leads to such serene beauty, well, that's a kind of magic I'm always here for.
*Original article by Claire Lewis, published by Polygon.*
Tags: Indie Gaming, Adventure Games, Game Development, Art Direction, Exploration
Original article: Polygon