‘The Old Oak’ Review: Ken Loach’s Swan Song Is a Contrived Morality Play about Syrian RefugeesĪnyone who’s ever played a third-person adventure game before will instinctively jam on the L2 trigger to make the Hunter move run, only to find that each dash siphons away at a stamina gauge that can only be replenished by firing arrows at any of the thousands of eyeball targets that hover in the air around her. With the exception of some puzzle components and a handful of surprisingly intense bosses, these are the only things that “The Pathless” offers you to shoot the Hunter’s bow is less of a weapon than a tool, but - when used in concert with the mystical (and mega-cute) eagle that players team up with in the opening minutes of this roughly seven-hour adventure - it’s all you’ll need to get to heaven.ĭespite the apocalyptic threat that looms over its story, “The Pathless” eschews typical video game stakes in order to embrace the medium’s unique penchant for exploration.
Instructions are few and far between, and there’s no map overlay or mission objectives to help guide you to the next plateau (hit triangle and certain objects will glow yellow or red, but that’s about all the assistance you get).
From the moment players assume control of the Hunter, they’re left almost entirely to their own devices. None of the others came back, and the clues they’ve left behind with their dying breaths aren’t much help when it comes to navigating an open world that offers only one direction: up.Īn enthralling mini-epic that unfolds like a combat-free cross between “Journey” and “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” Giant Squid and Annapurna Interactive’s “ The Pathless” strives to make good on the promise of its title. She arrives on the beaches of this nameless place determined to reach the magma-encrusted pyramid that juts down from the sky (a slash of “Neon Genesis Evangelion” in a game that otherwise sports a more rustic storybook vibe), and kill the three-eyed Godslayer who shadowed the land in darkness the neglected skeletons she finds strewn about the grass suggest that our Hunter isn’t the first to try. Still, players craving a more structured experience, tied to a less mysterious tale, might want to consider a different path.At the far edge of a cursed world, a pale Hunter - the last of her kind - sails to the island that bridges the human realm on earth with the spirit realm above. These are minor gripes though, ones that rarely overshadow The Pathless' stronger elements. That said, the game's title is sometimes applied too literally, leaving the player lost in the world - or at a loss for a puzzle solution. The evolution of your abilities, as well as your growing bond with the bird also deepen the experience. Exploring the world, cracking puzzles, and engaging in epic boss battles offers an absorbing, generally well-paced mix of activities. Of course, the warrior and her winged ally don't only rely on these tricks to go sightseeing, but also to solve environmental puzzles and take down the cursed beasts threatening to consume the land. You can also call on your eagle companion to help you ascend to high destinations and cross wide gaps. By shooting small targets - littered throughout the land - in quick succession, you're able to propel yourself forward in a manner that'll immediately put a smile on your face.Īs much fun as it is using the archer's skills to get around, the fluid controls only represent part of the game's imaginative take on traversal. Additionally, the gameplay allows you to move through the serene settings with a clever control scheme that sees you building momentum with the protagonist's bow and arrows. The Pathless uses a stylized, painterly style that brings the sprawling, naturalistic world to life with the sort of beauty typically reserved for an artist's canvas. The concept of an unlikely protagonist tasked with vanquishing a dark force determined to destroy the world Is a familiar one, but it's the presentation and play that helps this game stand out.
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