The Pathless

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 52 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 52
  3. Negative: 8 out of 52

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  1. TomasLacerda
    Nov 14, 2020
    8
    The game is good.
    I was a bit surprised that they didn't used more moments in the game to make us feel stronger, in moments where we were supposed to. On that regard, I felt quite often underwhelmed with the progress of my character.
    Story wise, it's interesting, although I was expecting a more polished end.
    Overall it's an interesting game, with a calm vibe with refreshing mechanics.
  2. SuperkenGaming
    Nov 14, 2020
    8
    The Pathless
    on the right path
    the pathless is a 5 and a half hour long puzzle adventure game where you play as a hunter only equipped with a bow that souts out with her eagle companion to purify the lands, and to do this you run around each of the games varied areas and complete puzzles, all at your own pace, these puzzles are are fairly easy but immensely satisfying to complete, none    The Pathless
    on the right path
    the pathless is a 5 and a half hour long puzzle adventure game where you play as a hunter only equipped with a bow that souts out with her eagle companion to purify the lands, and to do this you run around each of the games varied areas and complete puzzles, all at your own pace, these puzzles are are fairly easy but immensely satisfying to complete, none will ever stump you too hard to where youll have to look up a guide.. theyre all just genuinely fun and varied enough to not feel repetitive throughout your journey, and once you’ve collected enough pieces by completing these puzzle, you plug them into a tower and once all 3 towers of that area are lit you can go take on that areas boss, all of which happen in multiple stages, the first hunting them down in a chase sequence, and then finally taking them down one on one and by doing so youll unlock a new perk and the games next area.. this is the entire hook of the game and all in all its great, but the overall execution of the pathless is what keeps it just below that bar of ultimate greatness, my biggest issues with the pathless is just how unfun traversal is… at first its fun shooting your arrows at these little target ot gain speed and slide and fly all around the map, but even before this mechanic is introduced, you immediately feel how slow and sluggish your character feels, and having to rely on hitting those targets to have any speed is just a nusance, making getting from puzzle to puzzle quite the drag… and to make matters worse there is this awesful fire dome that chasing you as you go around the map, getting sucked into one forces you to stealthfully recover your eagle companin and dust them off to continue the game.. I just wnna explore and solve puzzles.. leave me alone… and even finding these items you need to progress is annoying too.. you have an ability that will make areas of interest glow, but the red glow seems to not always indicate exactly what you need, it could just be an optional collectable, I just wish these things were color coded as again, traversing through this world with such sluggish controls just isn’t fun a lot of the time.. its fine when you do have a meter, but again its just a nussaince to have to constantly be hitting tagets as you run through the world to have any sort of speed…
    With fixes to the speed of your character, and color coding different areas of interest and the pathless is definitely a gret game, but as of right now, for what it is.. its so close to being great, bt not quite there…
    This was a unique experience, the boss battles are amazing, and id highly recommend this to anyone into exploring worlds and solving puzzles..
    I give The Pathless
    a 7.5/10    … Expand
  3. SonofEda
    Jan 4, 2021
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Been a fan of Matt Nava and his art style since I first played Journey, then was one of the first to get Abzu and then brought this when I could afford it, a purchase now i regret making. To its merit, the art, music and some of the new mechanics are great, I loved the traversing through the lands. The puzzles are a good, neither too hard or too easy, which with the looming red clouds approaching are a blessing. Then we throw in the boss fights! The first two are tense but doable, then you will come to the third .. for this make sure your young, with reflexes of a ninja warrior, and the patience of Saint Monica, because this is where the game ended for me, and if i had a physical copy I would have gladly smashed it to pieces. Before the "git gud" crowd vote me down, at fifty four I don't have the time or inclination. I don't play looking for stress and on their previous games really didn't expect it, I should have waiting till it came down in price and done more research as playing half a game, at half the price wouldn't have disappointed me too much. For me its a lesson learnt.… Expand
  4. Brnlv
    Feb 13, 2021
    10
    A superb game that mixes the relaxed, fluid exploration of Journey with the open world exploration of BOTW, and the megafauna of Shadow of the Colossus. The world building happens gradually through small bites of information, rewarding exploration and lateral thinking as you piece it all together. The themes of nature, pollution, political and religious fundamentalism, and intra-societalA superb game that mixes the relaxed, fluid exploration of Journey with the open world exploration of BOTW, and the megafauna of Shadow of the Colossus. The world building happens gradually through small bites of information, rewarding exploration and lateral thinking as you piece it all together. The themes of nature, pollution, political and religious fundamentalism, and intra-societal conflict feel prescient. The music, writing, traversal, lore and aesthetic all combine into something really special.’… Expand
  5. Jin-Sakai
    Dec 4, 2020
    10
    This was one of the best games i have ever played. I created an account to rate this game it is not perfect and it might be to overpriced for the playtime but if you liked games like journey, ori and abzu this is an absolut must by. It has so much heart to it from level design, boss fights and story. The gameplay is basically fast paced running trough a beatiful world with bow and arrowThis was one of the best games i have ever played. I created an account to rate this game it is not perfect and it might be to overpriced for the playtime but if you liked games like journey, ori and abzu this is an absolut must by. It has so much heart to it from level design, boss fights and story. The gameplay is basically fast paced running trough a beatiful world with bow and arrow and your eagle which i didnt care at the beginning but i got emotionally attached to him the more i played and solving puzzles which arent really hard but made in a smart way and to break the flow of running. There are also Boss fights which i dont wanna spoil but they are amazing.
    One of the best aspects is the music in this game running acomponied with the amazinh music was a blast.

    I really really recommend this game if you have the money go an get this otherwise wait for a sale and get this gem!    … Expand
  6. Bozzwick
    Nov 14, 2020
    10
    Austin wintory is a damn genius with the musics. 23 out of 17. Best score (the... music kind)
  7. Puntendo64
    Jun 8, 2021
    5
    Movement is fun but the more you progress in the game, the worse it gets. Upgrades mostly get you more jumps and after a while you don't even need to bother with the dashes.
    Puzzles are too simple. BOTW at least had wacky physics interactions. So basically all the side content in the game is bad.
    You'll probably have fun the first few hours but you'll wish that you had refunded the game    Movement is fun but the more you progress in the game, the worse it gets. Upgrades mostly get you more jumps and after a while you don't even need to bother with the dashes.
    Puzzles are too simple. BOTW at least had wacky physics interactions. So basically all the side content in the game is bad.
    You'll probably have fun the first few hours but you'll wish that you had refunded the game after that.    … Expand
  8. Sokop
    Nov 19, 2020
    8
    Loved the art direction.
    Loved the puzzles.
    Loved the traversal.
    Loved the eagle.
    Loved the game.

    If you liked Journey, you'll like The Pathless.
  9. BoogalooShrimp
    Aug 2, 2023
    4
    Quite boring, don't know how it is rated so high. You explore a bland world, with story being little text box messages when you click on fallen warriors. Totally unoriginal basic puzzles of aligning rings so your arrows fly through them all, or getting your eagle friend to place objects on set platforms. Firing the arrows to traverse faster got tedious after the novelty wore off, if youQuite boring, don't know how it is rated so high. You explore a bland world, with story being little text box messages when you click on fallen warriors. Totally unoriginal basic puzzles of aligning rings so your arrows fly through them all, or getting your eagle friend to place objects on set platforms. Firing the arrows to traverse faster got tedious after the novelty wore off, if you just have to hold down fire for each target and can't really miss, then may have just had a dash button instead!

    Too overrated and expensive game with arty graphics and relaxing soundtrack.    … Expand
  10. SeguraSebas
    Feb 17, 2021
    9
    The Pathless is a really good open world game, full of puzzles (literally full), really beautiful graphic design and a very simple way of playing, you just use a couple of buttons to accomplished the missions. It reminded me a lot to old games, characters speak only in cinematics, the rest is all written, it doesn't even have a map, neither an indicator of where to go, you are really freeThe Pathless is a really good open world game, full of puzzles (literally full), really beautiful graphic design and a very simple way of playing, you just use a couple of buttons to accomplished the missions. It reminded me a lot to old games, characters speak only in cinematics, the rest is all written, it doesn't even have a map, neither an indicator of where to go, you are really free to move wherever you want. The bosses are gigantic and full of lights. At some point it becomes a bit repetitive though, that's why I don't give a ten to it, but in general, I really loved the game.… Expand
  11. Tom_Supreme
    Nov 18, 2020
    9
    The Pathless is not a game for everyone. People who like it loud, crowded and action-packed will be bored and tired in no time.

    Those who liked games like Journey, ABZU, SotC or ICO will have a good time roaming around to free the world of darkness. It's unique but also in some ways familiar art style is eye-pleasing. A big plus is the Score from Austin Wintory, he has proven once again    The Pathless is not a game for everyone. People who like it loud, crowded and action-packed will be bored and tired in no time.

    Those who liked games like Journey, ABZU, SotC or ICO will have a good time roaming around to free the world of darkness. It's unique but also in some ways familiar art style is eye-pleasing. A big plus is the Score from Austin Wintory, he has proven once again that he plays in the top league of composing video game scores.    … Expand
  12. John_II
    Sep 26, 2021
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I honestly find this game hard to score.

    Some nitpicks I have from other reviews because I find them misleading:

    - This game is not as relaxing as a lot of the reviews suggest. When there is no boss, it's relaxing. When there is a boss chasing you off every puzzle you try to solve, it's stressful. If you want to relax, just place Journey or better yet, Flower.

    - Boss fights are intense. You cannot sleep through them. They're a lot of fun, but they take a certain skill level that anyone new to video games will not be able to pull off. If you're a novice gamer - skip this game. Try Journey.

    - This is NOT a 5 hour game. Maybe it is if you fly through it and figure everything out. I'm more of a completionist and it took 12 hours to beat all the bosses and get all the lightstones except Kumo's... which I still have to get. So read into that what you will. I say it's a 10-15 hour game if you're trying to do it all.

    The good:

    - It looks stunning. I mean the whole world is a work of art.
    - The traversal - especially once you get more power-ups is a lot of fun. Sure the world is vast, but you can cross it easily.
    - The boss fights are engaging. Yes, they take a little trial and error (or lightning fast reflexes), but they're doable.
    - The last boss is epic.
    - The roaming bosses are a cool concept. Finally activating 3 towers and pinning one down feels great.
    - No puzzle is all that hard.
    - This game more or less goes at your own pace.
    - The exploration pays off. You'll find stuff hidden everywhere and I love that.

    The bad: If the developer, Giant Squid reads this, these are for you:

    1. Depowering the character right before the last boss is just stupid.

    Why bother with power-ups if none of them matter for the last boss? I suppose it saves people who aren't completionists from missing out, but it makes me wonder what the point is in being a completionist and getting all the power-ups if you cannot use them against the last boss.

    2. The colour palette change after you beat Kumo almost literally ruined the game for me.

    I love the way the world looks. Unfortunately, once you beat the 4th boss, the whole world turns orange. It's harder to get around and I loved the exploration most. I wanted to soar across snow-covered peaks with no boss stalking me. But too bad for me the beautiful platinum and blue of the mountains is replaced with orange. This is not just a bad design choice, it's a disincentive for me to keep playing. I literally almost quit right then and there.

    How to fix this: I had to look on The Pathless Discord to find this and there is a fix for this - you go to any tower and use the sun dial. Apparently this was patched it later. Good call for the developers. I saw a YouTube video on this as well.

    3. No map.

    A map would have been nice. Maybe have it unlock after the beat the last boss so you do a little clean-up. I don't think this is a deal breaker, but it's a deliberate omission and a huge QOL thing that we expect in a game from 2020.

    4. Some boss chases are too aggressive.

    This is a minor point. Bosses chase you. Sometimes I could not shake a boss for 15 minutes. So, eventually I just ran into the cloud because I would rather waster 3 minutes clearing the boss room than the next 15 running even more.

    Some bosses are sneaky too - like why bother making a big deal of the chase when a boss can just teleport in front of you or onto the exact spot you need to go? It feels cheap, like you're just making the game longer. Why not just have the boss stage after every tower you cleanse? It respects the player's time more.

    Conclusion:

    - I enjoyed most of this game. Probably about 2/3 of my time spent was fun. The last 1/3 is capture in the bad section.
    - Loving the lore and the world - that's what I wanted more of in a free roam and NOT with that stupid orange-tinged world.
    - This game needed a free roaming end game.    … Expand
  13. FunkyBoi
    Jun 6, 2021
    8
    Another solid release from a provenly capable studio.
    TL;DR: Slow to start, but definitely worth your time.
    To be honest, I considered dropping Pathless during the first hour or two of play, but I'm incredibly glad I didn't. The game steadily built on all of it's mechanics, making each area feel fuller than the previous one. The puzzles went from relatively simple to innovative and    Another solid release from a provenly capable studio.
    TL;DR: Slow to start, but definitely worth your time.

    To be honest, I considered dropping Pathless during the first hour or two of play, but I'm incredibly glad I didn't. The game steadily built on all of it's mechanics, making each area feel fuller than the previous one. The puzzles went from relatively simple to innovative and refreshing, and the boss battles improved exponentially, leading to an incredible final climax.
    The best aspect of the game has to be the movement system. My main problem with most large-scale open or semi-open world games is always traversal. In most games, traversing large maps can be hugely monotonous, and easily begins to feel like a chore after the first 30 minutes or so. This was not the case in Pathless. The talisman boost system rewards the player for mastering the game's fundamental mechanics with a superbly satisfying movement system, the complexity and possibility for mastery of which only grows as the game continues. I'm incredibly happy with the way they implemented this, and hope more games take inspiration from this hands-on approach to world traversal.
    Overall I wish the earlier levels of the game were a bit more involved, both puzzle mechanic and movement-skill wise, as I fear some players may lose patience as I nearly did, but I'm really glad the way the rest of the game unfolded.    … Expand
  14. Helmspire_Gugli
    Aug 3, 2021
    8
    Very few games managed to make me feel completely immersed in an immaginary world, and I played a LOT of open world games.
    The Pathless simply got me in love with its silent storytelling, elegant traversal, engaging fights and overall stunnning visuals. Without a doubt the best design choice made by Giant Squid here was to let the players explore however they want this amazing world, no    Very few games managed to make me feel completely immersed in an immaginary world, and I played a LOT of open world games.
    The Pathless simply got me in love with its silent storytelling, elegant traversal, engaging fights and overall stunnning visuals. Without a doubt the best design choice made by Giant Squid here was to let the players explore however they want this amazing world, no restraints, no markers, no tunnels, just freedom.
    Exploring is consistently rewarding as you alwasy find some very well hidden collectible or shrine, and getting lost in its land is simply a joy. Not to say that movement was absolutely nailed by the designers, an open world game should always make traversal fun (Spiderman Miles Morales anyone?) and The Pathless somehow found a way to incorporate a skill based movement system that puts you into a trans-like momentum that has just enough depth to it to keep it always interesting throughout its duration.
    A very prominent aspect to its gameplay is puzzles, and I've got to say I am not a big fan of them, but I was very pleased to see that this game made them fun, simple and most importantly not annoying to overcome.
    Its an overall balanced and well designed experience that I would recommend to anyone capable of enjoying a silent, relaxing adventure with very interesting gameplay.    … Expand
  15. xAETHERIUSx
    Sep 4, 2023
    9
    The Pathless is an artistically rich, smooth, and satisfying Indie game that has been signifcantly overlooked. The story is simple but effective, no fuss, no problem. The gameplay is fluid and satisfying (and becomes more so the further you progress, especially if you do side content.) Some may find the puzzles to be overly simplistic, but this game shoots for calm, relaxing, and serene. IThe Pathless is an artistically rich, smooth, and satisfying Indie game that has been signifcantly overlooked. The story is simple but effective, no fuss, no problem. The gameplay is fluid and satisfying (and becomes more so the further you progress, especially if you do side content.) Some may find the puzzles to be overly simplistic, but this game shoots for calm, relaxing, and serene. I think the puzzles are easy enough to not be frustrating but still felt satisfying to complete. The sound design is solid and works very well for what it is. The music is more of the same, solid all around. The visuals are wonderful. The art style is fairly basic but very vibrant and captivating, especially once the various areas are cleansed of the corruption that haunts them. Performance was also spotless in my 100% playthrough. It's a very good package overall with minimal issues, definitely an Indie gem.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

87
#87 Best PS4 Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 17
  3. Negative: 1 out of 17
  1. VideoGamer
    Dec 3, 2020
    70
    I would prescribe The Pathless to anyone feeling numbed and locked by our days of inanition; it’s perfect if you feel your home becoming an isle on the edge of the world.
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  2. BaziCenter
    Nov 22, 2020
    85
    The Pathless is yet another brilliant game from Giant Squid, one with great harmony between almost all of its elements that sends you on a short adventure in its unknown and strange world.
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  3. GameCrate
    Nov 20, 2020
    93
    The Pathless is as majestic as it is haunting. It’s ruminative and captivating. Above all, it’s one of the most incredible meditative adventures ever created.
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