You cant make a top 10 games list of 2020 without playing Pathless, the absolute gem

fanboy · Dec 23, 2020

I enjoyed Abzu and Pathless looked cool. After the trailer I thought it would land near 7/10 but my god was I wrong.

Pathless is going to be in my top 5 videogames of 2020 (along with Hades, 13 sentinels, tlou...)

It has unique traversal (has any game done this before in this style?) where you move faster by shooting crystals hovering all of over the world. You solve some of the best puzzles ever in terms of clever design and fun gameplay mechanics to solve them.

You can just drift around in the world with beautiful music in your ears, but you must be careful about the storms - big cloudlike areas that are spawning across the map.

There are some traversal challenges but I think their purpose is to make you feel better while flying/jumping around than to challenge you. But dont worry, this game can be challenging.

There are a few bosses in here that are really well designed with multiple stages.

Its just so much fun to play this. And I havent even started describing how georgeous Pathless looks like.

Devs really outdone their Abzu visual style and implemented more particle effects. There are a few beautiful scenes in cutscenes or just during gameplay if you approach certain moments in right angle.

Eagle is a great addition and exploring actually rewards you with upgraded traversal options

It has a story, although a lot of it is told via text messages all around the world. It has lovely main character and a lot of content. I will probably go for platinum and spend somethinf like 15 hours in this.

If it wouldnt be for Hades, this would be my best indie game of this year. Well done Giant Squid.

Please, buy this game, especially if you liked Journey or Abzu (or neither of them because Pathless is so much more).

So yeah, buy it like you bought 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. I feel like Pathless is even more overlooked.

PS: Dualsense support is cooool.

Khanimus · Dec 23, 2020

I like it alot, but the world just isn't distinctive enough when trying to clear out an area and you're just in circles trying to find that last puzzle. That aspect gets really annoying and just makes me wish it had a decent enough map, just so that I could keep my head straight on where I am.

fanboy · Dec 23, 2020

Khanimus said:
I like it alot, but the world just isn't distinctive enough when trying to clear out an area and you're just in circles trying to find that last puzzle. That aspect gets really annoying and just makes me wish it had a decent enough map, just so that I could keep my head straight on where I am.

I use landmarks... its true that some puzzles are sometimes "hidden" or arent showing up properly but I got used to it.

Its all about exploration and planning your route. You dont need a map if you just want to finish it. I think its fair that the game doesnt guide you with arrows or something on map if you want to platinum it or something.

DGenerator · Dec 23, 2020

You can't make a top 10 games list of 2020 without playing Spelunky 2, the absolute gem

Khanimus · Dec 23, 2020

fanboy said:
I use landmarks... its true that some puzzles are sometimes "hidden" or arent showing up properly but I got used to it.

Its all about exploration and planning your route. You dont need a map if you just want to finish it. I think its fair that the game doesnt guide you with arrows or something on map if you want to platinum it or something.

The landmarks just don't stick out to me that much. And I'm usually in love with freeform exploration and enjoy getting lost.

inspectah · Dec 23, 2020

Is this a PS5 console exclusive or will it come to Xbox at a later date?

Ewaan · Dec 23, 2020

I platinumed this last night and it really was outstanding. I loved every minute of this game and coming off of Cyberpunk which didn't always function like it was supposed to - The Pathless is so polished.

Khanimus said:
I like it alot, but the world just isn't distinctive enough when trying to clear out an area and you're just in circles trying to find that last puzzle. That aspect gets really annoying and just makes me wish it had a decent enough map, just so that I could keep my head straight on where I am.

I felt this way for the first half hour or so. After that a combination of getting to high ground and toggling the mask on to highlight areas of interest got me through. Viewing the plateaus from the towers gives you a sense of where things are.

I got all the light stones as I progressed through the game and got the 45 lattern trophy withiut much effort using that method.

AnOwlWithKnees · Dec 23, 2020

I loved Journey and enjoyed Abzu (along with many other games of that ilk). I was really hopeful for The Pathless, however I ended up dropping it after a few hours. I was pretty disappointed in the traversal mechanics, it felt like more of a hassle than it was worth. I can't really explain why, I just didn't enjoy it.

I also thought the dualsense implementation was pretty poor. Maybe that's part of it? I didn't think that they accurately captured the feeling of the bow and I found it more of a nuisance than something additive (unlike Astrobot, for example).

Shame, as I wanted to like it. Might give it another try sometime.

Dervius · Dec 23, 2020

"You cant make a top 10 games list of 2020 without playing Pathless, the absolute gem"

Unless, y'know, you don't own a PlayStation.

(I think the game looks very cool)

pagrab · Dec 23, 2020

Damn, I gotta play it. It is sitting in my Apple Arcade for quite some time now.

Indy_Rex · Dec 23, 2020

Dervius said:
"You cant make a top 10 games list of 2020 without playing Pathless, the absolute gem"

Unless, y'know, you don't own a PlayStation.

(I think the game looks very cool)

It's also on PC and iOS.

OsramTaleka · Dec 23, 2020

I loved every minute getting the platinum and it's one of the strongest uses of the Dualsense at launch! I think about it on a daily basis.

Ahti · Dec 23, 2020

It`s one of my favorite games of this year and a must-play for fans of Shadow of the Colossus and BOTW, imo.

Dervius said:
Unless, y'know, you don't own a PlayStation.

Play it on PC then. ;-)

Bushido · Dec 23, 2020

OP is right, one of the best games of the year (6th place on my list) and I enjoyed every single minute of it. I'm just a sucker for these vast, beautiful landscapes filled with ruins and giant structures, really loved traversing and exploring the various biomes, puzzles were a lot of fun, great atmosphere and soundtrack, some fantastic boss fights (the final boss specifically, holy cow)...just a really great package overall.

If you're a fan of Journey/Abzu, Shadow of the Colossus or Zelda you should definitely give this a look, especially after a price drop (took me about 12 hours to platinum it with no real reason to go back, so 40€ might be a bit steep for some. I definitely got my money's worth though, zero regrets).

Deleted member 51789 · Dec 23, 2020

Turns out, you 100% can ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It's great people like it but even compared to Journey and Abzu, it doesn't look like something I'd enjoy so I'm not going to stop making my own mental top 10 list just because I haven't played a game I don't think I'll like.

nbnt · Dec 23, 2020

AnOwlWithKnees said:
I loved Journey and enjoyed Abzu (along with many other games of that ilk). I was really hopeful for The Pathless, however I ended up dropping it after a few hours. I was pretty disappointed in the traversal mechanics, it felt like more of a hassle than it was worth. I can't really explain why, I just didn't enjoy it.

I also thought the dualsense implementation was pretty poor. Maybe that's part of it? I didn't think that they accurately captured the feeling of the bow and I found it more of a nuisance than something additive (unlike Astrobot, for example).

Shame, as I wanted to like it. Might give it another try sometime.

Exactly why I dropped it within an hour. Traversal was just too much of a chore.

Qudi · Dec 23, 2020

Its a gorgeous game with a stellar soundtrack. The boss fights also are just *chef kiss* a spectacle.
Anyone who enjoyed Abzu or Journey need to play it.

Dervius · Dec 23, 2020

Indy_Rex said:
It's also on PC and iOS.

Ahti said:
It`s one of my favorite games of this year and a must-play for fans of Shadow of the Colossus and BOTW, imo.

Play it on PC then. ;-)

Well PC is news to me, but IOS? It's on mobile but not on Xbox?

Do we know if it's timed Console exclusivity? Not sure my laptop is up to the task

Solace · Dec 23, 2020

The game was fantastic, at least the part where I played, stopped after beating the third boss I think but the main problem I think was that the boss fights were like practically the same thing with a little tweak here and there. Had they made more totally different boss fights, it would have been a Journey-tier experience.

Visually speaking, it is fantastic with some really breathtaking moments. The jump from the towers and gliding into the boss sphere of fire and shit alone is enough to give it a try.

Paquete_PT · Dec 23, 2020

You can't make a thread about Pathless without mentioning the soundtrack, shame on you op. It's the best soundtrack Austin Wintory has done since Journey. I'm really enjoying the game, it makes a hell of a strong impression but does get repetitive after the first area

Jakke_Koala · Dec 23, 2020

Havent played this, but i think the the valley did the same kind of traversal. Not entirely sure, since its been a while since i played it

ARobotCalledV · Dec 23, 2020

So I did buy Pathless due to the comparisons some made towards Ueda's games pre release and there wasn't all that much else for me on PS5. Expecting to love it, I ended up dropping off after a few hours. While the art is amazing, the traversal just wasn't fun and the puzzles were uninteresting. I'll probably try to finish it at some point but right now I feel very meh towards it.

fanboy · Dec 23, 2020

Dervius said:
"You cant make a top 10 games list of 2020 without playing Pathless, the absolute gem"

Unless, y'know, you don't own a PlayStation.

(I think the game looks very cool)

TBH, you cant really make a relevant top 10 game of xy year if you dont own playstation console in the first place... but yeah, try it on another device :)

AnOwlWithKnees said:
I loved Journey and enjoyed Abzu (along with many other games of that ilk). I was really hopeful for The Pathless, however I ended up dropping it after a few hours. I was pretty disappointed in the traversal mechanics, it felt like more of a hassle than it was worth. I can't really explain why, I just didn't enjoy it.

I also thought the dualsense implementation was pretty poor. Maybe that's part of it? I didn't think that they accurately captured the feeling of the bow and I found it more of a nuisance than something additive (unlike Astrobot, for example).

Shame, as I wanted to like it. Might give it another try sometime.

DualSense support was cool. I thought that they could use stronger triggers but I quickly realized it wouldnt work since you are pressing R2 practically from start to finish non stop.

Paquete_PT said:
You can't make a thread about Pathless without mentioning the soundtrack, shame on you op. It's the best soundtrack Austin Wintory has done since Journey. I'm really enjoying the game, it makes a hell of a strong impression but does get repetitive after the first area

I actually mentioned the soundtrack :P

fanboy said:
You can just drift around in the world with beautiful music in your ears, but you must be careful about the storms - big cloudlike areas that are spawning across the map.

Wesker · Dec 23, 2020

Might check it out on Apple Arcade, still have a few weeks of my 3 month trial left.
It looked decent enough.

Sanctuary · Dec 23, 2020

I can't even make a top ten list for 2020 period. I think the most I can manage is eight.

Dervius · Dec 23, 2020

fanboy said:
TBH, you cant really make a relevant top 10 game of xy year if you dont own playstation console in the first place... but yeah, try it on another device :)

How Console War-y of you to say.

Paquete_PT · Dec 23, 2020

fanboy said:
I actually mentioned the soundtrack :P

Well, not enough, obviously!
It's a great game to relax in these troubled times

iamandy · Dec 23, 2020

Incredible game, traversal is so good!

Mr.Deadshot · Dec 23, 2020

I can totally make a Top 10 list without including The Pathless, Spelunky 2 and Animal Crossing.

StrappingYoungLance · Dec 23, 2020

Khanimus said:
I like it alot, but the world just isn't distinctive enough when trying to clear out an area and you're just in circles trying to find that last puzzle. That aspect gets really annoying and just makes me wish it had a decent enough map, just so that I could keep my head straight on where I am.

This was basically my one criticism of the game, I was really frustrated by that one facet of the game toward the end.

Overall though I loved the game and thought it was a much better outing than Abzu, which felt like it was chasing Journey too hard without understanding what made it special. I love that you can see the lineage of Journey and Abzu in this game but that this carves out a strong identity of its own.

Enjoyable and unique movement, fun puzzles (in that Zelda-ey way where they're satisfying to figure out but not particularly taxing), beautiful world and the boss fights were an excellent spectacle. Amazing use of HDR.

Definitely one of my favourite games this year, I hope word of mouth spreads. I hope anyone who maybe thinks it's a pass because games like Journey or Abzu weren't their thing give it a second look too, it's a lot more traditionally gamey than its forebears.

Deleted member 37917 · Dec 23, 2020

I just finished Abzu, and it was possibly to most polished turd I ever "played". I say played, but there is not much to play to begin with when this software is a literal corridor simulator. I would rank it even lower than Gris, which was already pretty bad.
Good to know that their new game is a significant step up in terms of gameplay, because from a technical and artistic viewpoint, Abzu was good.

Clive · Dec 23, 2020

No top 10 will ever be 100% informed because no one has time to play all games. My top 10 will obviously be the one that best lines up with the objective quality standards (me subjectively liking the game) but there are still probably 30+ games I want to play but haven't been able to yet.

Zephy · Dec 23, 2020

You can't make a thread telling me I can't make a top 10 list without playing a game without posting a pic of the game !

Techno · Dec 23, 2020

It's not too bad from what I played of it, so I agree.

MarsipanRumpan · Dec 23, 2020

I've currently 100% finished the first two areas (not including the tutorial area), and have gotten the gifts from the spirits in both areas, which should mean I'm 50% through the game. I'm enjoying it but I think the game might not be exactly for me, sadly. I do see that it's a great game, but I'm just not enjoying it as much as I'd like to. So far its a 7 for me, and I think it might be the "worst" game that I've played on PS5 so far (Miles, Astro, Souls, Bugsnax and Sackboy, all of which I've gotten the Platinum trophy in)

But I know it's beloved by everyone who loves games like Abzu and Journey and do believe it deserves to be in the conversations for top games in 2020 simply for that part of the gaming-crowd because as I said, I do see it a great game.. :)

Penny Royal · Dec 23, 2020

I vacillate between loving it and losing my cadence during traversal & getting bored with it.

Really a great step up from Abzu (which is a step for step retread of Journey), and it's nice to see it getting some belated love now people have moved past Miles, Astro, ACV etc

jman0625 · Dec 23, 2020

But I'm broke, OP 😭

Exile In Mudville · Dec 23, 2020

I really tried with the Pathless, and I loved moving around the world when I didn't have to worry about making severe jumps and i liked some of the puzzle solving, but stuff like precision platforming and stealthing about for the eagle kind of took me out of the flow of the game. It's at least very very pretty to look at though.

ghostcrew · Dec 23, 2020

DGenerator said:
You can't make a top 10 games list of 2020 without playing Spelunky 2, the absolute gem

CO-SIGNED

Lord Fanny · Dec 23, 2020

inspectah said:
Is this a PS5 console exclusive or will it come to Xbox at a later date?

Dervius said:
Well PC is news to me, but IOS? It's on mobile but not on Xbox?

Do we know if it's timed Console exclusivity? Not sure my laptop is up to the task

It's almost assuredly timed and will come to Xbox systems at some point

Valcrist · Dec 23, 2020

I got it after finishing Demon's Souls remake and I've only played it for an hour because I was annoyed at not being good at getting perfect shots.

fanboy · Dec 23, 2020

Dervius said:
How Console War-y of you to say.

What? How is that console wary? Playstation exclusives are goty contenders each year lol. Same goes for switch exclusives. Would it be console wary too to state the fact that not playing any playstation exclusives automatically makes one's goty list irrelevant?

I own and love every console, i am definitely not a console warrior.

Dervius · Dec 23, 2020

fanboy said:
Would it be console wary too to state the fact that not playing any playstation exclusives automatically makes one's goty list irrelevant?

Yes, I think it is.

Someone's personal GotY list doesn't become irrelevant because they haven't played Sony's output, because it's exactly that- a personal list.

To suggest otherwise seems like some gatekeeping nonsense.

fanboy · Dec 23, 2020

Dervius said:
Yes, I think it is.

Someone's personal GotY list doesn't become irrelevant because they haven't played Sony's output, because it's exactly that- a personal list.

To suggest otherwise seems like some gatekeeping nonsense.

Oh we misunderstand each other... actually, I worded it poorly. I meant if someone wanted to make actual "objective" goty, like a website or something.

Of course, personal lists are just fine even without some platform exclusive titles. Sorry.

kyle mechlachlan · Dec 23, 2020

Meh. It had a good first impression but kinda lost it by the end. It's fine, but is pretty shallow and one-note.

Kraid · Dec 23, 2020

Fistfulofmetal said:
Meh. It had a good first impression but kinda lost it by the end. It's fine, but is pretty shallow and one-note.

This is why I'm so hesitant to drop $40 on it... Game dev costs have definitely gone up. And I think there's so much more status for indie games now than at the beginning of the PS4/Xbone gen. But man, with the depth & breadth of indie games coming out, when everything is $20 or more it's really, really hard to jump in on stuff right away. I realize it's on Apple Arcade but playing a game on my phone or tablet is pretty much a non-starter for me. I'm looking forward to trying it out on sale.

kyle mechlachlan · Dec 23, 2020

Kraid said:
This is why I'm so hesitant to drop $40 on it... Game dev costs have definitely gone up. And I think there's so much more status for indie games now than at the beginning of the PS4/Xbone gen. But man, with the depth & breadth of indie games coming out, when everything is $20 or more it's really, really hard to jump in on stuff right away. I realize it's on Apple Arcade but playing a game on my phone or tablet is pretty much a non-starter for me. I'm looking forward to trying it out on sale.

I don't think it's worth 40 bucks, personally. I got it for 30 and feel that's a bit steep for what it is. 20 seems more inline for the kind of experience I had with it. But some others may feel different. I got nothing from the exploration in the game and though it did a poor job incentivizing my to find things. I felt it put me on a track and forced me through to the end.

it has moments that are great. I rather enjoyed the boss fights and the traversal mechanic is a lot of fun..

KodaRuss · Dec 23, 2020

It is definitely on my list of games to get when it drops to $15-20

ghostemoji · Dec 23, 2020

The Pathless is certainly finding a spot on my list. It's a gem. Beautiful, relaxing, intriguing. The soundtrack is top tier in gaming as a whole.

It's a tremendous package.

fanboy · Dec 23, 2020

Some of you thinking 40 is too much and here I am planning to buy digital alongside already own physical for 90€ total :D

You cant make a top 10 games list of 2020 without playing Pathless, the absolute gem

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