When we got a first look at The Pathless back in 2019, we were introduced to a unique world that had you following a hunter with her faithful eagle as you traverse an open world. Today, we got a better look at the game with Sony's State of Play event.
We have learned that your relationship with your eagle is central not only to the game but possibly to your survival. Petting the eagle keeps it clean and in good flying condition, which is important, because your eagle not only follows you through the world but is the only way that you can access certain parts of the map. In fact, the eagle is so central to the story and your character, that the game's antagonists—the cursed spirits—constantly seek to separate the two of you.
Solving puzzles will give you access to crystals that you can then use to upgrade your eagle's ability to "flap" and help you reach higher points on the map. This is important because, well, there is no map in The Pathless. Instead, you use the hunter's spirit vision to see where you've been and where you can go, so getting to higher vantage points will allow you to see more of the world around you.
Your ultimate goal is to bring the light back to the forest that you inhabit, but to do that, you're going to need to defeat the cursed spirits. In order to have a prayer against these other-worldly beasts, you are going to need to bring light to various obelisks in the world, which can be very, very high off of the ground.
The Pathless should prove to be a fun game, but it is going to challenge you as a player. It won't be challenging in the sense that you need to be accurate with your bow—the developers removed the need to aim—but it will challenge your problem-solving skills, and your timing. The fluidity of the game and the mystery of the forest are very intriguing, never mind the giant cursed spirits that turn the world black and set the environment ablaze.
We've learned a lot about the game, including the fact that it will be available not just on the PS5, but also for your existing PS4, which is incredibly exciting news. If you're a fan of puzzles and interesting gameplay, you're going to want to check out The Pathless when it drops later this year.
Source: PlayStation Blog