The Pathless

The Pathless is the third game from Giant Squid, the studio behind ABZÛ. You play the Hunter, a masked archer with a bow she fires while sprinting, and an eagle companion who carries her higher with each updraft. The shared traversal — shoot a target while sprinting, build momentum, gain a lift from the eagle — is the core feel of the entire game.

The setting is a cursed mythical island stalked by four giant corrupted spirits and ruled by an antagonist called the Godslayer. You free the spirits one boss at a time, restoring light to each region as you go, while building a deeper bond with the eagle.

The open world has no map, no quest markers, no waypoint UI. Spirit sight pulses through the environment to reveal nearby puzzles and routes; everything else you find by looking. Failure is non-punitive — bosses can chase you down, but there's no permadeath or significant penalty for retrying.

Voice cast includes Troy Baker as the Godslayer and Laura Bailey as the Hunter. The score is by Austin Wintory (Journey, Assassin's Creed Syndicate), recorded with the Alash Ensemble's Tuvan throat singers, and won Best Music for an Indie Game at the Game Audio Network Guild Awards.