PlayStation Plus 'Beautiful' Free Game is Taking Players By Surprise

This brand new PlayStation Plus title was a surprise for both me and the PlayStation community, and it might just be my current pick for 2025’s Game of the Year.

In a year as stacked as 2025, picking out the best game of the bunch is going to be a tall order.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Split Fiction, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Blue Prince– there are quite possibly too many contenders to even list. That’s not even taking potential candidates like Ghost of Yōtei and Silent Hill f, which will drop before the year is up, into account.

I’m pretty sure I’ve already made up my mind regarding my pick though, and I didn’t have to pay a single penny to play it.

If you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber, you won’t have to either, because the title was a surprise addition to the PlayStation Plus Extra catalogue at the end of August.

Sword of the Sea, the Journey/Tonk Hawks Pro Skater style mash-up developed and published by Giant Squid, released on August 19, and it dropped on PlayStation Plus Extra on the same day.

There is an awful lot about this game I could waffle on about and praise, but I also think it was all the better for going in almost completely blind. It is a ridiculously pretty experience that also happens to have quite possibly the most fun method of traversal in any game I’ve played (you skateboard on a flying sword, and yes that’s as cool as it sounds).

Don’t just take my word for it though, because here’s what the folks over on the r/PlayStationPlus subreddit have to say about it.

“Definitely a pleasant surprise. I started thinking it would be a good second game to break things up, but I found I kept wanting to explore the world. Beautiful and relaxing”, commented user dodgerbowl.

“Agreed! It was the perfect palette cleanser. Especially loved how the Dual Sense was used”, replied user kupo0929.

“Feeling the difference being on different terrain like sand, water, snow, etc was satisfying as fuck. And even more so when…your form changes (won’t spoil how lol)... Wish I could replay it fresh. So so good.”

“My partner who always complained about me playing my PS5 absolutely fell in love with it, kept snatching the controller from me… Good game, good memories”, commented user yeshwindbz9.

Honestly, after playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, I didn’t think another game in 2025 could top that experience… and yet, Sword of the Sea still takes the GOTY crown for me.

Whatever Giant Squid cook up next, I’ll be there on day one of release.