Xbox Series X Is Getting an 88-Rated 2025 PS5 Exclusive Game
An 88-rated 2025 PS5 console exclusive game is coming to Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. There remains no word of the game coming to PS4 or Nintendo platforms, and there is no official word that it’s even coming to Xbox platforms. We know it’s coming to Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, though, because it’s been leaked. And the leak comes from the Xbox Store itself, where a listing for the PS5 game has gone live. This not only leaks the existence of the port, but reveals it’s coming soon, as a game doesn’t typically get a listing on the Xbox Store until it’s nearing release.
Following word this past week that a 2026 Xbox Series X exclusive was coming to PS5, we now know that Giant Squid’s Sword of the Sea is coming to Xbox Series X, though we do not have a release date. For those who do not recognize these names, Giant Squid is a Santa Monica, California-based studio founded in 2013. It debuted in 2016 with the release of the critically acclaimed Abzu. Then it released its sophomore effort in 2020. This game was The Pathless, which was also well received, but not quite as well as Abzu. The studio got back to its best and put out its best game, with its junior effort, the aforementioned Sword of the Sea. Sword of the Sea was notably a free PlayStation Plus game at launch, which brought it extra attention and extra praise. To this end, it was hailed as “amazing” by PS Plus subscribers last year.
An Award-Winning Surfing-Snowboarding Game
Upon release, the PS5 console exclusive — also available on PC — earned an 88 on Metacritic and several award season nominations. The most noteworthy of these include a nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition at the 29tH Annual D.I.C.E. Awards and a nomination for Game of the Year at the 15th New York Game Awards. Meanwhile, even more noteworthy, it won Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.
Unless the game is included with Xbox Game Pass at launch — which is possible, especially with the PS Plus history — Sword of the Sea will cost Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S users $30 when it releases. In return, Xbox users will get a game that is about 3 to 4 hours long, on average, or about 10 hours for completionists.
As for the game itself, it is an atmosphere surfing adventure game with some light puzzle and exploration elements. It’s a vibes and atmosphere game, and the vibes and atmosphere are great, thanks to an incredible soundtrack, a terrific art direction, and relaxing gameplay that has you on a high-speed Hoversword skating and snowboarding yourself through a world where the world flows in constant waves.