At Summer Game Fest, I spent half an hour cruising through desolate dunes and restoring ancient ocean life in Sword of the Sea. As the Wraith—the game's hoversword-riding magical hero—you're given little guidance about what to do or why, but the pieces of the puzzle are in its surroundings, communicating how this sandy, barren land was once an ocean, and my ethereal little surfer is powerful enough to fix it.
Part of the fun in Sword of the Sea was my mood-based button mashing. There's no right or wrong way to glide along the ruins, so I tapped jump, then hit any combination I could squeeze in after. I didn't need to perfect the nuances of every combo, though that option is there. The Wraith easily moves like a magical Tony Hawk, so every input makes them look and feel like an ethereal pro skater.
