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GIGASWORD

GIGASWORD is a difficult retro action-platformer. It won't hold your hand and it requires focus. But the journey is a rewarding one and one that's built on a strong foundation of lore and hard-hitting action.
GIGASWORD Game Cover
79%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
grinding, stability
80% User Score Based on 101 reviews
Critic Score 76%Based on 5 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5Xbox OneXboxWindowsPlayStation
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GIGASWORD Game Cover

About

GIGASWORD is a single player hack and slash game with fantasy, medieval and historical themes. It was developed by Studio Hybrid and was released on November 13, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Balance the weight of the GIGASWORD, battling between brain and brawn. Solve intricate puzzles, discover covert chambers, and slash through foes as Ezra fights to reach the top of the Nestrium and recover the God Crystal within. Can he restore the world's coherency before it's too late?

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
GIGASWORD screenshot
GIGASWORD screenshot
GIGASWORD screenshot
GIGASWORD screenshot
GIGASWORD screenshot
GIGASWORD screenshot
GIGASWORD screenshot
GIGASWORD screenshot
GIGASWORD screenshot
GIGASWORD screenshot
GIGASWORD screenshot
+1
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80%
Audience ScoreBased on 101 reviews
gameplay18 positive mentions
grinding13 negative mentions
  • Unique and satisfying sword mechanic that integrates puzzle-solving and combat effectively.
  • High-quality pixel art and atmospheric chiptune soundtrack that evoke classic retro games.
  • Engaging boss fights with varied, well-designed attack patterns and reasonable challenge.
  • Progression feels slow and grindy due to expensive upgrades and limited healing until late game.
  • Tedious backtracking is exacerbated by large maps, distant save points, and lack of fast travel or map markers.
  • Combat is repetitive and clunky with limited enemy variety and occasionally frustrating controls and hit detection.
  • gameplay
    55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Gigasword is praised for its unique core mechanic of wielding and strategically dropping a giant sword, blending metroidvania exploration, puzzles, and methodical combat with a satisfying, weighty feel. While many appreciate the evolving mechanics, expressive pixel art, and challenging puzzles, some critiques note poorly explained systems, occasional control issues, repetitive loops, and an invasive corpse-run mechanic that detracts from enjoyment. Overall, it delivers a fresh, inventive gameplay experience with minor frustrations mostly tied to pacing and clarity.

    • “Gigasword delivers on its core gimmick (you have big sword, you can put down the big sword for more mobility) really well, slowly building on top of it by mixing in additional mechanics.”
    • “I’m really enjoying the game, I think it has the perfect blend of puzzle performing, precision performing, combat, metroidvania mechanics, and a little souls-like mechanics.”
    • “It feels weighty, in a way that is very, very satisfying, and it results in gameplay where you don't just get to swing around a giant sword, but you have to puzzle out how to work around having a giant sword weighing you down.”
    • “The mechanics are sometimes not explained, like the rising water bubbles that you have to pogo with these horrible controls.”
    • “The last ten minutes of gameplay abandons all the player signaling (you have to press Y to plunge the sword), and breaks the game entirely (you move sloppily, can't pick up the sword, and only D-pad inputs work for the room with the green crystal).”
    • “There were a few too many situations where you could get stuck due to the movement mechanics and couldn't leave your sword.”
  • story
    46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in this game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its well-written narrative, engaging lore, and emotional moments, while others find it clichéd, overly expository, and predictable. The opening sequence and amount of dialogue can feel lengthy and slow to some, but the story generally fits the game's retro style and complements the gameplay and world-building effectively. Overall, it appeals to those interested in a straightforward, nostalgic tale with deep lore, though it may not satisfy players seeking a more innovative or tightly woven narrative.

    • “The characters, story, and writing entertained me throughout, and I largely enjoyed the moment-to-moment gameplay and level design.”
    • “Gigasword did really well in blending puzzle solving with action platforming, the story is well written, that kept me fired up to continue playing this game.”
    • “The story is great, and the opening 15-20 minutes are a fun way to introduce the player to the world before the game truly opens up.”
    • “There's just no satisfaction gained from playing the game to the end, not even narratively as the game's story is generally very weak with a predictable ending.”
    • “The story is very boring and poorly written.”
    • “The story, dialogue, and cutscenes are also too generic and exposition-heavy to enjoy.”
  • music
    42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in this game is widely praised for its catchy, nostalgic 8-bit chiptune style that effectively sets the atmosphere and complements the pixel art visuals. While many players highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature that enhances emotional and thematic depth across different areas, a few note inconsistencies in quality and occasional technical issues. Overall, the music is considered a key strength that significantly contributes to the game's charm and immersion.

    • “The OST is hands down one of the best I've listened to in a very long time, well composed and you can feel each emotion second by second for each single one.”
    • “Music slaps, really makes the atmosphere with some fantastic thematically appropriate moments of lows and triumphs.”
    • “The soundtrack is phenomenal, doing a great job of capturing that classic 8-bit style.”
    • “The music and sfx didn't speak to the imagination in the same way though, as they were these bitcrunched noises and chiptunes.”
    • “The music didn't match the level of the pixel art.”
    • “I wish I could turn the music down but that's not an option, at least not when pausing the game, so I had to just turn down the volume on everything.”
  • graphics
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics are consistently praised for their charming and expressive pixel art style, often highlighted as a major strength alongside the music. While generally solid and visually appealing, some users note occasional graphical glitches and a lack of visual consistency in certain areas. Overall, the visuals effectively complement the game's unique style and atmosphere.

    • “Very expressive pixel graphics, amazingly expressive chiptune soundtrack, and the gameplay is a unique take on the metroidvania genre.”
    • “The story is good, the pixel graphics are awesome, and gameplay is tight.”
    • “There's a huge map to explore with collectibles, fair bosses that are gratifying when you beat them, and the pixel art graphics are amazing.”
    • “Finally, the visuals, sound effects, and music were all basic.”
    • “From the graphical glitches of an area reading 'Vault of the Gnosis' when I was actually in the 'High Wall,' to a map showing '103%' cleared, they can range from tedious to frustrating.”
    • “No consistent style to the visuals.”
  • grinding
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game is widely seen as tedious and overly time-consuming, with slow, repetitive combat and platforming that becomes frustrating especially when backtracking or collecting upgrades. The lack of sufficient map details, personal markers, and convenient fast travel options compounds the grind, making progression and 100% completion feel cumbersome and unrewarding.

    • “And god help you if you lose any of your money, because it is so grindy to get all the upgrades and open all the doors.”
    • “Collectible-hunting (including for key health upgrades, etc.) also eventually becomes prohibitively tedious as the map lacks sufficient detail and doesn't allow for personal markers; relatedly, the fast travel rooms provide little relief due to their placement and rarity in each zone, many of which are rather large.”
    • “So to 100% the game, you have to go through each area tediously.”
  • stability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches that impact gameplay and immersion, including graphical errors and inaccurate map data. These stability issues make the experience feel unpolished and can be frustrating for players.

    • “The game is buggy and I've run into a lot of weird glitches that forced me to reset or that just made the experience worse.”
    • “For starters, the game is rather buggy and unpolished at launch.”
    • “From the graphical glitches of an area reading the 'Vault of the Gnosis' when I was actually in the 'High Wall', to a map reading '103%' cleared; these bugs range from tedious to frustrating.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game generally runs smoothly but suffers from slow save times due to lengthy animations and some bugs affecting performance. While optimization issues impact the experience, developers plan ongoing patches to improve these aspects.

    • “There are a few bugs which can add to the frustration, but mostly the game itself runs smoothly.”
    • “At least the devs plan to patch them out as they go, but it sucks that a game that manages to harken old-school gaming has embraced modern-day optimization.”
    • “Even the simple act of saving your game takes multiple seconds as you first have a long animation of sticking your sword into the shrine followed by several seconds of saving (unoptimized?).”
    • “Even the simple act of saving your game takes multiple seconds as you first have a long animation of sticking your sword into the shrine, followed by several seconds of saving (unoptimized?).”
    • “At least the developers plan to patch these issues out as they go, but it sucks that a game that tries to harken back to old-school gaming has embraced poor modern-day optimization.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game delivers a deeply emotional experience, blending heartfelt storytelling with rich lore, focusing on themes of adoption and hope amidst hardship. Players find the narrative moving, especially toward the poignant and hopeful ending.

    • “I came for a game about using a buster sword, and stayed for the rather deep story lore and heartfelt tale about an owlman adopting a human.”
    • “So much that it gets almost sad and heartfelt towards the ending and how things are hopeful despite one horrible day.”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The character development is gradual, focusing on a slow build in confidence, though the character's skillset remains relatively weak throughout.

  • atmosphere
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere is highly praised for its impactful music, which effectively enhances the game's mood through dynamic and thematically fitting shifts between tense and triumphant moments.

    • “Music slaps, really makes the atmosphere with some fantastic thematically appropriate moments of lows and triumphs.”
  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is subtle, with occasional funny-looking cutscene illustrations of the main hero providing light amusement, though it is a minor aspect overall.

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76%Critics’ scoreBased on 5 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

GIGASWORD is a hack and slash game with fantasy, medieval and historical themes.

GIGASWORD is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

GIGASWORD was released on November 13, 2025.

GIGASWORD was developed by Studio Hybrid.

GIGASWORD has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

GIGASWORD is a single player game.

Similar games include Souldiers, Death's Door, HAAK, Hob, Narita Boy and others.