While solid controls and gameplay are certainly fundamental pillars of any game, in an eShop overrun with titles I’ve come to value games that chart their own path. While perhaps there could be room for more Metroidvania-style offerings of any kind out there, I’ll admit that many of them feel cut from the same mold, making me thirsty for different takes. GIGASWORD absolutely manages to do that, breaking out something that feels refreshingly different, and that poses a challenge… though I do wish some of those weren’t due to the game not quite feeling ready for prime time.

What you need to know most here is that while your hero carries a truly tremendous sword, that by no means makes him an invulnerable badass somehow. Quite the contrary, while it has many purposes from killing enemies, to helping to move some objects, to opening doors, it’s actually quite a burden to him. Not only does that make him tackle combat in a way that feels different, requiring a little more time for a wind-up than normal, it also limits him physically. Unable to jump quite as high, swim, or get through smaller spaces in particular, what makes the game stand out quite a bit is the fact that you’ll need to put the sword down and venture off into whole sections of the map essentially helpless. This pretty heavily deviates from the norm for the genre, and it also makes the game pretty tense and exciting in places.

Unfortunately, there are some bugs and inconsistencies at this point that are also then a bit of a bummer. Whether it’s issues with glitches that throw off where the game believes you or your enemies are positioned, key areas that you’re somehow unable to access, your gear not being dropped reliably where you die every time, and more… there’s a consistent pattern of frustrations at times that will likely test your patience. Ambition is a good thing, and there’s no question that this title has that in spades, but when there are low-level failings holding the experience back, that’s a bummer. That said, having faith in the fact that these problems will be addressed, and telegraphing that they exist in the game’s current state, I’m trying to find a score that’s appropriately cautious but not making the mistake of simply dismissing a game I found to be quite fascinating, even with its flaws.