Hunting down the bosses is also the same each time. While the way the bosses move changes and some of the terrain is different, these sections more or less play out exactly the same each time, so they become an inconvenience keeping players from enjoying the better parts of the game rather than a fun challenge. One of the biggest examples of this is the stealth sequences, where periodically players are sucked into the boss's red vortex and have to retrieve the Hunter's eagle, all the while trying to avoid being caught. Unfortunately, there's a lot about The Pathless that's repetitive, with some of the content or design choices coming across as padding to artificially extend the game's playtime.

The only downside is that there's only a handful of puzzle types for players to encounter, which can get repetitive by the end. The Pathless' puzzles aren't overwhelming and players don't have to even complete all of them to reach the end of the game. Some puzzles require players to utilize the eagle's ability to carry objects, whereas other puzzles are about pulling off creative trick shots to light torches. The Pathless' puzzles never get too complicated, but many of them are still fun and rewarding to complete. These buildings contain puzzles that players can complete in exchange for helpful items, like XP to boost the number of times they can flap the eagle's wins or collectibles they need to cleanse the towers and face the area's boss. While its movement system is unique, The Pathless is otherwise clearly inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, with players exploring a large, mostly-destroyed open world, dotted with dilapidated buildings that are similar to BOTW's Shrines. Some open-world games struggle with keeping the inevitable travel between point A and point B interesting, but The Pathless' unique movement system makes these usually-dull sections of gameplay pretty fun. If players are able to send their arrows flying at the right times, they can chain together a ton of shots that will let them build up maximum speed and practically (or in some cases, literally) fly to their destination.

The Pathless uses a stamina meter that players can constantly refill by shooting talismans dotted around the map. The Pathless' bow is key to the gameplay, as players not only use it to shoot switches and the game's few enemies, but it also plays a big role in movement. The Hunter is armed with nothing but her bow and before too long, an eagle companion that helps her better explore the game world. The Pathless sees players take on the role of the Hunter, a mysterious warrior who is trying to restore order to a land ravaged by a demonic curse. Giant Squid's most recent game, The Pathless, is similar to Abzu in that it, too, has eye-catching visuals, but this new game is much more ambitious, especially from a gameplay standpoint.

Abzu became somewhat of an indie darling at the time of its release, with particular praise given to its art style. In 2016, indie studio Giant Squid released Abzu, a gorgeous game about a diver exploring the ocean.

The pathless game