GIGASWORD Preview | The Beginning of a Beautiful Giga Friendship

I first saw GIGASWORD in person during PAX East 2025. I was immediately hooked on the pixelated graphics and intriguing gameplay. Once I was able to go hands-on with the game, I understood why this demo has been getting longer and longer lines throughout the convention. I played for about 20 minutes and knew I wanted to experience more of the game. Happily, now that GIGASWORD is a Six One Indie showcase member, I was excited to go all-in on the demo and experience what Studio Hybrid has created.

Within the world of GIGASWORD, you play as Ezra, a typical warrior with a giant sword at his disposal. In this metroidvania game, I was tasked with exploring the lower levels of a castle, of which I knew very little lore about. In fact, the lore of this game seemed very minimal with a dash of environmental storytelling. It reminded me of the first few Metroid games where gameplay was king and the story was sprinkled ever so sparingly. GIGASWORD seems to be evoking the same thing, which I absolutely loved. I’m always a fan of games that let the player gradually explore the world, the backstory, and the intentions of all the characters presented. 

My favorite aspect of GIGASWORD was the gameplay throughout the demo. The hour-long experience did an incredible job of gradually building up skills necessary for the game, without shouting at the rooftop that certain experiences were treated as tutorials. This was especially apparent between the dynamic with Ezra and his buster sword. With the sword, Ezra is able to attack foes, rolldodge, and complete certain puzzles. However, Ezra can also let go of the sword and freely move around. This allows him to jump higher, move faster, and carry other items. At first, I thought this was a cute gimmick, forcing players to complete other puzzles within the game. I was quickly proven otherwise, and instead, this feature is a paramount part of GIGASWORD. Within minutes, I was unlocking doors, manipulating the environment, and completing robust puzzles - all while deciding when and where to use and relinquish the sword. 

In addition to this fantastic gameplay characteristic that sets GIGASWORD apart from other Metroidvanias, I  was also really engaged in the gameplay. As the demo progressed, I was impressed by how much variety the game thew at me. Once I was comfortable with an enemy, then a new one would appear. Eventually, I was juggling several enemies at once, and really enjoyed the engaging balance between just challenging enough and the ability to feel powerful within a game. This culminated into a great boss battle that had me dodging, attacking, and plotting my moves akin to any other 2D Metroid game.

I was saddened to find out that my demo concluded after this boss, but that was only because I was excited to play more. Though I’ve only started this adventure with Ezra through the demo, I am so excited to see what Developer Jack Breen has in store for GIGASWORD.

GIGASWORD releases later this year and you can Wishlist now on Steam.