Traversal Builds: Speed vs. Exploration
Traversal in Sword of the Sea involves both speed and exploration, with different chapters offering unique mechanics. The Forbidden Valley chapter, for instance, is quicker and spent entirely on the back of a dolphin. Here, you'll jump with the A button and use Resonate with X to activate water orbs and lanterns, collecting Tetra from green crystals along the way.
The Sacred River chapter introduces the Water Rail ability, activated by jumping three times in a row, allowing you to float through green strips of air and hanging gold lanterns. Exploration is key to finding collectibles like Secret Shells, often hidden in specific locations such as behind a boulder near hanging lanterns or on ledges around statues. The game encourages players to look for flag poles/banners as indicators of nearby points of interest.
- Forbidden Valley: Dolphin Traversal
- Jump with A, Resonate with X.
- Hit green crystals for Tetra.
- Activate lanterns in the sand, including a small patch and a larger patch surrounding a tower.
- Follow the path of water and fish, branching left to activate more lanterns.
- Continue over the bridge with large statues.
- Sacred River: Water Rail Traversal
- Use Water Rail (jump three times) to cross gaps with green air strips.
- Float through hanging gold lanterns.
- Find Secret Shells: After the first set of lanterns, go to the corner with a boulder, use Water Rail to glide onto shark statues, and then to the back wall with a dolphin statue. The shell is on the ledge around the middle of the statue, on the right side.
- Ride a sperm whale to reach a Secret Shell on a high ledge in the room with sperm whales.
- Locate a Stele: After dropping into the area with boats, take a left onto the walkway extending off the edge.