PlayStation Plus Gets Perfect Short 10/10 Masterpiece To Beat While You Wait For GTA 6

Published Nov 10, 2026, 5:52 AM EST

Tom Wilson is a Gaming Features Writer at Screen Rant. Over the past five years, Tom has worked as the Editor-in-Chief at The Game Crater, as a Staff Writer for GamingIntel, a List Writer at TheGamer, and, of course, as a Senior Writer at ScreenRant. Tom has experience writing reviews, guides, news, and features, and has been responsible for teams of writers, training them and editing their work.

Tom graduated with a Masters in Multimedia Journalism, and has since gone on to build up his portfolio of games journalism work.

Grand Theft Auto 6 threatens to be an all-consuming masterpiece that soaks up all of our free time and makes every other game feel utterly redundant by comparison. Naturally, that necessitates getting every game in one's backlog out of the way in preparation, a challenging feat especially for those subscribed to the likes of PlayStation Plus. With time running out before GTA 6's launch, there are few games left with a runtime short enough to be an applicable choice for people to play.

Fortunately, there is one truly excellent PlayStation Plus masterpiece that is the perfect length for those looking for a quick new adventure to sink their teeth into before jumping headfirst into the truly enormous Grand Theft Auto 6. This PS Plus title is a critically acclaimed game for very good reason; its stunning visuals, compelling narrative, and sweeping scale all offer an experience unlike anything you've played before. If you're short on short games to play before GTA 6, then this is absolutely the one for you.

Sword of the Sea from developer Giant Squid is a truly one-of-a-kind experience that feels like the ultimate precursor to the chaotic and extremely long Grand Theft Auto 6. It offers a non-violent experience designed around navigating serene environments at blistering speeds while being whisked away on a meditative journey through a fascinating and richly detailed world. Of course, this sounds like the antithesis of the visceral carnage of Grand Theft Auto, but that is ultimately what makes Sword of the Sea the ideal game to play before hopping into GTA 6.

While everyone is finally preloading Grand Theft Auto 6 now, Sword of the Sea is not a particularly large game, nor is it a long one. Indeed, until GTA 6's release date, one could easily play and even platinum Sword of the Sea should they wish to. In order to beat the game's main story, without doing any of the optional time trials or side content, it would take you just three hours. Including the side content, it's only four, and to complete absolutely everything the game has to offer, it's just shy of 10.

However, within these handful of hours, you'll be treated to a gorgeous experience that truly transports you to another world, one shaped by your actions quite literally. Giant Squid, the developer behind Sword of the Sea, previously developed The Pathless and Abzu, two equally gorgeous, exploration-focused experiences. It is also headed by the former art director of both Journey and Flower, Matt Nava, the former of which shares a lot in common with Sword of the Sea.

Sword of the Sea is available on PlayStation Plus via the Extra tiers and above. It is one of the best games on PS Plus and a must-play for all subscribers. Indeed, Sword of the Sea feels like the poster child for the service in many ways, especially considering Giant Squid cited it as being the very thing that saved the game from failing. So, if you've got between three and 10 hours to spare before GTA 6 comes out on November 19, then why not play Sword of the Sea on PS Plus?

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