After dying for the umpteenth time in the Festering Banquet (one of the early areas), I came to the realisation that Salt and Sanctuary is not a game to be underestimated, it cannot be rushed through; every mistimed step, jump, slash, hack, stab or even healing can bring about an untimely demise and progress lost. I knew then that I needed to respect the game, its mechanics, its pacing and its world, only then did I truly discover the wonderful experience on offer by Salt and Sanctuary.
Originally released in 2016 on PS4, PC and the Vita, Salt and Sanctuary is a 2D adventure/platform game that tasks you with rescuing a kidnapped princess, however Super Mario this is most definitely not. The world setting here is grim, its foes monstrous and combat brutal. This is not your average platformer, but an amalgamation of retro side scrollers (Metroid, Ghouls ‘n Ghosts) and the modern classic action RPG Dark Souls series.
You begin by creating a character and picking a class, ranging from paladins to mages to hunters to thieves which slightly alters your starting skill point allocations and gear. Perhaps befitting the game title (or not), I couldn’t help but notice the particularly hilarious chef class, armed with naught but an iron pot and a chef’s hat and apron, ready to rid the world of nasty beasts and save the day. I went with the knight class in the end, it just felt safer with a sword and shield in hand.
It turns out, I needed the more appropriate battle apparatus too, as the gameplay in Salt and Sanctuary is absolutely ruthless. Understanding how and when to utilise block, parry and dodge as well as managing resources such as stamina is key to surviving; running out of it mid battle prevents you from performing further attacks or defensive actions, which leaves you open to enemy hits and usually results in a swift death. The combat here is precise and different weapons exhibit appropriate weight to their animation so timing your hits is critical, especially when facing multiple foes at once.
Defeating enemies grants you their essence, ‘salt’ and the amount you carry is lost upon death, with it only retrievable if you can defeat the monster that killed you initially, fail that and you lose it permanently. Salt can be spent at Sanctuaries spread across the game world, where you can summon certain NPCs such as blacksmiths, travel guides and shop vendors to assist you with your journey. The Sanctuaries are aligned to certain ‘creeds’ you pledge to which provide different bonuses. If this set up sounds familiar, that’s because this is effectively the same risk and rewards system implemented so well by the Dark Souls series with some minor differences. It works wonders here as well for Salt and Sanctuary; the player is encouraged to carefully analyse their situation and surroundings; should you venture forward for further progress but risk losing precious salt, or should you return to a sanctuary and spend your hard-earned salt but having to re-tread old grounds and face respawned foes? The decision can be a difficult one to make at times but that’s also what makes it feel so rewarding when the right one is made.
This is accentuated by the intimidating boss battles dotted around the world, you never truly know when you might stumble upon a boss fight, but it is typically accompanied by the feeling of regret of not spending your salt earlier. Despite the lack of warnings of upcoming bosses, I did find the pacing of the game to be spot on. The intricately designed game world is interconnected with branching pathways, hidden entrances and shortcuts that keep you on your toes at all times. And just as you start to feel confident and familiar with the layout of an area, a newly discovered path may lead to one of the many bosses, so you are never really in the comfort zone for long. You’re not always in the dark as to what is coming up though, as other players can leave ‘helpful’ messages in a bottle, providing hints to ambushes or hidden treasures, although their legitimacy is up to you to interpret; I know I’ve plunged to my death on many occasions when told to “jump, trust me!”.
Presented in a unique hand drawn style, Salt and Sanctuary is a gorgeous game to look at, although I did find it difficult to see certain details (such as trap switches), especially when playing in handheld mode due to the largely black, grey and brown colour palette and the intentional dimly lit world. Performance is largely stable and smooth at 60fps, which is essential in a game where every animation counts.
Salt and Sanctuary doesn’t try to hide from its Dark Souls influences, but it manages to transform what made them so great into its own identity (in 2D no less) that it doesn’t have to. It is a challenging game that rewards patience and perseverance and offers deep gameplay and an interesting world to explore for those who dare to venture forth.
Disclosure: Salt and Sanctuary [Nintendo Switch] was kindly provided by Strider PR for this review.
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House
House plays pretty much anything and everything but has almost time for nothing. A devout beat’em up fan, House enjoys a round of captain commando every now and then and can never forget spending hours in dark arcades playing warriors of fate after school. Oh yeah, his favourite console of all time is the original Famicom!