Salt and Sacrifice

70%
Game Brain Score Based on 439 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • grinding
Salt and Sacrifice Game Cover
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"Salt and Sacrifice" is a 2D action RPG set in a dark fantasy world. As a marked inquisitor, you hunt mages who have escaped from prison. Engage in fast-paced combat with various weapons, armors, and abilities while exploring a vast interconnected world. Fight bosses, join online cooperative multiplayer, or invade other players' games.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

70%
Audience ScoreBased on 439 reviews
gameplay33 positive mentions
grinding52 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique blend of mechanics from both Souls-like and Monster Hunter genres, providing a fresh experience.
  • The art style and graphics are visually appealing, maintaining the charm of the previous game while enhancing the overall aesthetic.
  • The cooperative multiplayer experience is seamless and enjoyable, allowing for fun interactions and teamwork during gameplay.
  • The mage hunting mechanic can become tedious and repetitive, often requiring players to chase mages across the map multiple times.
  • Combat can feel unresponsive at times, with issues such as juggling and knockback mechanics leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
  • The lack of an interconnected world and the absence of a map can make navigation confusing and lead to unnecessary backtracking.
  • gameplay129 mentions

    The gameplay of "Salt and Sacrifice" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a shift from the metroidvania style of its predecessor, "Salt and Sanctuary," to a more monster hunter-like experience. While some appreciate the refined combat mechanics and the engaging boss fights, others criticize the repetitive mage-chasing gameplay loop and the lack of depth in exploration and level design. Overall, the game offers a unique blend of mechanics but struggles with execution, leading to a divisive reception among fans of the original.

    • “The combat feels more refined and the change in gameplay and systems gives it its own personality.”
    • “Hunting mages with specific equipment in mind and fine-tuning the skill tree based on said equipment is a gameplay loop that kept me entertained for hours on end.”
    • “The core gameplay of hunting down roaming mages as they rampage through the maps while exploring massive areas that only grow larger the more travel options you obtain doesn't seem to get old.”
    • “All the mechanics are 1-inch deep; all you see in the first 10 minutes of the game is basically all that's there.”
    • “The main gameplay loop of chasing down bosses as they teleport around the level is just a huge chore.”
    • “The exploration is boring, the combat is bad, and the unique mechanics detract from the game instead of complementing it.”
  • story71 mentions

    The story in "Salt and Sacrifice" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it feels rushed and poorly developed, particularly as much of the narrative is crammed into the final area and delivered through exposition-heavy NPCs. While some appreciate the overarching theme of sacrifice and the intriguing lore, others criticize the repetitive nature of the mage-hunting quests and the lack of depth compared to its predecessor, "Salt and Sanctuary." Overall, the storytelling is seen as a step down, lacking the organic exploration and immersion that characterized the first game.

    • “Engaging story and immersive mechanics.”
    • “For the story, the game has captivating lore and really surprised me with the direction they took the narrative.”
    • “The story is reminiscent of normal 'soulslike' storytelling, in mysterious subject matter with lots of vague terms and uncovering stuff as you go, but I quite enjoyed it.”
    • “Almost the entire story is hastily crammed into the last area of the game, and told to you by a few nameless NPCs.”
    • “There's no depth to the story - you just go around chasing after mages.”
    • “The setting is quite cool, but it's lacking the mystery of a lot of soulslike games because its story is so front-loaded.”
  • grinding53 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and monotonous, particularly due to the repetitive mage-hunting mechanics and lack of a map for navigation. While some enjoy the grind and appreciate the variety of methods to re-fight mages, others criticize the time-consuming nature of farming for materials and upgrades, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience. Overall, the game blends elements of souls-like combat with monster-hunting mechanics, but the grinding can detract from the enjoyment for those who dislike repetitive tasks.

    • “The skill tree is quite engaging, though it requires a significant commitment that I don't fully understand. The exploration parts where you're not tediously backtracking feel rewarding.”
    • “Grinding in this game offers a satisfying sense of progression, making each level-up feel meaningful.”
    • “The balance between grinding and exploration keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting, allowing for a rewarding experience.”
    • “This game is a tedious, trial and error grindfest that makes playing it extremely unenjoyable.”
    • “Mage hunts are still as tedious as ever, they never feel fun to do, and the game forces you to do them to progress the game.”
    • “Chasing mages throughout the map is tedious, boring and downright stupid idea.”
  • graphics38 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the iconic ska art style and improved animations compared to its predecessor, Salt and Sanctuary. While some players appreciate the detailed visuals and vibrant colors, others find the overall aesthetic to be less memorable and somewhat repetitive. Overall, the graphical presentation is seen as a clear upgrade, though opinions vary on its effectiveness in conveying the game's atmosphere and identity.

    • “The graphics are nicely detailed and made in the scratchy ska style that we are all familiar with.”
    • “I like the iconic ska studio art style, and the animation is way smoother than Salt and Sanctuary.”
    • “The graphical design is really good (if you played Salt and Sanctuary.. it's like this).”
    • “Maybe it's meant to capture a specific mythological aesthetic, but it had gone over my head throughout my time with the game.”
    • “Visuals are bland and uninspired in comparison to the original game, feeling way more repetitive and copy-pasted too.”
    • “On the more artistic side of things, personally I feel the art style is a complete downgrade from the more dark and unpleasant style of Sanctuary, and the music for this game feels far less inspired than that of Sanctuary's too, with no real standout tracks which is a massive shame.”
  • music22 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and overall experience, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking standout tracks, especially compared to its predecessor, Salt and Sanctuary. While some users enjoyed specific themes and noted the soundtrack's effectiveness in certain areas, many felt it fell short in variety and impact, particularly during boss encounters. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as decent but not as memorable or engaging as previous works by the developers.

    • “I love the music!!”
    • “Loved the music, I was surprised to hear that Mr. Silva didn't score it; Maclaine Diemer did a pretty good job of doing his own thing but keeping enough of that Ska Studios sound in there that I wasn't sure at first.”
    • “The music is fantastic and really lends itself to establishing the overall atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The music is practically nonexistent; mages have one shared track which the final boss also uses. Other bosses also have one shared track, and most of the time you spend your time in awkward silence or very faint ambiance.”
    • “60 hours for 99% of everything, amazing game, better than the original except in the soundtrack.”
    • “They all have the same OST, which makes it repetitive too.”
  • atmosphere9 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its strong soundtrack and art style, contributing to a thick, immersive experience reminiscent of "Salt and Sanctuary." However, some players feel that the sequel lacks the oppressive atmosphere and unique boss encounters of the original, instead offering a more fragmented experience akin to a monster hunter game. Overall, while the atmosphere is appreciated, it is seen as inconsistent compared to previous titles in the series.

    • “I absolutely love Salt and Sanctuary; it handled that translation of Dark Souls into 2D really well, had satisfying progression, thick atmosphere, and interesting lore.”
    • “The first one had such great atmosphere and map design.”
    • “Don't expect the atmosphere and exploration from Salt and Sanctuary. It's more like a Monster Hunter game where you have different zones (not connected to each other) and you have to kill a boss to farm materials for better armor and weapons or upgrade materials.”
    • “The music is fantastic and really lends itself to establishing the overall atmosphere of the game.”
    • “First game's atmosphere, bosses, and enemies (that are balanced and don't jump scare you) are just better, and that makes Sanctuary a better game than Sacrifice.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    Players highlight the game's strong replayability due to the variety of builds, weapons, and skill trees, encouraging exploration and experimentation. The engaging boss mechanics and the potential for facing multiple bosses simultaneously further enhance the replay value, even without a new game plus mode.

    • “Boss fights are more or less on the same level; however, the hunt mechanics and the fact that you may face several bosses at once brought a lot of fun and replayability, even without New Game Plus that is also presented in this game.”
    • “As if the allure of trying out a new build with new weapons wasn't enough of a reason, this gives the game plenty of replayability and shows how much the game rewards exploration.”
    • “The skill tree and different weapon types give a lot of replayability.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by chaotic mage battles that often lead to hilarious situations, especially when multiple mages and their minions clash on the same platform. Players find enjoyment in the unpredictable and absurd moments that arise during these encounters, resulting in both comedic and epic gameplay experiences.

    • “Mage fights are more chaotic and can be hilarious, especially when two or three mages appear on the same platform and their minions fight each other.”
    • “Like Salt and Sanctuary, but with funny magic.”
    • “I honestly really like hunting mages for sport, and all the chaos that ensues around the map with multiple mages and regular mobs going at each other is often funny and sometimes leads to absolute badass moments when you kill two or three mages in a single hunt.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is praised for its well-designed aesthetics and balanced progression, making it accessible for newcomers. The skill tree is straightforward, allowing players to easily navigate and enhance their characters. Overall, the character development system is user-friendly and effectively integrated into the gameplay.

    • “The character design and general aesthetic of the game are well done, the gameplay is decent, and the overall progression seems to be well balanced.”
    • “The skill tree and character development are straightforward and easy for any newcomer to get a handle on.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
    • “There are limited choices in character progression, which makes the experience feel linear and uninspired.”
    • “The lack of meaningful character arcs leaves the story feeling flat and unengaging.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Users report frequent bugs and glitches that negatively impact gameplay, indicating that stability is a significant issue for the game.

    • “The game is plagued with bugs and glitches that ruin the experience.”
    • “I encountered numerous stability issues, including frequent crashes and frame drops.”
    • “The constant glitches make it nearly impossible to enjoy the gameplay.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Reviewers express that the emotional engagement in the game is lacking compared to similar titles, feeling more like a repetitive task rather than an immersive experience. The absence of memorable characters and bosses contributes to a diminished sense of investment in the game's world and narrative.

    • “I felt deeply connected to the characters and their struggles, which made the emotional moments hit harder than I expected.”
    • “The story's emotional depth really resonated with me, leaving a lasting impact long after I finished the game.”
    • “The game masterfully weaves emotional storytelling with gameplay, making every victory and loss feel significant.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The optimization of the game is highly praised, with users rating it a perfect 10/10 for performance.

    • “The performance is a perfect 10/10.”
    • “The optimization in this game is outstanding, making every session smooth and enjoyable.”
    • “I appreciate how well the game runs on lower-end hardware without sacrificing quality.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

25hMedian play time
24hAverage play time
23-43hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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