Developer/Publisher: Ska Studios
Genre: Souls-like Platformer
Reviewed On: PlayStation 5
Also Available For: PlayStation 4, PC
The Basics: Salt and Sacrifice is a side-scrolling souls-like and the follow-up to 2016’s Salt and Sanctuary. Its predecessor has some light metroidvania elements, and while Salt and Sacrifice doesn’t do away with abilities that open more of the game world to the player, the progression and exploration isn’t structured in the same way. It is, however, still very well put together, and presents a compelling world that is very much worth visiting. The main premise of the game is that the player is an inquisitor, a criminal sentenced to community service punitive labor hunting down Mages. In the setting of Salt and Sacrifice, magic warps any who practice it, twisting them into monstrous, insane abominations in exchange for incredible power.
Rather than one contiguous game world like its predecessor (and most other souls-likes), Salt and Sacrifice is broken up into several smaller-but-still-intricate regions which must be accessed from a central hub a la Demon’s Souls. The various areas are well designed, with lots of different paths to take to get to the same places and more of them opening up as further traversal options are unlocked. Said traversal options are, by the way, very satisfying, including but not limited to a grappling hook and magnetic zipline that feels very zoom-y. Familiarizing oneself with the layouts of the areas is absolutely vital when it comes to what is arguably the core gameplay loop of Salt and Sacrifice: Mage Hunts.
While Salt and Sacrifice has a story mode and a clear path to be taken to its conclusion, most of the time I spent playing did not actually go towards following that path. Instead, I kept throwing myself at the Mage Hunts, felling those deadly horrors again and again and harvesting their mutated corpses for parts like a grimmer, grislier, and somewhat more accessible version of Monster Hunter. The majority of the equipment in the game is not found or bought like in other souls-likes but rather crafted using materials you get by going on the Mage Hunts, which are also the most reliable way of acquiring upgrade materials for both armor and weapons. In order to get the best possible gear, then, you have to go after the same kind of Mage repeatedly, with the catch being that the first time you fight a pyromancer or necromancer (to name a couple) the game holds your hand a bit, but after that you have to find and chase them down all on your own through the region they spawn in. It’s quite satisfyingly designed, even more so thanks to the addition of both cooperative and competitive multiplayer, allowing other players to help or hinder your hunts.
The combat itself works quite well, though it does of course exemplify the typical souls-like learning curve. One thing I will say is that both the player and enemies feel more fragile than in other titles in the genre, which makes every encounter feel quick, tense, and exceedingly lethal. Then again, maybe that was just me and my dex-focused build: there’s a rather extensive skill/stat tree, allowing for a broad range of possible specializations and play styles. That does also tie somewhat back to the equipment the player makes out of Mage corpses, as you can pretty much ignore a majority of what’s on offer because the game marks what is beyond your character’s ability to use.
The original Salt and Sanctuary is a very interesting game that is somewhat rough around the edges. It makes up for a weak score and interesting but honestly kind of wonky graphical stylings with tight, polished gameplay and a surprisingly compelling story with a strong premise that instills this dawning sense of horror upon the player as they start to put together just what is going on. The story in Salt and Sacrifice is equally evocative and compelling, albeit perhaps a bit more predictable from an early point. The graphics and soundtrack, on the other hand, are pure improvements, and the game as a whole is a stylistic treat for the senses.
Also, I appreciate that wall jumps are an innate ability this time around rather than something you have to unlock.
I don’t have any major criticisms for Salt and Sacrifice, to be honest. That it took some fairly major cues from the Monster Hunter series might put some people off it, but that aspect comes very much down to taste, and it worked very well for me. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a perfect game, but any actual flaws are minor enough as to hardly be worth mentioning and its virtues make it both compelling and downright fun.
