Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 44 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 44
  3. Negative: 9 out of 44
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Huntergate475
    Nov 14, 2020
    10
    Juego precioso, y con una gran banda sonora y jugabilidad
    Ademas de una edición coleccionista soberbia
  2. TheRuntal
    Apr 5, 2021
    4
    While I do like the concept and farming part of the entire game, the controls and really clunky combat just ruin the experience for me.
    The story is very "meh", it portrays the usual "Friends and Family are most important" and "Hard work is his own reward" kind of spiel.
    The charactars are endearing but overall boring. I really wanted to like this game but the day/night mechanic    While I do like the concept and farming part of the entire game, the controls and really clunky combat just ruin the experience for me.
    The story is very "meh", it portrays the usual "Friends and Family are most important" and "Hard work is his own reward" kind of spiel.
    The charactars are endearing but overall boring.
    I really wanted to like this game but the day/night mechanic (Monsters get super strong suddenly, meaning you can't beat a boar at 10% HP if that happens), the horrible combat controls (no double jump and no dodge, instead you have a "Rayment" that can attach to things but can bug out every now and then and it's sometimes not well telelgraphed to what it can attach) the really slow pace (Your strength and some story progress is bound to growing your rice, so if you explore faster, you need to just sit there and wait a bunch until your rice is ready) just break it for me.

    The concept is great but the execution is just plain bad.    … Expand
  3. gamer664
    May 22, 2023
    2
    game is very grindy, it forces you to replay the same dungeon over and over again. You cannot exit out of the map view, so you are forced to fast travel anytime you open the map view. The story is good, but not all dialogs are voiced, so it kind of sucks to follow the story sometimes. The combat is fun but it gets repetitive fast.
  4. Inuyasha17
    Nov 12, 2020
    10
    Honestly, it wasn't a game that I expected.
    But it was unexpectedly fun.
    The action wasn't bad either.
    The story is very interesting.
    The game system and ideas are great.
  5. akak
    Nov 17, 2020
    10
    Most undervalued farm simulation game!

    You definitely need to try this game

    I did it for 6 hours Without knowing the time is passing
  6. Kai82
    Aug 16, 2021
    9
    This is a charming and unique game. It is a mixture of side scrolling action RPG and rice farming simulation. It might not be for everyone but it won me over. I bought it because it sounded like a crazy concept for a game and unique experience. It was both and the combination worked surprisingly well. It is the story of princess Sakuna who is a younger goddess. Here I should give a shortThis is a charming and unique game. It is a mixture of side scrolling action RPG and rice farming simulation. It might not be for everyone but it won me over. I bought it because it sounded like a crazy concept for a game and unique experience. It was both and the combination worked surprisingly well. It is the story of princess Sakuna who is a younger goddess. Here I should give a short outsiders explanation of the Shinto religion of Japan. It is diverse religion and not much restricted as there are countless beliefs within. Spirits and gods are part of life. They believe there are gods inhabiting all things like mountains, rivers and woods to name a few. There are myriads of them and those can grand benefits, curses or are indifferent with many layers in between. There are also countless ways to worship them and each region has different rituals that have similarities. There is even no textbook definition of Shinto and not a general regulated system like our western churches. Back to the game. Sakuna is a young goddess and inherited the abilities from her war god father and harvest goddess mother. However she is also a spoiled and sometimes immature child. After an incident with a group of fugitive humans she is banished with them to the isle of demons to clear and cultivate it. This is where the story starts. I liked it a lot even if its is not reinventing the wheel. It flashes out the characters, has its moments and at the end tied everything good together. The characters are charming, have their own personalities and the character development and interaction did not fail. I admit that sometimes their was a bit of annoyance and that I can also see others hating this. Gameplay wise the first part is the side scrolling action RPG. You explore locations on the island while fighting monsters and gain resources. Not all parts are immediately accessible and you must get your exploration level up to access new parts. For this each location has set goals to raise exploration points like finding specific items, defeating demons (numbers or in a specific way), reach the goal and others. During the curse of the game the locations get more difficult (enemies and terrain) and new elements are introduced. Beware there is a day and night cycle and demons are stronger at night. Unlike other games you don't get experience for defeating enemies. You are a harvest goddess so you gain levels with each rice harvest (The more the better but quality matters also). This is where the rice farming part comes into play. It is a really impressive simulation and there is a lot to master. Be warned they want to show how hard it is and it will be no small feat. This can be a turn off for many as it is a lot to do time wise and I disliked it a bit before it became interesting. Sakuna and with this you the player are a newbie at this. You have to sort, seed, fertilize, remove pest plants, watering, harvest, drying and peeling manually. You get better and learn helpful abilities but each step is time consuming. This is just the beginning as each step has its functions or rules and the results can vary. Later you get new steps, improvements and options. At the end I like that they gave me a robust and complex system that is challenging and rewarding. I was proud to gain the best results with quality and not only quantity. There is also an option to let others to it if it is not your cup of tea. Other than this there is a resources management system. You need food and some gives you benefits for the day (until you get hungry again), other resources can be used to get better equipment and another thing I cant spoil. You also learn a lot of abilities or get scrolls with farming knowledge. All in all this was a unique combination that worked quite well. The graphics while not be on the best levels are charming and I like the character and monster design. Sadly they reuse the level design a bit. The soundtrack is a true strength of the game. Not in the best of all time sense but really good. There are some negatives: The start is a bit hard and the farming can be frustrating. I had one crash during the game but no glitches or bugs. Other than that I wish they point out that some attack skills are really good for jumping a lot higher. In total this is not much serious for me. Overall this was a positive surprise. It was a unique experience that I cherish. I hope for a sequel and recommend the game but with the warnings given in this review.… Expand
  7. IIIAHMIII
    Sep 25, 2022
    8
    Finally a game that i worthy to play. Fun story good combat nice controls percs abilities. Lovely level design and even after the platinum you can go for the 100 floor dungeon and beyong to 200 etc wonderfull done
  8. AdvengerTime
    Nov 18, 2020
    9
    Extremely charming game, runs really well (though I have been playing on PS5), gameplay is fun, characters are entertaining and I absolutely love the style.
  9. VaynardLance
    Dec 30, 2020
    10
    A hidden gem. This game surprised me, and I have been playing it for hours unexpectedly.
  10. 2random
    Apr 22, 2022
    9
    The game is surprisingly fun to play. It might be a little too fast-paced for my taste, as one has to manage the farm and fight monsters in 1 day. And game time is constantly ticking. But other than that, I still had a lot of great time.
  11. timyzs
    Nov 13, 2022
    9
    a fusion of 'farming simulator' and a '2D platformer'. Innovative and looking forward to a sequal
  12. Moderngamesucc
    Jun 30, 2022
    9
    One of the best games ever made. The sense of progression, almost unparalleled for me. Never thought a game could get me interested in rice farming, and I'm not even into sidescrollers. But this game holds a special place in my heart, because it was just a great experience, that held fair challenges. It was clear the devs really put their effort into making a good, not greedy game. One ofOne of the best games ever made. The sense of progression, almost unparalleled for me. Never thought a game could get me interested in rice farming, and I'm not even into sidescrollers. But this game holds a special place in my heart, because it was just a great experience, that held fair challenges. It was clear the devs really put their effort into making a good, not greedy game. One of the diamonds in the rough of modern crap.… Expand
  13. Endikacarmona
    Mar 30, 2023
    0
    Una basura, en ps4 España no tiene una traducción en el idioma, por lo que no merece la pena, vas a estar más tiempo buscando palabras, que jugando realmente, muy mal por la compañia, porque en latino américa si tiene y no les hubiera costado nada, siendo incluso una empresa alemana

Awards & Rankings

78
#78 Best PS4 Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. RPG Site
    Jan 4, 2021
    70
    Despite some early mistrust due to the game’s agricultural aspects, I ended up enjoying my time with Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin — at least the first two-thirds of it. It wasn’t breaking any new ground gameplay-wise, with combat that was just enjoyable enough to make up for its repetitive nature. The narrative was decent, though those looking for a deep storytelling may dislike the aimless self-motivation the game requires of its players. The farming aspects are so simply integrated that they only added to the overall experience, never detracted. What did take away from my enjoyment in the end, however, was the sudden and severe prolonging of the game, just when the credit roll started to feel inevitable. It’s a solid and certainly unique game that can be quite enjoyable when approached with the right expectations.
    Read full review
  2. GameOver.gr
    Dec 4, 2020
    70
    Sakuna of Rice and Ruin narrates a wonderful fairytale of Japanese mythology, which is unfortunately plagued by pacing problems that arise from the intense repetition of exploration.
    Read full review
  3. Meristation
    Nov 30, 2020
    82
    An interesting title which has its strengths in the curious mix of hack and slash combat with farming features, besides a charming cast of characters.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »