Salt and Sanctuary

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 405 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 317 out of 405
  2. Mixed: 39 out of 405
  3. Negative: 49 out of 405

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  1. Dronewolf
    May 16, 2023
    0
    This game blows. I usually go into full detail, bu the entire thing is just so bad. Glad I got it in the sale for around £0.89. Would have been more angry if it was more than that.

    Avoid There's so many better DS clones out there.
  2. Jonragels1987
    May 11, 2023
    9
    Definitely a love letter to DarkSouls.
    Everyhting from boss fights to the world feels like a world built with love for the Souls series.
    Graphics - 4/5. Gameplay - 4.5/5. Sometimes the controls are wonky. But feels just as a souls series. Dodge wrong or not close enough and you'll pay for it. Environment/story 5/5 - Feels dark, just as a souls game would feel. Replayability 5/5 - Take    Definitely a love letter to DarkSouls.
    Everyhting from boss fights to the world feels like a world built with love for the Souls series.

    Graphics - 4/5.
    Gameplay - 4.5/5. Sometimes the controls are wonky. But feels just as a souls series. Dodge wrong or not close enough and you'll pay for it.
    Environment/story 5/5 - Feels dark, just as a souls game would feel.
    Replayability 5/5 - Take your levels and experience into the game again after you beat it and find yourself a new way to complete your journey, along with 2 different endings.

    Overall, fantastic game and a fantastic journey. I look forward to playing Salt and Sacrifice later on.    … Expand
  3. Ughhh
    Jan 1, 2023
    3
    It's addictive, I'll give it that, but its ultimately a huge waste of time. You'll find that the challenge is often superficial. It's not the bosses, its the poor AI enemies that get their challenge from simply bumping damage output. Add some of the worst attempts at platforming in recent history and you're left with an empty experience
  4. Redman_07
    Dec 10, 2022
    9
    maybe, for a single player it is an 8 but since it comes with a great co-op mode, i have to add a point!
    gameplay is demanding but rewarding. many different approaches, classes and equipment. Lovely game design, what more is there to say?! great game if you are into souls like games in 2D
  5. Hackslashshoot
    Aug 17, 2022
    6
    You know what I love about souls clones? Nothing ….I love nothing about souls clones because they all suck !!!including this horribly overrated pile of poop. I did play it I did platinum it and I did get a little enjoyment out of it. I also rated it a generous 6. That said…. If you are going to make a platforming souls make sure the jump button responds every time not 75 % of the time.You know what I love about souls clones? Nothing ….I love nothing about souls clones because they all suck !!!including this horribly overrated pile of poop. I did play it I did platinum it and I did get a little enjoyment out of it. I also rated it a generous 6. That said…. If you are going to make a platforming souls make sure the jump button responds every time not 75 % of the time. That end game disappearing platforms section is genius but when the game doesn’t respond to me pressing the jump button…. well it is just annoying.… Expand
  6. SplitMind
    Aug 12, 2022
    7
    For some reason Metacritic has stopped accepting my full reviews but will accept these few words.
  7. drlowdon
    Jul 17, 2022
    8
    There is no getting away from the fact that Salt and Sanctuary 'borrows' heavily from the Dark Souls series but it has enough ideas of its own and, most importantly, it is designed well enough to still make a great game in its own right. Add in a co-op partner (offline only at this point) on top and you have one of the best titles, 2d or otherwise, available on the PS4.
  8. Red-Eyes
    Jun 28, 2022
    3
    It amazes me to no end people still don’t understand why Dark Souls is so incredible. It is not the combination of individual mechanics like parrying, stamina management, rolling set in a difficult game but the refinement and perfectionism of each and every feature of the game to bring an experience unparalleled. Salt and Sanctuary never asked anything in the Souls translation to a 2DIt amazes me to no end people still don’t understand why Dark Souls is so incredible. It is not the combination of individual mechanics like parrying, stamina management, rolling set in a difficult game but the refinement and perfectionism of each and every feature of the game to bring an experience unparalleled. Salt and Sanctuary never asked anything in the Souls translation to a 2D environment half-assing every feature that makes that series so great.

    Combat is boring and unidimensional as f*ck. Yes, Dark Souls is all about dodge rolling, positioning and attack but the 3D environment offers many options for you and the enemies making most encounters really engaging; this didn’t translate well enough when you can only go left or right and the fights become very limited. As a result, the “git gud” process doesn’t happen and by the third boss or so the player is already good enough to beat the game. Instead of looking to the vast catalogue of side-scrollers, the developers thought the combat was good enough since they were so hell bent in the stubborn quest for making an ipsis litteris copy of Dark Souls.

    The metroidvania-esque elements were right there but they chose to put the Air Dash move as the last power-up; the only obtainable mechanic that is useful in combat is received in the final portion of the game, un-freaking-believable!

    Dark Souls has no map so Salt and Sanctuary doesn’t have one either. However, the world is very different and each area recognizable with remarkable landmarks on the former opposed to 70% of the game composed of dark hallways and catacombs on the latter. “Oh I got this thing that let me jump on cloud surfaces, which of the 30 thousand dark corridors have one of those? I can’t remember, let me check the map…oh” this is basically the entire game. Not only the Vania progression power-ups are barebones the backtracking is impossible to remember (unless you take print screens of the whole game).

    The world building also sucks, it relies way too much on the “this door doesn’t open from this side” to connect the areas; but it happens so much and they are so samey there is no way in h*ll you gonna remember each one. The game is also very dark (I swear half of the game need the f*cking torch lit and it’s still a pain to see) which adds to the frustration. At the end of the day you can only distinguish areas by: outside and catacomb ones.

    The game is extremely unbalanced. Everything is considered op, from Greatswords and Great Axes to f*cking Shields (that are basically unpunishable); stamina management is very mild and you can mash attack at will given the opportunity… imagine the methodic and precise nature of a soulslike combined with a beat-em up style; the leveling up cost difference is low (at end game it goes from 22k to 23k per level with each enemy giving you roughly 900 salt). The solution? Put some bullsh*t! Bad platforming (ledge grabbing only works when it feels like it), logs coming from the sky leading you to abyss, enemies that one shot you (unicorns in Pitchwoods one of the worst areas of the game) and the mother of cheapness: the fatigue mechanic. Each time you get hit your max HP diminishes, so by the time you are two or three heals left chances are your max HP is halved already. Game is still easy though

    The bosses all coble together in some sort of generic big dudes. The “hardest” ones rely on the almost ohko tactics like Disemboweled Husk shotgun and the infamous Witch of the Lake, a Megaman boss in a soulslike. If she combos the slow magic ball into the DBZ signature energy ball barrage you’re dead; it requires skill to dodge the first one but you just can’t escape the second while in mid-air; she is by far the most bullsh*t boss of the game.

    Salt and Sanctuary is not a 2D Dark Souls, but rather a 2D Code Vein or a 2D Lord of the Fallen or any other awful soulslike that fail to understand why From games are so magnificent.    … Expand
  9. Antsa
    May 26, 2022
    6
    Sadly this is not a sequel that Salt & Sacrifice deserves. There is things that I like about this game and lot of things that I would like to like. My two main issuses is

    1. No map. It was one and (maybe) only issue for me on first one. Its not making game any more fun to play. Tryng to platform to some place that might have been somewhere that direction. Maybe. What works on 3D does    Sadly this is not a sequel that Salt & Sacrifice deserves. There is things that I like about this game and lot of things that I would like to like. My two main issuses is

    1. No map. It was one and (maybe) only issue for me on first one. Its not making game any more fun to play. Tryng to platform to some place that might have been somewhere that direction. Maybe. What works on 3D does not work on 2D when every screen looks the same.

    2. Combat. Now, there is lot of good about it but man, the boss fights. It really feels like you beat the boss if game wants you to beat the boss, not if you play well. Why? Sometimes (manytimes) bosses get weird rage mode and start to attack endlessly when only choices is to roll endlessly untill your stamina goes down and then they hit you few times and only thing you can do is watch how you get up, try to roll away from impossible hit and get killed.

    So yeah, this game get very frustrating very quickly. Take any soul game. Dying to hard boss you always feel like "ok, I did that mistake and thats why I get downed" but on this one, it really don't feel like that.

    I don't say this is bad game. But most of the time it's not fun to play either. And even if it got some addicting elements, good graphics and nice atmosphere, sadly its not enoght to bring this game to even close to that goodnes what Salt & Sacrifice was.    … Expand
  10. Protext0111
    Mar 13, 2022
    8
    The game is pretty good. A game that gives you the feeling of discovery to the fullest. If you can't get the Elder Ring when it's out or your computer can't handle it, get it and play. The game is too hard, I think it's harder than dark souls, so I gave it an 8. Some level 2 flat creatures are stronger than bosses. For example, there are white knights in some places, they never lower theirThe game is pretty good. A game that gives you the feeling of discovery to the fullest. If you can't get the Elder Ring when it's out or your computer can't handle it, get it and play. The game is too hard, I think it's harder than dark souls, so I gave it an 8. Some level 2 flat creatures are stronger than bosses. For example, there are white knights in some places, they never lower their shield and you hit their shield once, it is very difficult to cut.… Expand
  11. Szntax
    Jan 16, 2022
    9
    Souls like Sidescroller. Difficult, fast and lots of Fun. What I like the most here is that the offline Coop Mode is Really amazing. It is brutal But the animations are Kind of cute anyway. I wish one Fax we get a way to Play the other Souls Games with sich a great offline Mode.
  12. Hsin
    Jun 8, 2021
    10
    literally bought a random cheap account and it was on that account.this game out of nowhere became my favorite game and finished it and got all the achievements Funny thing: im not into soul games but its perfect
    I enjoyed every boss fight
    My favorite moment in my gaming history is the moment that i beat the first boss that you are supposed to die to him (unspeakable deep)
  13. yertre
    Feb 9, 2021
    7
    I'm really conflicted about this game. It's one of many games which translates the souls formula to 2d, and one thing the game excels in is its themes and atmosphere. It's a lot darker than many similarly inspired games, and there's a lot more blood too. However, gameplay-wise, the game is quite imbalanced and messy, and hardly a stand-out for the genre.

    The game isn't very hard,    I'm really conflicted about this game. It's one of many games which translates the souls formula to 2d, and one thing the game excels in is its themes and atmosphere. It's a lot darker than many similarly inspired games, and there's a lot more blood too. However, gameplay-wise, the game is quite imbalanced and messy, and hardly a stand-out for the genre.

    The game isn't very hard, especially when compared to the similarly inspired Hollow Knight, but the game is so incredibly inconsistent that it becomes a lot more frustrating than the latter. Magic builds break the game, and the difficulty steadily decreases as you progress, but some enemies will still one shot you out of nowhere. Sometimes. When they feel like it. The game is VERY poorly balanced, but these are things than can be fixed in patches, so maybe this criticism will be redundant soon.

    The game feels great to play, but I doubt I'll be replaying it anytime soon. Overall I recommend it if you're a fan of the souls series. I commend the team of two people for their impressive work, but I didn't like it nearly as much as I wanted to.    … Expand
  14. CorvoMarston
    Jan 13, 2021
    9
    Premier pas dans le monde des jeux 2D, l'enrobage Darksoulsien m'a fait me lancer dans l'univers de Salt&Sanctuary. Et franchement, difficile de trouver a redire. La richesse du jeu est incroyable et son gameplay génial. Merci à l'équipe de SKa!
  15. ShakesBeer
    Jan 2, 2021
    6
    Kudos to the developers for a decent 2D Dark Souls imitation. The art style is interesting, and combat feels solid and weighty. I enjoyed and appreciated weapon variety too.

    However, the Souls/Castlevania mashup has some fatal flaws. Imagine all of the difficulty and frustration of Souls. Now add in TONS of platforming. Can you make that jump? Not sure? Well go ahead and try it, and if    Kudos to the developers for a decent 2D Dark Souls imitation. The art style is interesting, and combat feels solid and weighty. I enjoyed and appreciated weapon variety too.

    However, the Souls/Castlevania mashup has some fatal flaws. Imagine all of the difficulty and frustration of Souls. Now add in TONS of platforming. Can you make that jump? Not sure? Well go ahead and try it, and if you miss, look forward to having to kill 20 difficult enemies again as you restart from the last sanctuary.

    Souls can work without a map because levels are linear enough, and 3D landmarks help you find your way. But without a map in this game, I was frequently lost, and constantly wondering which of the many dark, dingy hallways I was in this time.

    And combat can feel very uneven, particularly when some bosses and enemies just knock you down and hit you over and over again before you can get back up.    … Expand
  16. egoBorder
    Nov 8, 2020
    3
    This game has enough potential that I'd be optimistic about a sequel, but its many flaws drag it down quite a bit. It has an interesting visual style, but often makes it difficult to see. It has an extensive skill tree, but even late into the game your character feels frustratingly underdeveloped. It has a myriad of distinct areas and bosses, but little connective tissue to make themThis game has enough potential that I'd be optimistic about a sequel, but its many flaws drag it down quite a bit. It has an interesting visual style, but often makes it difficult to see. It has an extensive skill tree, but even late into the game your character feels frustratingly underdeveloped. It has a myriad of distinct areas and bosses, but little connective tissue to make them memorable.

    A decent 2D Souls-like if you can find it on sale, but none but the most stalwart should push through to the end.    … Expand
  17. 18Xq8Rtutehc
    Jul 31, 2020
    10
    Everybody likes to reduce this game to a "dark souls in 2d".
    Whether you like Dark Souls or not, this game is AMAZING. It is incredibly rewarding, the art is spetacular and the sound is truly immersive.
    This game has such enormous replay value, as you can quickly try new builds with new characters without the many hours of investment that you would need for a game like Dark Souls. I    Everybody likes to reduce this game to a "dark souls in 2d".
    Whether you like Dark Souls or not, this game is AMAZING. It is incredibly rewarding, the art is spetacular and the sound is truly immersive.
    This game has such enormous replay value, as you can quickly try new builds with new characters without the many hours of investment that you would need for a game like Dark Souls.
    I never found a game that could replace this one, the closest I found was Hollow Knight, and even that one was not as good as this one.    … Expand
  18. Generalxxbob
    Jul 24, 2020
    7
    Great game! Especially for 8 €. The main problem was the lack of the map (u will lost several times and try to figure out how to get to the next point) and the grim graphics. The combat feels very good and enjoyable.
    A must have for the challenging players
  19. Edolyn
    Jan 9, 2020
    9
    Castlevania decidiu dar um rolê com Dark Souls. No fim da noite, eles beberam demais, fizeram o que não deviam, e dessa relação saiu Salt and Sanctuary. Este jogo consegue reproduzir perfeitamente o que ambos os jogos tem de melhor. A exploração é dinâmica e muito satisfatória, a variedade de inimigos é absurda e o combate é nada menos que incrível, sendo, nesse sentido, um dos melhoresCastlevania decidiu dar um rolê com Dark Souls. No fim da noite, eles beberam demais, fizeram o que não deviam, e dessa relação saiu Salt and Sanctuary. Este jogo consegue reproduzir perfeitamente o que ambos os jogos tem de melhor. A exploração é dinâmica e muito satisfatória, a variedade de inimigos é absurda e o combate é nada menos que incrível, sendo, nesse sentido, um dos melhores Souls-Like que se tem notícia. As boss fight, por mais que não impressionem, de forma alguma decepcionam. O universo, por mais que em muito se inspire no jogo da Fromsoftware, consegue criar uma identidade própria. No geral, afirmo sem medo que este é um dos melhores jogos que eu já tive o prazer de jogar.… Expand
  20. Wolfbrotherk
    Jul 10, 2019
    10
    Masochistic. The only side scrolling rpg you will ever want. Do yourself a favor and go to their website to support them more by buying a T-shirt and signed poster.
  21. Leontorres7
    Nov 15, 2018
    10
    A Masterpiece, loved everything about this game, it is definitely a must play!
  22. Trevor9000
    Aug 14, 2018
    10
    An absolute gem!

    Everything you love about a great Souls game channeled into one of the most fun 2D platformers I've ever played. A game with Soulslike "depth" created by a team of only two, Salt and Sanctuary scratched that subtle itch I had wanting more from the genre. Fun and responsive combat. Branching world Plenty of class choices and weapon variety Tons of replayability    An absolute gem!

    Everything you love about a great Souls game channeled into one of the most fun 2D platformers I've ever played.

    A game with Soulslike "depth" created by a team of only two, Salt and Sanctuary scratched that subtle itch I had wanting more from the genre.

    Fun and responsive combat.
    Branching world
    Plenty of class choices and weapon variety
    Tons of replayability

    A must have!    … Expand
  23. Sramus00
    Jul 5, 2018
    9
    Sure Salt & Sanctuary has that Dark Souls vibe, but it actually plays more like Castlevania. It's deep, pretty, intriguing and tough, but not over the top tough like Dark Souls. I'd love to see more like this one. Definitely a hidden gem that is worth a play.
  24. pongkrit03
    Oct 30, 2017
    10
    I hardly give any game a 10 but this one deserves it since it is best indie's game I've ever played in my life. Salt and Sanctuary makes everything right from beginning to the end. Surely, it has huge inspiration from Dark Soul's series but I don't see it as a problem since the game was made so well. I have completed the game 2 times now with the different characters. I like level's designI hardly give any game a 10 but this one deserves it since it is best indie's game I've ever played in my life. Salt and Sanctuary makes everything right from beginning to the end. Surely, it has huge inspiration from Dark Soul's series but I don't see it as a problem since the game was made so well. I have completed the game 2 times now with the different characters. I like level's design a lot, They are very cleverly designed and have many freedom to go. Game mechanic is perfect. Music is also great as well. I have nothing major to criticize although I think the difficulty is a bit too easy towards the end game if you build your character right.

    In brief, If you like challenging game, if you like dark souls, this game is a must buy. 20 dollars is very good price for what you will get. I also have heard that this game was developed by only 2 persons, I kudos them for that. It is truly masterpiece for indies game, and I hope there will more indies like this in the future.    … Expand
  25. Lybren
    Jul 26, 2017
    9
    Excellent, lightning fast, souls saga combined with some bloodborne elements. Also Metroid/Castlevania comes to mind. As with the aforementioned, you will develop a love/hate relationship with this amazing game.
    Almost completed the first run as a mage, and impatient to start as a rogue or heavy knight...
    Graphics Being a 2D side scroller the graphic department did an excellent job    Excellent, lightning fast, souls saga combined with some bloodborne elements. Also Metroid/Castlevania comes to mind. As with the aforementioned, you will develop a love/hate relationship with this amazing game.
    Almost completed the first run as a mage, and impatient to start as a rogue or heavy knight...

    Graphics

    Being a 2D side scroller the graphic department did an excellent job depicting every scenario, while there are heavily detailed environments like starry skies and fogged out villages in the background there also dimly lit caves to explore torch in hand whilst defending yourself from the lurking dangers.
    Character creation and details are simple, and a little rough on the aesthetics for some, but... keeping it real? you won't be admiring your character face while playing, either because you are wearing a helmet or because you are busy trying to stay alive.

    Music and Sound effects

    If you have played the dark souls saga, or bloodborne, this game will bring some nostalgic sound effects, simple yet characteristic effects to the metal clashing and magic casting effects.
    You will get the feeling that the background music gives it a distinct touch that outshines DS, hearing electric guitar mildly buzzing around frightening villages and water drops and echo in dark caves.

    Gameplay

    Moving around is a breeze, swift as the wind and nimble as a deer, the game lets you move how you see fit to, delivering freedom and excellent control to your character. Around 10 and more weapon types, where you can specialize in whichever you want to, fancy yourself a heavy armored knight with a huge hammer? You got it! Mind trying a full fledged mage to invoke lightning and fire (Found like 15 to 20 spells) ? Knock yourself out!

    Difficulty

    From 1 to Dark Souls, depending on your character build, decisions and playstyle this can be a hellish trip, constantly seeing the wanna be "You died" screen, or it can be just tough to crack. Dying, learning, and keep trying will be the key to success. On the final third of the game, a full specialized mage is able to finish most bosses on the second try which is kind of let down, expecting it to be harder.
    I would not recommend this game to: Little impatient kids (Unless that was my son, so as to build some character and persistence), persons that don't learn from their mistakes, or easily anger/stressed persons.

    Story

    The story is interesting, not fascinating nor captivating but it will accomplish the task of getting you on the tracks of the first levels and then you will treat the story as a third dish... yes, you read it right! Third dish, because the focus and fun comes from exploring, fighting, surviving, dying, learning and improving and also the huge specialization tree that you want to fulfill to be better at doing all the stuff mentioned before!

    Originality

    Obviously not the pioneer of originalty. S&S Takes good chunks of ideas out of other games, and personally I think that is great. You take the good stuff, mix it with your own and make something different. For some it will be ripoff and disappointing, and for others it will be refreshing and entertaining.

    Replayability

    -Will complete this once I have finished my run.    … Expand
  26. kasparius
    Jul 14, 2017
    10
    I absolutely loved this game. Metroidvanias are my favorite kind of games, and I also love the Souls series and Bloodborne, so this game seemed right up my alley. I was a bit worried that it would just be a souls rip-off with light Metroidvania elements, but it's not at all. It's just as satisfying as a Souls game, probably not as hard, but still a decent challenge, which is rare inI absolutely loved this game. Metroidvanias are my favorite kind of games, and I also love the Souls series and Bloodborne, so this game seemed right up my alley. I was a bit worried that it would just be a souls rip-off with light Metroidvania elements, but it's not at all. It's just as satisfying as a Souls game, probably not as hard, but still a decent challenge, which is rare in Metroidvania games these days. But the real surprise is that it is also a great Metroidvania game. It follows all the rules: One big unified map, areas locked behind new abilities and locked doors, backtracking, shortcuts, all of that with the combat and leveling system find in the souls game translated beautifully to a 2D platform game.

    The combat has that Souls heft, and weapons really do work differently. Just like Souls, you can create your heavy armored mage, or light armored heavy hammer fighter, etc... New Game + is part of the deal as well. The main game is quite long too, especially generous considering this is a game made by a small indie studio and retails for 17.99. A bargain if you asked me, because it offers really great value for that price. I know I will be revisiting this game often and it's now part of a select group of games that are for me part of the pinnacle of the Metroidvania genre: Symphony of the Night, Super Metroid, Guacamelee!, Metroid Fusion, Order of Ecclesia, and Dawn/Aria of Sorrow.    … Expand
  27. devilhunter665
    Apr 29, 2017
    8
    If you are fan of Dark Souls & Metroidvania then you will enjoy this game . .
  28. SuperkenGaming
    Mar 31, 2017
    9
    Salt and Sanctuary
    2D Dark Souls
    Salt and Sanctuary is quite literally a 2d version of dark souls... you start out customizing your character and choosing your class... And you’re set off into a world of hurt... And it’s brilliant… There are weapons and other loot around the world that you can do combos with and certain items will slow your character down… You’re slicing through    Salt and Sanctuary
    2D Dark Souls
    Salt and Sanctuary is quite literally a 2d version of dark souls... you start out customizing your character and choosing your class...
    And you’re set off into a world of hurt...
    And it’s brilliant…
    There are weapons and other loot around the world that you can do combos with and certain items will slow your character down…
    You’re slicing through enemies to pick up salt instead of souls...
    Managing your stamina much like nioh…
    And taking that salt back to a sanctuary to level up your character and unlock slots in your skill tree…
    And of course each level needs more salt..
    So you have to carefully balance exploration and banking in your collected salt...
    The game does a decent job of not making you ever feel overwhelmed
    That doesn’t mean this game is easy though
    it will test your patience...
    but you always feel like you could’ve made it past where you died if you try just one more time…
    going back, recollecting your salt..
    Grinding if you choose... and making your way towards a boss…
    These boss battles are brutal, nearly 20 in total…
    And again like the combat// can feel frustrating at times…
    but you eventually learn them…
    You can roll, block, used ranged weapons...
    there’s such a great variety of weapons and items here to fit every type of players game style…
    But this game is hard…
    you probably won’t beat it..
    But if you do manage it will take you around 15 hours to do so
    This is one of my favorite 2d games I’ve ever played…
    If you’re a glutton for punishment, and love that sense of discovery, searching for better loot as giant blobs of goo fall on your head or a wolf gnaws at your neck
    don’t miss out on one of the most satisfyingly challenging 2d games on the market
    I give Salt and Sanctuary
    a 9/10    … Expand
  29. GameCritic121
    Mar 19, 2017
    10
    Just get it.

    Ignore the middle of the road reviews complaining about 'game identity' and other such nonsense. Anyone who says this game is a Souls rip off clearly has their eyes closed and brain lobotomised.

    S+S has its own identity; which is being thest Metroidvania since Aria of Sorrow.

    Notice how that sentence does not mention anything about Dark Souls.
  30. houyi111
    Mar 17, 2017
    8
    An excellent 2d platform souls like game. i like the combat as much as the platforming! The world is huge with good level design, enemy variety and bosses.... i only finished the game once as a pure mage and love every minute of it. you get a few new jumping abilities by progressing the game and you can revisit previous levels using new ability to access secret places, i like this game design.
  31. Ledge_Pls
    Mar 16, 2017
    10
    The only worthwhile souls-like to ever come out aside from Nioh. Awesome sound and boss design, very cool music and atmosphere and a intense and satisfying combat that gave me hope of all 2D side scrollers in the future. This game even had platforming that I ACTUALLY ENJOYED.....and I absolutely hate platformers especially 2D ones. Amazing game from a great dev, and a true triumph of theThe only worthwhile souls-like to ever come out aside from Nioh. Awesome sound and boss design, very cool music and atmosphere and a intense and satisfying combat that gave me hope of all 2D side scrollers in the future. This game even had platforming that I ACTUALLY ENJOYED.....and I absolutely hate platformers especially 2D ones. Amazing game from a great dev, and a true triumph of the Souls-like genre.… Expand
  32. KookieMonsterOO
    Mar 8, 2017
    10
    One of the best games I've every played! It truly feels like Dark Souls in 2D. It's fun; it's difficult; and the graphics are amazing! Try it! You won't be disappointed!
  33. Chowda
    Jan 4, 2017
    9
    It is a 99.9% Dark Souls 2D game, the 0.1% being you collect salt and not souls. If you like Dark Souls you will probably like this game. If you like difficult 2D sidescrollers then you will probably like this game.

    Once I figured out transmutation and developed a strategy for skill development the game opened up and became fantastic. I am subtracting one point because one very    It is a 99.9% Dark Souls 2D game, the 0.1% being you collect salt and not souls. If you like Dark Souls you will probably like this game. If you like difficult 2D sidescrollers then you will probably like this game.

    Once I figured out transmutation and developed a strategy for skill development the game opened up and became fantastic.

    I am subtracting one point because one very difficult boss would leave the screen and you could not hit her or figure out what she was doing.

    Other than that this game is fantastic!!!    … Expand
  34. KayVen17
    Sep 12, 2016
    7
    Deutsche Review – Kritik

    Ich sah Salt and Sanctuary auf YouTube und war direkt angetan. Dark Souls in 2D mit Coop? Sowas brauch ich doch sofort! Also direkt über den PlaystationStore gekauft und gestartet. Wie meine Eindrücke nach knapp 25 Stunden sind (Spiel durchgespielt) verrate ich jetzt. Story: Ich mache es kurz. Die Story ist sogar wenn man sie versteht nicht wirklich    Deutsche Review – Kritik

    Ich sah Salt and Sanctuary auf YouTube und war direkt angetan. Dark Souls in 2D mit Coop? Sowas brauch ich doch sofort! Also direkt über den PlaystationStore gekauft und gestartet. Wie meine Eindrücke nach knapp 25 Stunden sind (Spiel durchgespielt) verrate ich jetzt.

    Story:

    Ich mache es kurz. Die Story ist sogar wenn man sie versteht nicht wirklich gelungen. Um ehrlich zu sein hat sie mich auch irgendwann gar nicht mehr interessiert. Vergleiche zu Dark Souls werde ich übrigens in dieser Review in Klammern schreiben. Wer das Spiel als ohne Vergleich zu Dark Souls spielen will, der kann ab jetzt die Klammern überspringen. (In Dark Souls ist die Story trotz seiner Komplexität interessant. Salt and Sanctuary bekommt das nur bedingt hin. Hier hinterfrage ich die Bosse nicht oder ob ich der gute oder böse bin.) Die Story ist aber schwach aus anderen Gründen, die aber nur die deutschen Spieler betreffen. Dazu komme ich allerdings später.

    Gameplay:

    Das Gameplay ist super und innovativ (Das Gameplay von Dark Souls wurde super in den 2D Look kopiert). Man reist durch verschiedene Welten und trifft viele gut designte Gegner die auch richtig schwer werden (ich hatte manchmal mehr Probleme als in Dark Souls III). Am Ende der einzelnen Gebiete wartet dann auch wie immer ein Boss. Diese sind mit der richtigen Strategie machbar (einfacher als Dark Souls). Ich will nicht viel über das Gameplay, da das in seiner Form perfekt ist. Was mich aber wirklich umhaut ist die Möglichkeit Coop zu zocken. Super Idee!

    Technik:

    Das Design der Welten ist atemberaubend. Das Design spitze. Mehr brauche ich gar nicht zu erläutern. Die Performence läuft konstant und Abstürze hatte ich nicht einmal. So muss das sein. Und das bei Indie-Entwicklern. Die großen Firmen bekommen das nicht so gut hin in den meisten Fällen. Natürlich hatte ich auch Bugs im Spiel. So ist ein Boss der auf Fernkampf einfach mal aus dem Bosskampfgebiet gegangen und tötete mich ohne, dass ich mich wehren konnte. Das war aber verschmerzbar. Ich hatte keine Fehler, die es nicht möglich machten das Spiel zu beenden.

    Sound/ Voice:

    Die Musik ist zwar gut, aber wird selten gewechselt. Bei fast jedem Boss dasselbe Lied zuhören ist schon lästig. Irgendwann hab ich die Musik ausgeschaltet und meine eigene gehört. Schade. Eine Synchro hat das Spiel übrigens nicht. Es läuft alles über Text und genau da muss ich nun etwas loswerden. Der folgende Text ist von der Releaseversion. Inzwischen wurde das beseitigt. Ein Glück

    - Die deutschen Texte sind eine Schande!!!!! Sätze wie „Wir sind in Nacht bestiegen worden“ (Wir wurden nachts überfallen worden) oder „Egal ob Schwerter, Rüstungen, E-Mails, ich fertige alles an.“ (Keine Ahnung was er mit E-Mails meint) oder mein Favorit. „Ich muss die Erziehungsberechtigten vom Drachen töten“, musste ich lesen. Kein Wunder, dass mich die Story nicht interessiert wenn man die Texte mit dem Google Übersetzer übersetzt und ich glaube sie nutzten sogar einen noch dämlicheren Übersetzer. Sowas ist ein absolutes NoGo! Ein Glück wurde das im Nachhinein korrigiert, aber das ist selbst für Indie-Entwickler eine Frechheit! Ich musste meine Konsole auf Englisch stellen um die Texte richtig lesen zu können. Da fällt mir ein weiterer Favorit ein. (Failling die Mission) –

    Fazit:

    Salt and Sanctuary hat ein geniales Gameplay und ein cooles Design. Dieses Spiel hätte viel mehr Punkte verdient, aber da die deutschen Texte zum Releasezeitpunkt unterste Schublade waren muss ich einen großen Punktabzug geben. Kurz gesagt: Super Game – schlechter Release in Deutschland.

    Mein persönlicher Score:
    69/100

    Mein User Score
    7/10    … Expand
  35. jrzone
    Jun 17, 2016
    10
    I'm not the very best at articulating my thoughts so I do apologise if you are bothered by this.
    TLDR: YES,YES, YES!!!!! you should buy this game. Good level design, good character customization. If you love platformers you will love this. And there is a lot of platforming in the game. This is why you should go in not expecting a souls like game. This is a 2D game not a 3D game. So think    I'm not the very best at articulating my thoughts so I do apologise if you are bothered by this.
    TLDR: YES,YES, YES!!!!! you should buy this game. Good level design, good character customization. If you love platformers you will love this. And there is a lot of platforming in the game. This is why you should go in not expecting a souls like game. This is a 2D game not a 3D game. So think more Castlevania with stamina than dark souls. The biggest connection the game has to souls games is the die system and that's it really. The game is a good price and it's better than a lot AAA games. You certainly can't go wrong buying this game.

    This game is amazing and a really fun. I hope it does really well that we can have a sequel. I found it to have a rather interesting story. I love the art style if you are fan of indie art in games, anime or web art you will love this style. And when you are playing the game you can feel the time and love that the devs put into the game. It's very rare you will get that type of connection with a game. So many AAA games were thrown lots of money at and tossed out the door. So this game is refreshing. I know a lot of people would like a map for this game and It would have been nice, but I did find that the salt and sanctuary wiki one worked really well it's just a rough sketch of what it would be like but I found that to be enough. You can find it if you google as well "salt and sanctuary map". Once you get use to areas you will find your way around fairly easily. Another good point about this game is level design is amazing everywhere is connected I've only known a few games to be like this, so for an indie game to get it right. Well done Ska Studios! I look forward to see more games from this company even if it's not a sequel to this game.

    If you like old school Castlevania, Metroid, Dust: An Elysian Tail and other similar 2d games. You will love this game. As others have said it also gets inspiration from souls series games. It has same system in which when you die you have one chance to get the XP back, fail and it's gone forever. I really love this system and would love to see it in more games. How I see this game mechanic is similar to other game mechanics like levelling your char, save and continue, checkpoint, autosave, stamina, special attacks, etc. Well souls games were the first I believe to create that die system. We don't bash other games for copying other game mechanics like having save and continue, checkpoints, levelling and stamina in them. These are really standard things in the gaming world these days. And that's what I would like to see from this game mechanic. However I don't think anyone should bash a game just because it copied a very clever game mechanic. If someone comes up with a really amazing idea in the game industry that will help make games better then people should use it for their game. This is how innovation usually works if someone/company does something really well then other companies/people usually copy it. It The reason I bring this up is because I see a lot of people that are bashing salt and sanctuary calling it a souls clone this is not true. The game could stand on it's own with out the souls stuff. It just makes the game better. It is has some unique gameplay mechanics of it's own with the brands. Attaching the charms to the weapon something I really like. Want extra range on a weapon, or attack power just equip a charm.

    The only really downside to the game is the lack of music which is a shame I love game music. However music is usually extremely expensive even just to buy a licence of a already created track can be really costly. The game does have some music 3 or 4 background tracks that get repeated. On the plus side I rarely found it bothered me the repeating music. If the game had more funding it could have gotten some more music clearly the devs had to prioritise with the budget they had. Either way they did amazing job I'm not going to score points off for something that is out of their control. They did amazing job with the resources they had at hand and I'm glad they spent less on the music. They certainly made up for it in the good gameplay.    … Expand
  36. Letiste-Gaming
    May 29, 2016
    8
    Si vosotros adoráis la saga de From Sofware igual que los desarrolladores, id a por el. Sino, creo que es un buen aperitivo antes de lanzarse al plato principal, para descubrir como funciona este estilo de juegos, apoyar a una pequeña gran empresa y hacerse con una pequeña joyita.
  37. Nightlistic
    May 25, 2016
    5
    This game has tons of potential. Its like a Dark Souls 2D Side scroller. However it has a lot of work that needs to be done to it. Especially in regards to game mechanics Shadowflip Brand, and Dart Brand. The game, and story are pretty solid and immersive up til the Pitchwoods map, and then the Immersion just dies. The Developers at Ska Studios tried to make a challenging puzzle map usingThis game has tons of potential. Its like a Dark Souls 2D Side scroller. However it has a lot of work that needs to be done to it. Especially in regards to game mechanics Shadowflip Brand, and Dart Brand. The game, and story are pretty solid and immersive up til the Pitchwoods map, and then the Immersion just dies. The Developers at Ska Studios tried to make a challenging puzzle map using disappearing platforms that rely heavily on the use of the Shadowflip Brand and Dart Brand to navigate your way across savely. However those two mechanics don't always work as intended so the player will suffer a lot of deaths because of this, and most likely end up giving up on that part of the map. With being penalized gold for every death on top of the salt you accrue its like a double slap in the face to the player by the developers, and can cause hours of progression to be lost in a few short minutes because of this. On top of that the character animation for climbing depending on where you land actually takes longer than the platforms last causing unnecessary deaths for the player who has absolutely no control over it. The game has potential to be one of the best indi games on the market if they just patch out some of the unnecessary mechanics, and work on fixing the issues with the brands if they plan on keeping the disappearing platforms in the Pitchwood. They also might want to come up with an easier way for the player base to communicate with them as the homepage is easily mistaken as somebodies personal blog site which is really confusing when you're trying to find answers or give feed back, and using a form as the only means for players to contact them is kinda of lazy.… Expand
  38. Saikron
    May 25, 2016
    7
    This is essentially a mechanic-for-mechanic copy of Dark Souls. Unfortunately, the differences were to its detriment. The map is huge and confusing even compared to a Souls game, and there is no in-game map to keep track of where you are. The items aren't nearly as diverse as in any Souls game. The bosses aren't as fun as the average Souls boss. It probably would have been better to focusThis is essentially a mechanic-for-mechanic copy of Dark Souls. Unfortunately, the differences were to its detriment. The map is huge and confusing even compared to a Souls game, and there is no in-game map to keep track of where you are. The items aren't nearly as diverse as in any Souls game. The bosses aren't as fun as the average Souls boss. It probably would have been better to focus on quality over quantity in the boss department.… Expand
  39. True_Reclaimer
    May 5, 2016
    0
    DO NOT BUY. No online multiplayer or PVP. 30 hours in and save file corrupted due to a known bug the dev chose not to fix. Was a pretty neat single player game up until that point but not anywhere close to Skas previous games. It lacks both the charm and 4 player online of Charlie Murder, and the finesse of Dishwasher. Save your money kids.
  40. robottoman
    Apr 17, 2016
    9
    Just finished this game for the first time, so good. I just had so much fun, even fell in love with the random art style by the end. Criticism that this game takes it's core mechanics from DS is completely justified, but that didn't bother me too much. The 2d and jumping adds a lot in terms of combat, exploration and platforming. I'd say the game plays like a Dark Souls Metroidvania -Just finished this game for the first time, so good. I just had so much fun, even fell in love with the random art style by the end. Criticism that this game takes it's core mechanics from DS is completely justified, but that didn't bother me too much. The 2d and jumping adds a lot in terms of combat, exploration and platforming. I'd say the game plays like a Dark Souls Metroidvania - what more can you ask for for $20?… Expand
  41. partyintheback
    Apr 16, 2016
    3
    Pretty terrible all around. I wasn't impressed by the way it looked or the way it played. Like most indie games, this game will be a hit or miss with people. For me, it was a miss. Pass if you like good games.
  42. Cracker1
    Apr 16, 2016
    4
    Competently made exploration based platformer with everything else ripped off wholesale from the Souls series of games. The lengths at which they went to pilfer and the lengths they didn't go to to mask it or give it some sort of original twist is frankly shocking.
    The only differences are that it's 2D, that character designs look like something out of a cheap, dingy flash video from the    Competently made exploration based platformer with everything else ripped off wholesale from the Souls series of games. The lengths at which they went to pilfer and the lengths they didn't go to to mask it or give it some sort of original twist is frankly shocking.
    The only differences are that it's 2D, that character designs look like something out of a cheap, dingy flash video from the early 2000's (like they were designed by a focus group analyst instead of an actual designer) and that most of the bosses look about as interesting as old bread.
    Coupled with the at-the-time imminent release of Dark Souls III makes me hate this game on a deep, personal level.
    Obviously the only reason I'm writing this now after the release of DSIII and the subsequent abandonment of this shameless whore of a game is out of spite.    … Expand
  43. kranker89
    Apr 11, 2016
    9
    Fantastic little game, honestly the best game out this year so far. So much depth, so much replay ability with some excellent combat and RPG mechanics.

    The game is somewhat of a Souls-borne/Metroidvania amalgam and mixes the two genres incredibly well. The world is impeccably designed especially in the level design aspect where just like the Miyazaki souls games everything links up with    Fantastic little game, honestly the best game out this year so far. So much depth, so much replay ability with some excellent combat and RPG mechanics.

    The game is somewhat of a Souls-borne/Metroidvania amalgam and mixes the two genres incredibly well. The world is impeccably designed especially in the level design aspect where just like the Miyazaki souls games everything links up with shortcuts, intricate jumps and locked doors, it even adds to this with some interesting platforming techniques such as reversed gravity and a double and triple 'boost' jump known as the dart brand. All this combined with tough enemies and well designed boss fights makes for a thrilling ride through the game. There are over 20 different boss fights all of varying difficulties and just like the souls games can be made easier using the RPG elements or by learning the boss fights. There are well placed sanctuaries which are essentially your 'bonfires' and act as checkpoints through the game, some are easy to find and other require more exploration and lead to the player not only finding these safe havens but running into chests containing loot and loose items such as weapons, armour, magic spells and expendable items such as weapon buffs and healing equipment. These are all things which make up a fully fleshed out RPG game and will provide the player with multiple reasons to replay the game and experiment with different set ups. Every weapon, shield and armour piece can be upgraded using items found in the game world and will go a long way to overcoming some of the obstacles to come as I segue onto some of the very minor negative of the game which really have not affected my enjoyment of the game at all.
    The art style can take some getting used to especially where the character models are concerned and really do not fit the washed out aesthetic of the game especially up against the stellar boss and enemy designs. There are a few boss balancing issues which I noticed during my first play through as certain bosses along the way would spike dramatically in difficulty compared to other bosses in near proximity.
    I didnt notice it as much in my second and third playthrough but some bosses will provide some players with a tough, sometimes frustrating time.
    All in all a fantastic game and while an acquired taste which many players will not adjust their taste buds to for those it does will provide hours of enjoyment. Well worth the £15.    … Expand
  44. Alasko
    Apr 3, 2016
    8
    It's Dark souls in 2D it's like Castlevania mixed with the souls series which becomes literally the definition of fun. -2 points for blatantly ripping off every bit of the the Souls Series formula though. It even has the same little title cards when you beat a boss or die.
  45. gabriot
    Apr 2, 2016
    6
    I would give this an 8 if it weren't for the inexcusable constant crashing. I just beat a boss I'd been trying so hard to beat, and guess what? Crashed and now I have to beat it again. This has happened FAR too often for a console game nonetheless. Feels much like an arcade game that eats your quarters.

    If the game was actually developed and QA'd properly it'd be a great game, but    I would give this an 8 if it weren't for the inexcusable constant crashing. I just beat a boss I'd been trying so hard to beat, and guess what? Crashed and now I have to beat it again. This has happened FAR too often for a console game nonetheless. Feels much like an arcade game that eats your quarters.

    If the game was actually developed and QA'd properly it'd be a great game, but as it stands it's side scrolling dark souls with about a 5% chance to crash anytime you are about to enter a sanctuary (and that's of course before it saves your game).    … Expand
  46. Hack
    Mar 31, 2016
    7
    I have just finished the game after putting about 20 hours into it, I would give it a solid 7.5 with the potential to hit 8 with a couple of patches, I will touch on the issues in a moment, but I just wanted to point out this is a strong 7.

    By now you all know what this game is, it's 2D Dark Souls and the devs have done a very good job of emulating the feel of a Souls game, if you're a    I have just finished the game after putting about 20 hours into it, I would give it a solid 7.5 with the potential to hit 8 with a couple of patches, I will touch on the issues in a moment, but I just wanted to point out this is a strong 7.

    By now you all know what this game is, it's 2D Dark Souls and the devs have done a very good job of emulating the feel of a Souls game, if you're a fan of the genre you'll feel right at home with Salt and Sanctuary.

    One of its biggest strengths is the game feels great to play, the combat is visceral and meaty, when you kill someone you see bits flying all over the place with plenty of blood coupled with some great SFX. The graphics style is all very nice and grim, although I definitely disagree with the cartoony character heads which feel very out of place.

    Where the game falls down is boss tuning and build imbalance, strength and magic builds are very, very strong to the point where the game becomes trivial after a certain point and that was my experience as a Greatsword wielding strength user. The game starts off with a steady incline in difficulty which is what you want, then it chucks in a couple of spikes with harder boss which once again is what you want, but what you don't want is a massive decline in difficulty for a long period of time and that's exactly what happens if you play certain, common builds. At one point I had wiped once in 8 boss fights which is just ridiculous and boring, it's not that I'm amazing, the fights were just under-tuned and my build was too strong. To put it in perspective I wiped more on one of the mid game bosses than all of the later bosses combined and I enjoyed that boss considerably more because I actually had to learn his mechanics and overcome them instead of just spamming attack and healing whenever I got hit (many bosses give you way too much time and space to heal up mistakes, and by the end of the game you have so many health charges it's almost impossible to run out during a fight). These issues can be fixed with patches though, it's all just number tweaking at the end of the day, there's nothing fundamentally broken with the game. If you want to jump in right now I'd go with a dex build if you want a challenge.

    Another issue I had is the game gets quite confusing near the end, I often found myself asking "OK now where am I?" after finding a shortcut to a previous area, and this is mostly due to a lack of map which is needed in a 2D game like this.

    Overall though the game is very good, especially when you consider it was made by only two developers, a husband and wife team. And when you also consider the fact it's only £14.99 I really can't recommend it highly enough, even with the issues it's still very enjoyable and I got over 20 hours out of my first character which is great value for money.    … Expand
  47. ThatIrishFellow
    Mar 29, 2016
    9
    My expectations for S+S were very high right from the start. Rave reviews and Dark Souls comparisons were all it took to make me take the plunge into the eerily beautiful world Ska Studios created. Within the first hour, S+S felt strikingly familiar to Dark Souls in terms of game mechanics (souls vs. salt, interconnected world design, risk vs. reward scenarios, etc). While tough at first,My expectations for S+S were very high right from the start. Rave reviews and Dark Souls comparisons were all it took to make me take the plunge into the eerily beautiful world Ska Studios created. Within the first hour, S+S felt strikingly familiar to Dark Souls in terms of game mechanics (souls vs. salt, interconnected world design, risk vs. reward scenarios, etc). While tough at first, the learning curve definitely levels off less than halfway through the game, which was a bit disappointing given the punishing nature of the first couple areas. Along with poor end-game balancing, I found that gold became virtually meaningless at around the same point in the story. These were really the only two issues I had with the game. Enemy design was creative, areas were unique but connected, combat was fluid without bugs. All in all, S+S comes together to create a unique, yet familiar universe for hardcore-RPG fans everywhere.… Expand
  48. Coff33G4ming
    Mar 28, 2016
    9
    One of the best indies I've played on ps4!

    Great souls/metroidvania spawn. Customization is solid and character progression is nothing short of perfection. Level design is varied and progressively gets more challenging, same with bosses. There are little "Tricks" to beating them (just like with any souls game) as far as I can tell they are balanced, all depends on the players    One of the best indies I've played on ps4!

    Great souls/metroidvania spawn.
    Customization is solid and character progression is nothing short of perfection.
    Level design is varied and progressively gets more challenging, same with bosses. There are little "Tricks" to beating them (just like with any souls game) as far as I can tell they are balanced, all depends on the players ability.

    All and all great game with tons of potential for a sequel,    … Expand
  49. samiamiamsam
    Mar 26, 2016
    10
    A great little 2-d rpg that plays tribute to the Souls games. Tough as nail at times, but ultimately a very rewarding experience. Enjoyed every minute of it.
  50. endtransmission
    Mar 25, 2016
    9
    Anyone saying this isn't a love letter to Dark Souls are out of their minds. Yeah it's got Metroid style elements with the paths you can take eventually etc but it's essentially a 2D Dark Souls game. The good news is it's a really fantastic one. The only thing I'd change about it, is the art of the humans faces but that's a taste thing, they don't match the quality of everything else inAnyone saying this isn't a love letter to Dark Souls are out of their minds. Yeah it's got Metroid style elements with the paths you can take eventually etc but it's essentially a 2D Dark Souls game. The good news is it's a really fantastic one. The only thing I'd change about it, is the art of the humans faces but that's a taste thing, they don't match the quality of everything else in the game.

    Few quick plus points:
    Challenging but rewarding.
    Big game for the price and of excellent quality.
    Good system for leveling/skill tree.
    Combat is basic yet complex to master due to enemy verity.
    Parries.
    Invincibility frames rolling.
    Looks amazing aside from the faces of humans but you can wear masks.
    More obvious weapon leveling system than Dark Souls.

    In short: It's really good.

    Best game I've played since Nuclear Throne, Rocket League and Bloodborne.

    The only let down is to play online co op is absurdly complex and not just a native thing you can do when you buy the game. Youtube it to see what I mean. I'm also knocking a point off for the outrageous amount of Dark Souls in here, even though I love that it is a 2D Souls game.    … Expand
  51. dubloon7
    Mar 25, 2016
    7
    I'm only halfway through this game, and to be honest it's good, but the numerous small broken issues and dumb design choices Ska Studios placed into this game frustrate me more and more I play this.

    I'm fine with the difficulty, it's a good game in that sense, with bosses being difficult to a first look, but cheezy crappy hitboxes and sudden broken movesets make them more frustrating to    I'm only halfway through this game, and to be honest it's good, but the numerous small broken issues and dumb design choices Ska Studios placed into this game frustrate me more and more I play this.

    I'm fine with the difficulty, it's a good game in that sense, with bosses being difficult to a first look, but cheezy crappy hitboxes and sudden broken movesets make them more frustrating to deal with than a simple Soul-style boss encounter would entail. Bosses are actually not fun in this game.

    No inventory sorting, and no inventory identifier at shops;

    Enemies with outrageous homing skills and hitboxes;

    Cheezy deaths by traps, dumb design floor break placements, enemy locations, enemy attacks near edges, brands work half of the time, etc.;

    Creed Level rehash each and every time when switching creeds, totally unlike Dark Souls 2 covenants, equates to repetitive farming for numerous hours.....becomes redundant;

    Lore is uninteresting;

    Item descriptions are difficult to read as text font is ridiculously terrible, from a couch-to-tv distance then only way to actually read anything in this game is for the screen to be within 5 feet max away from eyes;

    Not enough weapons (7 max per type (e.g. staffs, greatswords, greathammers, etc.);

    Too many armor that are pretty much identical to one another;

    Some rings do not function (e.g. stamina ring not limiting to 1/3)

    These are all within the first 15 hours of gameplay. I'll be posting more soon once I come across more issues.

    Overall, I recommend a BUY if you enjoy "souls" games, as this game is good but not great.    … Expand
  52. jimzeero
    Mar 24, 2016
    9
    Would be 10/10, except that it's not Dark Souls 3. Otherwise it's great, 2D Dark Souls for sure. Online Co-Op would be a great improvement, butt that's about all I would change, other than adding a 3rd dimension.
  53. illphil
    Mar 24, 2016
    8
    its dark souls 2d more or less, tho slightly more light-hearted and cartoony. i am about halfway through it and i love it. not as brutally unforgiving as the souls games or bloodborne, but if you are a fan of those games then u are bound to enjoy it. keep ur level low and its really tough in places, or level up really quickly to make things easier if u need. could easily be a nine butits dark souls 2d more or less, tho slightly more light-hearted and cartoony. i am about halfway through it and i love it. not as brutally unforgiving as the souls games or bloodborne, but if you are a fan of those games then u are bound to enjoy it. keep ur level low and its really tough in places, or level up really quickly to make things easier if u need. could easily be a nine but its not nearly as long as the 'from software' games. but for fifteen pounds you cant go wrong! do it!… Expand
  54. al1en
    Mar 24, 2016
    4
    didnt like the graphic style(looks like an amateurs work, but many low price games have that problem..) and one boss towards the end of the game (witch of the lake) is ridiculously out of balance and hard to beat which kinda ruined the experience for me. gameplay wise its quite a nice low budget oldschool 2D platformer game with rpg elements
  55. ChromaticTusk
    Mar 23, 2016
    10
    Game is amazing. It's a sleeper game of the year candidate. Literally the best game I've played in a while. It retains the pros of the Souls series, while eliminating a lot of the complaints. And having it in 2D form works beautifully, though I'm a person who doesn't normally favor games not in 3D.

    The leveling system is like Path of Exile/Final Fantasy X, where you have a grid. You    Game is amazing. It's a sleeper game of the year candidate. Literally the best game I've played in a while. It retains the pros of the Souls series, while eliminating a lot of the complaints. And having it in 2D form works beautifully, though I'm a person who doesn't normally favor games not in 3D.

    The leveling system is like Path of Exile/Final Fantasy X, where you have a grid. You invest Salt, which is a currency that drops from defeated enemies (similar to souls in the Souls games). This makes character planning a dream. So many viable builds. It's a lengthy experience (20 hours or so for your first playthrough) and the amount of weapons/armors is staggering. (About 600 in total) It hits the loot/fashion spot alot of gamers are after. Seriously stunned at the amount of quality the game shows.

    Developers have talked about adding an invasion system (similar to the pvp system Dark Souls uses) so if you're into the competitive scene, be patient. It also has local co op if you're into that. WELL worth the asking price.    … Expand
  56. connorgriffith
    Mar 23, 2016
    10
    Although people will compare this to dark souls it still maintains its own identity with dark souls and metroidvania components. Even capturing the same feeling of playing dark souks for the first time and encountering new bosses
    Highly recommend getting if you're a fan of either style of game and just 2-d platformers in general.
  57. tomthebomb420
    Mar 23, 2016
    10
    The graphics are satisfying and while the character model art style isn’t my favorite the environments are absolutely stunning. The controls are tight and their mechanics expand on traditional 2d platforming in many ways.
    This is one of my favorite games of all time. 10/10
  58. Eibon
    Mar 22, 2016
    10
    The game is awesome. Sure there are some minor bugs here and there, but there are really not much games ships without them. Most serious one i encountered is the inability to get the Moss Key if you play in coop and reach boss in guest game sooner than in yours, but still it's far from fatal, layout of game world allows you to easily bypass that door.

    Be careful though, do not try to    The game is awesome. Sure there are some minor bugs here and there, but there are really not much games ships without them. Most serious one i encountered is the inability to get the Moss Key if you play in coop and reach boss in guest game sooner than in yours, but still it's far from fatal, layout of game world allows you to easily bypass that door.

    Be careful though, do not try to drop shimmering pearl for your coop-friend since it will magically turn into a bag of salt on pickup. :)

    Buy it! Give it a shot! In these times of mindless shooters and crippled "RPGs" all over the place this game is a little shining gem.    … Expand
  59. MisterGiggles
    Mar 22, 2016
    4
    This is one of the most arrogant hipster knockoffs of the Dark Souls style of games in recent memory. Imagine a 2D dark souls but then take out all of the actual fun that Dark Souls provided. Add a douchey underbrightness to everything and plague the game with some of the most horrible AI to misfortune the PS4. Now add a huge dash of instability. I mean, it's a dedicated platform, but yetThis is one of the most arrogant hipster knockoffs of the Dark Souls style of games in recent memory. Imagine a 2D dark souls but then take out all of the actual fun that Dark Souls provided. Add a douchey underbrightness to everything and plague the game with some of the most horrible AI to misfortune the PS4. Now add a huge dash of instability. I mean, it's a dedicated platform, but yet a simple 2D game is crashing and lost me 6 hours of progress? When are we going to get over the novelty of a 2 person team like it is somehow at good thing and get back to games that are actually professionally made. What a joke and the price itself is just the icing on the arrogant cake.… Expand
  60. RipTail
    Mar 22, 2016
    10
    I love love this game! Dark Souls in 2D never looked or feel so better until now. And all of this, has been born from only 2 talented persons with real passion for video games, not a multi billion industry with all kind of **** studios and CEOs who are only interested in making money and selling crap to the consumers! Thanks SKA Studios for this game!
  61. scarab5Q
    Mar 21, 2016
    9
    If you are waiting with baited breath for dark souls 3 or are hungry for more dark souls get this.
    If you have always wanted to try out dark souls but were daunted by the difficulty and the punishing difficulty curve, get this. Then get Dark Souls because what have you been doing with your life?
    This game is basically 2D dark souls. Removing that third dimension changes the game-play    If you are waiting with baited breath for dark souls 3 or are hungry for more dark souls get this.
    If you have always wanted to try out dark souls but were daunted by the difficulty and the punishing difficulty curve, get this. Then get Dark Souls because what have you been doing with your life?

    This game is basically 2D dark souls. Removing that third dimension changes the game-play quite drastically as it plays like a platformer and therefore combat has far more verticality to it . The fights are far less methodical and much faster. S&S does make you realise how much dark souls cribbed from Castlevania as it plays very much like SOTN. I would go as far as saying that this game is best Metroidvania game in years.

    The game is far less punishing at the beginning and much easier to get into due to the inherent familiarity of plat-formers that allot of gamers have. Though the game is not easy and going rashly into a fight with new enemies will kill you rather quickly. It does steal allot of elements from the dark souls universe (estus flask, bonfires, covenants, souls, parrying, etc) meaning that if you've played a souls game before it will seem quite familiar, if you haven't its a great way to learn how the world of souls works.It is essentially the best dark souls tutorial you can get without playing dark souls as it is less punishing initially and can get you used to the mechanics of the game with much more ease.

    For veteran souls players there is still allot to see. The lore, style and aesthetic is very different. There are built-in challenge modes such as: perma-death, no healing and naked. When "hall of champions" mode is turned on everything moves faster, bosses start in their 2nd phase, the AI is smarter and enemies have better stats. In other words this game can be incredibly difficult if you want it to be. Therefore the game is therefore perfect for newcomers and veterans alike to tide you over for DS3.

    My one complaint about the game is that there is not much freedom to mix and match how your character plays midway through the game. In dark souls sure you pick your class, but you can still try out different play styles to some degree for about the first 20% of the game as it is your stats that determine which weapons you can use. Here weapons are handed out at a really stingy rate and weapons are based on skills not stats meaning you are locked into certain weapon groups and if you don't realise quick enough you might have to do a fairly large grinding session to level up to get the skills required. Not to mention weapons are handed out at really stingy rates. So for example if you try and specialise in archery early on in the game, there is one bow that is at your disposal for a significant portion of the game. However specialising in heavy armour, swords and shields works much better. I'd say at the start of the game is a little unbalanced though not a reason to miss out. If you play through once you will be able to build your character accordingly

    In summary, if you like dark souls and looking for something to quench your souls based thirst, give it a go.The game has enough of its own style to hold its own. If you are a fan of the 2D castlevania/metroid games give this a shot it is the best 2D metroidvania since the GBA days. If you have been curious about playing souls, this is a little taster that will get you the idea. This game isn't as perfect as dark souls but would definitely give it a go.    … Expand
  62. Gamingteacher
    Mar 21, 2016
    8
    A truly fantastic game, really really enjoyed it. I'd call it a combination of a souls game and Castlevania SOTN. Bosses/enemies are varied and interesting, art design makes the areas of the world easily recognisable yet atmospheric and the combat is spot on.

    The only two grumbles I'd have is that the boss music, whilst awesome, is only one track (final boss nonwithstanding) and bosses    A truly fantastic game, really really enjoyed it. I'd call it a combination of a souls game and Castlevania SOTN. Bosses/enemies are varied and interesting, art design makes the areas of the world easily recognisable yet atmospheric and the combat is spot on.

    The only two grumbles I'd have is that the boss music, whilst awesome, is only one track (final boss nonwithstanding) and bosses towards the endgame can be a bit easy. Having said this I've yet to finish NG+ and beyond do hopefully this will give more challenge next time I'm in the endgame areas. These are VERY minor grumbles and in no way impacted my enjoyment of the game, but they do however stop me from giving a perfect score. There have also been a very few instances where the game has closed down suddenly in error, which will hopefully be sorted in an update or patch, so I'm taking a point off for that.

    So..... Yeah, an 8! And hopefully as a fairly experienced games enthusiast that counts for something. Well done Ska Studios! Here's to Salt and Sanctuary 2!    … Expand
  63. Caverex
    Mar 21, 2016
    10
    Just loving the game! Ive already spended more then 40 hours in this, congratz to all the developers for making a MetroidVania on Dark Souls style, its awesome!
  64. GloriousWeb
    Mar 21, 2016
    10
    I've just finished the game and i already want more! In some ways i like it better than Dark Souls: 2d fight is fluent and satisfying, the world is huge and interconnected and you could lose yourself in it, Boss battles are balanced and visually appealing. Lost 24 hours on my first play-through and i want more! Please please please make some DLCs for that game!
  65. VerminSC
    Mar 19, 2016
    9
    I purchased this game on a whim, because i like the souls series and read this was similar. This game is excellent in it's own right. It has rock solid controls, plenty of depth, and great atmosphere. It is also extremely fun, i don't remember having this much fun with an indie game in a long time..
  66. duxdaro
    Mar 19, 2016
    10
    Dark Souls 2D. That's all you need to know about this game. If you love "Souls" series, you will love this one too. It's hard to believe that it was made by only two people... MASTERPIECE!!!
  67. Caste
    Mar 19, 2016
    9
    A really good game.

    Haven't beat it yet. Actually, it's a little harder than the DS series, imo.

    If you like challenges, exploring and the lore-hunting narrative, get it.
  68. zamrai
    Mar 19, 2016
    9
    (I edited this review with new paragraph after playing a lot more. I didn't want to change the parts where I was mistaken so you could see how impression can change during time spent with the game and how easy it is to stick a 'dark souls clone' label on it.)

    It is impossible to write about this game without mentioning Dark Souls because this is basically Dark Souls in 2D platform    (I edited this review with new paragraph after playing a lot more. I didn't want to change the parts where I was mistaken so you could see how impression can change during time spent with the game and how easy it is to stick a 'dark souls clone' label on it.)

    It is impossible to write about this game without mentioning Dark Souls because this is basically Dark Souls in 2D platform style. I am a veteran of all Souls games but I never played much platform games and I probably suck at these. For this reason I was afraid I might not like S&S as much as I would like to.

    However the way this game works and feels is much more Dark Souls than just a platform game. Apparently the creators played Souls games a lot and carefully observed its mechanics: reward structure, learning curve, boss fights... S&S also gives you everything Soul series is known for: challenge, difficulty, many builds to toy with, huge adrenaline spikes, grim but also melancholic mood...As a Dark Souls fan I couldn't ask for more. And it was made by a team of two people! (plus two cats). S&S also borrows some unique ideas from other games, like huge skill tree reminding me so much of Path Of Exile.

    It's easy to treat this game as an appetizer before the main course which is Dark Souls 3 coming up in april but fortunately this game's replay value is high, with multiple unique weapons and play styles. I already see myself coming back to it even after DkS3 is out.

    If I was forced to find a flaw in this game it would be probably the fact that it sometimes follows DkS too closely in terms of some designs. Like huge golems with shields and spears reminding me so much of these in Anor Londo, even having same move set. But it's hardly a problem, especially for a game that is a homage to Dark Souls anyway.

    I don't give 10/10 to games because even in the most refined product there is always something that could be made better. Perfection doesn't exist, one can get only very close to it. So 9/10 it is!

    EDIT:

    The above early review was based on 8 hours of gameplay. But after playing a lot more I have to admit how much mistaken I was. The game initially seemed like Dark Souls 2D but it is A LOT MORE. S&S has its own identity and the more you play the more interesting mechanisms you discover, especially in forms of new abilities given to your character (brands). They make moving around, discovering and fighting even more interesting. They also give you an access to areas previously unreachable so you may want to revisit old places in search for some tasty goodies. For reasons above not only Dark Souls fans should give it a try but also every fan of platform games because these elements too are very well designed. The game combines what is best both in platform games and Souls games, creating fresh and unique experience.

    And the price tag - for the amount of fun and possible playthroughs this game provides the price is a steal. Don't miss it.    … Expand
  69. splinted
    Mar 18, 2016
    10
    Quenches the souls/borne in my veins.

    To put it simply, this game is great. Talent tree, countless leveling up, transmutable gear, tough boss fights, and beautiful art design. Soul/Borne, if you enjoyed Dark Souls or blood borne, this game is for you! I'll be streaming this game all week, come take a look. https://www.twitch.tv/splintedvibes
  70. MisterMansfield
    Mar 18, 2016
    10
    As far as a single player 2D dark souls style game this is perfection. It does include local coop as well. However, I feel that the lack of online features is what hurts this game. Even with a lack of online features I do feel that this game is masterful in its execution overall.
  71. killer2m8o
    Mar 18, 2016
    9
    The game was described to me as a 2D Souls game. That is the first impression, but it’s not a complete picture.

    It’s a Metroidvania in terms of world building, with plenty of platforming, branching paths, and ability unlocks that give you the tools you need to access new areas. It’s also more platformer than Souls when it comes to the smaller mobs throughout the levels. The mob    The game was described to me as a 2D Souls game. That is the first impression, but it’s not a complete picture.

    It’s a Metroidvania in terms of world building, with plenty of platforming, branching paths, and ability unlocks that give you the tools you need to access new areas. It’s also more platformer than Souls when it comes to the smaller mobs throughout the levels. The mob placement enhances the platforming, you learn their quirks and blaze through them. This is how you spend most of your time.

    It’s a Soulslike when it comes to combat with the larger mobs and bosses; you learn their movesets, and think before you act. You manage your HP and stamina while you dodge, parry, attack and look for an opportunity to recover. The equipment system is also very Soulslike. Swords, boards, armors, rings and magics are reminiscent of Souls and they are obtained, equipped and used in ways similar to Souls.

    The risk/reward system is the other major Soulslike element. It’s probably the most defining element of a ‘Soulslike’, but at the end of the day the mechanic is simple – you lose your unspent XP when you die, and you have one chance to recover it. Die twice without recovering your XP and it’s gone forever. Salt takes the place of Souls, and Sanctuaries replace bonfires. Other elements were jacked from Souls as well, like asynchronous messaging, an obtuse co-op system, the occasional ghost (tombstone) of another player, and the look and feel of character creation – but these things are minor footnotes.

    The stat system appears Soulslike at first, but it’s really not. Leveling up itself is handled through the navigation of an ability tree more reminiscent of a thousand other RPGs that are not Souls games. It’s the ability tree that really determines your characters skills. The abilities to use weapons and other equips are unlocked in the tree, not by meeting stat requirements.

    So that’s what to expect. If you like Metroidvania and Souls games, this is almost a perfect hybrid. I highly recommend it. If it could include (and balance) the invasion system of a Souls game it would have the extreme longevity of a Souls game. As it is, it’s a nice, big Metroidlike with a healthy layer of Souls mechanics.

    All I could ask for in a sequel is an online invasion system, and unique NG+ cycles. For me, those are the two things that hold this back from a 10.    … Expand
  72. HunterEatHunter
    Mar 18, 2016
    10
    This game is highly underrated, and not enough people know about it.

    What a lot of people also don't know is that this wonderful game was developer by a studio of only 2 people, a husband/wife duo. The game has all hand-drawn visuals, which I think are very charming. The game plays a lot like Demon/Dark Souls & Bloodborne, and that's not a bad thing at all. I wouldn't go as far as to    This game is highly underrated, and not enough people know about it.

    What a lot of people also don't know is that this wonderful game was developer by a studio of only 2 people, a husband/wife duo. The game has all hand-drawn visuals, which I think are very charming. The game plays a lot like Demon/Dark Souls & Bloodborne, and that's not a bad thing at all. I wouldn't go as far as to call it a ripoff though. It has that familiar feel, but the game's own elements shine through as well. The enemy variance is fantastic. The amount of "zones" is great with 20+ areas to explore. I can't hype this game up enough.

    TL;DR for $18, buy it!    … Expand
  73. Davl
    Mar 17, 2016
    9
    Normally don't do reviews. The game is not perfect, but it is close for any souls fan. I would have given it a 10 if the facial models would have been more adult, ability to remove the hud, and the addition of more voice acting. I also did this review to balance out the aholes who give this a 0 rating. They obviously didn't play it or they suck at hard games.
  74. Henristriker
    Mar 17, 2016
    10
    10 out of 10. If you want a 2D Dark Souls it’s hard to imagine From Software doing much better than this, even if it has too few original ideas of its own, Excellent combat and level design, with a wide range of weapons, upgrades, and obscure story hints that From Software would be proud of.
  75. Dread_P_Roberts
    Mar 17, 2016
    9
    An outstanding 2D RPG side-scroller, that beautifully captures the essence of the Souls series, with some metroidvania gameplay mechanics thrown in for good measure. What initially looks like a deceptively straightforward 2D hack-n-slash, quickly reveals itself to be a game with a considerable amount of depth. "Salt & Sanctuary" wears its influence on its sleeve like a badge of honor, andAn outstanding 2D RPG side-scroller, that beautifully captures the essence of the Souls series, with some metroidvania gameplay mechanics thrown in for good measure. What initially looks like a deceptively straightforward 2D hack-n-slash, quickly reveals itself to be a game with a considerable amount of depth. "Salt & Sanctuary" wears its influence on its sleeve like a badge of honor, and will truly delight any avid Dark Souls fan. But as I progressed deeper into the beautiful watercolor game world, and started to unlock new abilities in the form of 'brandings', I found myself falling in love with the game, no longer simply as just 'Dark Souls 2D', but as it's own unique vision.

    My only minor cons are that there's no setting to adjust the brightness, and the menu text is too small, making it hard for my poor eyes to read. I understand that the game is intentionally dark; that adds to the tension of an enemy hiding in the shadows, or not seeing a precarious booby trap. But nevertheless, I would like to be able to manually turn it up at least a little.    … Expand
  76. Teegleberry
    Mar 17, 2016
    10
    I cannot express how much this game has sucked me in since I started playing. Ska Studios are self proclaimed Souls fans, they said from the off that this was their homage to From Software's fantastic series and they have absolutely nailed it.

    S&S plays beautifully, the combat is brutal and satisfying and the addictive risk/reward system makes the game hard to put down. There's so much    I cannot express how much this game has sucked me in since I started playing. Ska Studios are self proclaimed Souls fans, they said from the off that this was their homage to From Software's fantastic series and they have absolutely nailed it.

    S&S plays beautifully, the combat is brutal and satisfying and the addictive risk/reward system makes the game hard to put down. There's so much depth to the character build system in this game, different classes and a huge skill tree. I'm already looking forward to doing a new playthrough with a Hunter or Paladin to try out and master the different play styles.

    I have to say in closing that it's hard to imagine if From themselves attempted to make a 2D version of a Souls game that it'd be much better than this. I really like a lot of great indie games but this one is probably my favourite of them all.... Highly Recommend    … Expand
  77. szszsz
    Mar 17, 2016
    10
    ive been waiting for this game for a year already, bought it in preorder immediately when it showed
    so i was aboard the hype train a while ago

    and still this game has exceeded my expectations

    this is the best tribute to dks i could imagine
  78. Vaxkang
    Mar 16, 2016
    10
    I love this game. I am a huge fans of the dark Souls series as well. It borrows a lot from the Souls games and transfers it over to the 2D in a masterful way. This is a very solid game. I never thought I would buy a 2D scroller game but I did and I love it. Pure awesome gameplay mechanics and atmosphere. Buy it, great price at $17.99 and you will not be disappointed. So much gameI love this game. I am a huge fans of the dark Souls series as well. It borrows a lot from the Souls games and transfers it over to the 2D in a masterful way. This is a very solid game. I never thought I would buy a 2D scroller game but I did and I love it. Pure awesome gameplay mechanics and atmosphere. Buy it, great price at $17.99 and you will not be disappointed. So much game for little cost and many hours of replay-ability too.… Expand
  79. surfacepatterns
    Mar 16, 2016
    10
    Many of the reviewers are identifying this game as a 2-D 'Dark Souls'. I can't fault them, as the developers themselves embrace the influence of the Souls games. The problem is that calling this game a 2-D 'Dark Souls' only addresses a portion of what the game has to offer. While this game liberally steals many aspects of the Souls formula, the gameplay feels much more likeMany of the reviewers are identifying this game as a 2-D 'Dark Souls'. I can't fault them, as the developers themselves embrace the influence of the Souls games. The problem is that calling this game a 2-D 'Dark Souls' only addresses a portion of what the game has to offer. While this game liberally steals many aspects of the Souls formula, the gameplay feels much more like 'Castlevania: Symphony of the Night' than any Souls game, and the exploration feels more like 'Metroid' and 'Super Metroid'. Throw in the Ska Studios signature design style, and you've got one hell of a game.… Expand
  80. RedColobus
    Mar 16, 2016
    10
    Even though I've heard about this game about a year ago and knew it was something special in the making, it totally exceeded my expectations!

    Combines the best bits of Dark Souls with a very open exploreable 2D world filled with secrets. Good enemy variation, satisfying combat, responsive controls, epic boss battles, outstanding atmosphere, lots and lots of weapons and armour,    Even though I've heard about this game about a year ago and knew it was something special in the making, it totally exceeded my expectations!

    Combines the best bits of Dark Souls with a very open exploreable 2D world filled with secrets.

    Good enemy variation, satisfying combat, responsive controls, epic boss battles, outstanding atmosphere, lots and lots of weapons and armour, massive skill tree, upgradeable gear, interesting items, fun NPC's, co-op, unique mechanics, atmospheric soundtrack, character creation, classes and oh yes, regular deaths.

    My only problem with the game is that I can't seem to switch it off... 10/10    … Expand
  81. DomFass
    Mar 15, 2016
    10
    This game is just amazing! the controls are spot on the game play is very dark souls and the environments are so rich!!! If you love anything dark souls / demon souls, get this game and support the cause cause they put in ridiculous detail!!! over 200 different nods to customize your character how you like and if you hoard your level up items there is very little risk to losing all yourThis game is just amazing! the controls are spot on the game play is very dark souls and the environments are so rich!!! If you love anything dark souls / demon souls, get this game and support the cause cause they put in ridiculous detail!!! over 200 different nods to customize your character how you like and if you hoard your level up items there is very little risk to losing all your souls... i mean salt lol. Enemies are crafty, weapons are expansive, and the magic system is complex. I can not recommend this game enough!… Expand
  82. shmooster
    Mar 15, 2016
    10
    To start off, I am so impressed with the game that I made an account just to write this. I'm a fan of both the souls series and platformers in general, so I'll admit that I'm a little biased, but this game deserves to be checked out by anyone who enjoys platformers and games that make you earn your victories.
    It takes so many wonderful aspects of the platformer genre and melds them into a    To start off, I am so impressed with the game that I made an account just to write this. I'm a fan of both the souls series and platformers in general, so I'll admit that I'm a little biased, but this game deserves to be checked out by anyone who enjoys platformers and games that make you earn your victories.
    It takes so many wonderful aspects of the platformer genre and melds them into a beautiful and difficult rpg world that you will fall in love with - one death at a time. Besides doing an excellent job with the atmosphere, memorable NPC's, music and level design, the game also boasts a top-tier combat system that is easy to learn and challenging to master, as well as an impressive array of weapons, magic, and items. Ska studios has really knocked it out of the park on this one.    … Expand
  83. Kaniya
    Mar 15, 2016
    9
    One of the best indie games I have played this year is Salt and Sanctuary. From the moment the DL was completed and I started the game I got hooked into it. the only complain i can make is that many elements of the game is straight out of DS series, which makes it feel like there "could" have been room for more innovations other than just coppying. But Overall its a game any gamer shudOne of the best indie games I have played this year is Salt and Sanctuary. From the moment the DL was completed and I started the game I got hooked into it. the only complain i can make is that many elements of the game is straight out of DS series, which makes it feel like there "could" have been room for more innovations other than just coppying. But Overall its a game any gamer shud play not only DS fans.… Expand
  84. simonbelm0nt
    Mar 15, 2016
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. *spoilers* I just finished the game. As a Dark Souls fan this was pretty disappointing. The game kept crashing while teleporting from area to area. Also I killed the last 6 bosses on my first try which I think is a bit too easy :(. No I did not grind at all(I ran through a lot of the enemies too). I beat the game at level 71 using the seawolf cutlass greatsword.

    Another wild bug was while fighting the final boss. He did his grab attack and after he was done I ended up inside a wall. The boss didn't know what to do after that.

    Extra positive points:
    -The combat feels fantastic on its own and matches the Dark Souls combat well. Parrying is something I wish all games had.
    -Game has an insane amount of weapons/abilites/armor sets.
    -The game packs a lot of content and probably takes at least 12 hours on the first play through

    Extra negative points:
    -Lots of obsurd one-hit KO attacks like the unicorn enemies in the Pitchwoods
    -Can't configure controls
    -The game only has two boss tracks and a final boss track so it the song gets very repetitive    … Expand
  85. Be_Objective
    Mar 15, 2016
    9
    Well, lets start acknowledging the elphant in the room. Yes, this game can be mostly described as Dark Souls in 2D. Do I think of this as an identity crisis? Of course not. This game knows exactly what it is and it is all the better for it. It succesfully implements most of Dark Souls best mechanics in a 2D environment and ads its own personl flavor creating an experience that feelsWell, lets start acknowledging the elphant in the room. Yes, this game can be mostly described as Dark Souls in 2D. Do I think of this as an identity crisis? Of course not. This game knows exactly what it is and it is all the better for it. It succesfully implements most of Dark Souls best mechanics in a 2D environment and ads its own personl flavor creating an experience that feels familiar, yet new.

    That aside. Salt and Sanctuary was a lot deeper than I imagined in terms of mechanics and level design. The levels are very well crafted, with tons of secrets, short cuts and full of diverse, well designed enemies. The gameplay is really satisfying and gives you a lot of options when entering combat. The game can be really punishing (as expected from a game like this). The artstyle might take a little to get used to for some but I (like many others) think it's creative at its worst, gorgeous at its best. The world holds a lot of nice detalis, like the corpses of other players that hang outside the areas where they died and other surprises I wont spoil.

    To sum it up, if you like Dark Souls, 2D action games, and/or a tough but fair approach to gamplay then I absolutely recomend this game. It lasts longer and has more depth than most AAA titles now a days and for just 17$ this is an absolute steal. If you are even mildly interested in Salt and Sanctuary, please give it a chance.    … Expand
  86. LegendarySoap
    Mar 15, 2016
    9
    The game is a beautiful 2D Souls-Castlevania hybrid, with a lot of work and love being poured into every area, enemy and item description.
    Its combat is satisfying incorporating elements of the Souls series with the 2D enemy placement, free jumping and verticality of the early Castlevania titles. While derivative of these two series, it also features its own interesting lore and    The game is a beautiful 2D Souls-Castlevania hybrid, with a lot of work and love being poured into every area, enemy and item description.
    Its combat is satisfying incorporating elements of the Souls series with the 2D enemy placement, free jumping and verticality of the early Castlevania titles. While derivative of these two series, it also features its own interesting lore and characters as well as interesting gameplay elements such as the various religious groups you can pledge to affecting your healing items and sanctuaries and totem items impacting area bonuses and which shops and services appear.
    Bosses are fun and challenging with ones like the False Jester and Queen of Smiles serving as memorable early-game opponents while enemies blend elements of familiar zombies and soldiers with more unique Kraekan enemy types.
    Overall the game stays enjoyable from beginning to end and is well worth the price, Ska Studios deserve all the praise they are getting.    … Expand
  87. v_iHuGi
    Mar 15, 2016
    10
    Once again Souls formula proving worth the effort, amazing how such a little studio could make such a great game, im not much into Indie Gaming but this one is absolutely essential if you are a fan of Souls series or good games in general.
  88. ReSultZ
    Mar 15, 2016
    10
    Wow I haven't enjoyed a 2D game like this in a loooong time and its gorgeous 2 boot.
    I want more of this type and thankfully Deaths Gambit is also coming... Good times :)
  89. mwilliam5
    Mar 15, 2016
    9
    Look... the game is great. Deep visceral combat, gorgeous art, incredible fun.

    But let's not pretend. It is a Dark Souls clone, in 2D. If From Software wanted a part in it, all it would have taken is a couple pen strokes to the story or items and a month or two longer in the oven and we could have had a canon game here. There is no identity crisis. This is not a bad thing at all, in    Look... the game is great. Deep visceral combat, gorgeous art, incredible fun.

    But let's not pretend. It is a Dark Souls clone, in 2D. If From Software wanted a part in it, all it would have taken is a couple pen strokes to the story or items and a month or two longer in the oven and we could have had a canon game here. There is no identity crisis.

    This is not a bad thing at all, in my opinion, I always love a new Souls game and man has it been an amazing 2 or 3 years (for PS owners at least). The difference between "homage" and "ripoff" only depend on if we like it. So this gets to be an homage. Go get it, if you love DS. You will laugh at the similarities for at least an hour, then it will settle in and you will love it.    … Expand
  90. maicol2809
    Mar 15, 2016
    9
    SotN + Dark Souls = Salt and Sanctuary. Seriously though, you have your environment/ability progression system of good metroidvanias plus the risk/reward mechanic of the "souls" games. Combine that with satisfying combat and a pleasant yet brutal art design and you have a great game for your PS4.
    The only thing keeping this from a solid 10 is the lack of online play. There is local co-op    SotN + Dark Souls = Salt and Sanctuary. Seriously though, you have your environment/ability progression system of good metroidvanias plus the risk/reward mechanic of the "souls" games. Combine that with satisfying combat and a pleasant yet brutal art design and you have a great game for your PS4.
    The only thing keeping this from a solid 10 is the lack of online play. There is local co-op which is tons of fun so I wish I could also play with my online friends.
    Don't let that stop you though, this is still one of the best single player experiences out there.    … Expand
  91. froodi
    Mar 15, 2016
    10
    Simply amazing 10 out of 10! When you love Dark Souls, you will love this game. I got hooked from the first minute. It's like an appetizer for DS 3 and it's totally worth the money. I just beat the second boss and i am really curios what they have still in store for me. The controls suck cuz it's so different from Dk an i really don't understand their decision. I hope they gonna patch inSimply amazing 10 out of 10! When you love Dark Souls, you will love this game. I got hooked from the first minute. It's like an appetizer for DS 3 and it's totally worth the money. I just beat the second boss and i am really curios what they have still in store for me. The controls suck cuz it's so different from Dk an i really don't understand their decision. I hope they gonna patch in some alternative control settings. Thanks for reading!… Expand
  92. prinex
    Mar 15, 2016
    10
    This is simply said a Dark Souls-esque game in 2D. It has a complete skill tree, leveling up, quests, weapon upgrades and so on.

    But the best part is the gameplay, the controls are tight and fair (first 2D where I dont end up swinging my weapon in the wrong direction), the game punishes you for button-mashing and in classical Dark Souls fashion you need to learn attack pattern to    This is simply said a Dark Souls-esque game in 2D. It has a complete skill tree, leveling up, quests, weapon upgrades and so on.

    But the best part is the gameplay, the controls are tight and fair (first 2D where I dont end up swinging my weapon in the wrong direction), the game punishes you for button-mashing and in classical Dark Souls fashion you need to learn attack pattern to succeed.

    The only minor gripe is the controls, the keys cannot be reassigned, so R1 (attack button in DS) becomes the square button. For a game that so heavily borrows from DS, they could at least have offered a "classic" controller layout.

    10/10 for me.    … Expand
  93. Pladdicus
    Mar 15, 2016
    10
    I think I have to go ahead and say this as required by law:

    It's Dark Souls 2D. This isn't really an accurate statement but it's an identity that is impossible to ignore, if you like Dark Souls, if the idea of meshing that in a two dimensional play area appeals to you then you will love this game. It takes the feel of wonder, exploration and constant danger that mark a good souls    I think I have to go ahead and say this as required by law:

    It's Dark Souls 2D.

    This isn't really an accurate statement but it's an identity that is impossible to ignore, if you like Dark Souls, if the idea of meshing that in a two dimensional play area appeals to you then you will love this game. It takes the feel of wonder, exploration and constant danger that mark a good souls experience and distilled it to two dimensional joy.

    This isn't to say that it is a clone, far from it. It's best to say that Salt and Sanctuary is a love letter to fans of its many inspirations.

    The combat plays incredible smoothly, your attacks feel visceral and have a weight to them. There's secrets to explore, unique and, obviously, challenging bosses to face, an in depth skill tree that will allow you to explore dozens of unique possibilities for your character and all around a game that oozes the love and hard work that went into it.

    It has an incredible visual style that I adore, there's incredibly moody lightning, excellent backdrops, the whole package has an undeniable amount of charm to it. The sound design fits nicely, with choice use of soundtrack to punctuate the more tense or somber moments of the game.

    It might have been the premise of "Dark Souls 2D" that got me through the door but it was Salt and Sanctuary's quality and charm that got me to stay up to 6 AM playing it for just one more safe zone.    … Expand
  94. chibistevo
    Mar 15, 2016
    10
    Just get it.

    Ignore the middle of the road reviews complaining about 'game identity' and other such nonsense. Anyone who says this game is a Souls rip off clearly has their eyes closed and brain lobotomised.

    S+S has its own identity; which is being thest Metroidvania since Aria of Sorrow.

    Notice how that sentence does not mention anything about Dark Souls.

Awards & Rankings

30
#30 Best PS4 Game of 2016
42
#42 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2016
50
#50 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 56 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 51 out of 56
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 56
  3. Negative: 0 out of 56
  1. IGN
    Aug 1, 2018
    86
    You could call Salt and Sanctuary a 2D mashup of Dark Souls and Castlevania, and you'd be right. But such a simple pronouncement would be a disservice to the tremendous amount of thought that's gone into Salt and Sanctuary, whether it's in the graphic style that evokes horror through the style of comic strips or in the intricate web of dungeons and castles serves as it map.
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  2. CD-Action
    Jun 29, 2016
    60
    A tribute to Dark Souls done with a deep understanding of the original game, but ugly and derivative as hell. [06/2016, p.61]
  3. Edge Magazine
    Jun 7, 2016
    60
    Salt & Sanctuary can be brilliant, but it's held back by undersized visual design, both in UI and open play, making playing it from distance a pain. [June 2016, p.122]
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