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. 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.
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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!
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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.
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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.
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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 :)
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. 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
  26. 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.
  27. 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!
  28. 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
  29. 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
  30. 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
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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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