2016 witnessed the release of a small 2D action role-playing game called Salt and Sanctuary. It came from Ska Studios, just one bloke called James Silva basically, and it was well-received. Of course, it was. It was a 2D port of Dark Souls by FromSoftware (the developer that plagues my nightmares) though with all the names changed. When Salt and Sanctuary was released, I didn’t like it. I didn’t enjoy Dark Souls all that much either. Now, after a few years of deep-sea excavations and being inducted into the genre of the Souls-like thanks to Hollow Knight, I’m deeply entrenched in the joy of being smacked about a bit.

Salt and Sacrifice continues the series of being smacked about on a 2D Metroidvania with more or less the same penchant for being split in twain. On the surface, there is a lot that seems to be similar between the two. However, a larger overhaul has been done to the formula of the 2D Souls-like this time around. The controls aren’t improved though, as I once again had to swap everything around after playing three weeks’ worth of Elden Ring since the week before its release. Luckily, there is an overhaul to the options.

None of this says whether or not I liked Salt and Sacrifice, and the truth is, I may like it more for a few changes than others. It is still a Souls-like with enemies wanting to cut you a new hole to pee out of, there is a slightly heavier feel to the combat, and a better sense of movement this time around. At the same time, there are movement changes such as adding in a grappling hook, which is becoming an endemic problem in gaming lately. These changes are there to facilitate the Monster Hunter-esque boss chases before a fight.

Set up as quests you stumble upon, the Mages for whose hearts you have to devour to unlock the Metroidvania aspects are a bit of needless fluff added to the formula. Not all bosses are Mages, though hunting down the Mages offers you items that allow you to craft specific tools back at your Bloodborne-style Sanctum Sanctorum. I don’t mind collecting items, crafting better gear or weapons, as well as the many other slight changes that more or less streamline or create more fun challenges to get specific things. The lead-up to bosses that uses my resources is what bothers me.

Chasing the bosses and getting a few hits in while I can between their elemental attacks does make the actual fight “easier,” knawing half their health away pre-fight. Nonetheless, it is all rather… samey. This is about the only thing that the Mage fights have in common with the rest of the game; the sense that you’ve seen this all before. In the case of the art style, it is exactly the same as its predecessor, which looked like the mid-00s cartoons that were moody and angsty. The Binding of Issac‘s influence on gaming art styles will never be a great influence.

Like all Souls-likes, button-mashing in combat is highly off-putting, as you’ll become jam on the floor. Unlike its predecessor, Salt and Sacrifice has opted away from the need to kill the big bloke who made you into spreadable paste and shifts to the classic idea of being able to pick up your stuff where you died. This reminds me of attempting to fight a big lad on the other side of a door, only to be bounced right out of the club’s secret meeting. As a result, my Souls, Runes, Salt, or Sardines were flung halfway across the map. This led to bouncing the controller across the room in anger, as once again there is no map.

Dark Souls didn’t need an in-game map because at any time you could look up and find where you were going next. Elden Ring does it right to include a map because the distance between the Fingerfolk Hero’s Grave and Stormveil Castle over to the Divine Tower of Limgrave is the size of a small country, and between there are half a billion other locations of interest. A 2D, isometric, or any other form of Souls-like needs a map. Otherwise, you’ll be stumbling about in the dark of this Metroidvania wondering where to go to stab Alucard. Let me know where I dropped all the salt for my sausage supper.

I also found the traversal to be rather particular at times. Either running from the obelisk shrines that you return to in these worlds you voyage to in order to pick up spilled salt, or simply using the grappling hook, you’ll undoubtedly fall a few times. I fell at least once to an infuriating death. With five separate zones that you’ll explore throughout your time, each of which is vast for exploration once you’ve defeated a number of Mages and devoured their hearts, it is clear that you’ll come head-to-head with this need to platform like a crap plumber.

Mixing the Dark Souls influence (which brings the Metroidvania influence) with this Mage chase thing from Monster Hunter all turns out as a rather lumpy cake. The large areas to fling yourself across are nice, but lack flow in the same way Salt and Sacrifice‘s predecessor does. The Mage hunts feeling rather dull in comparison to, well, any boss fight that comes to mind of late. They exhaust my resources and patience. The temperamental platforming is the final straw that breaks the camel’s back of frustration that I think anyone will be willing to put up with in the end.

It is a shame really. There was a clear intention to improve a number of things such as combat, despite my annoyance with it. Several changes or enhancements have been made to make the combat more varied and allow for more comprehensive playstyles. However, after forcing yourself to farm levels for a while, you’ll most likely get bored doing the same few attack combinations that work for you. This is where the use of the respec points comes in handy for the vast skill tree that (much like the five levels) goes on forever and a day. New gear can sometimes force a change in your style or build entirely.

For those that do appreciate the repetitive grind of beating similar bosses time and time again, you’re in luck. For those that want some fantastically diverse levels bringing unique challenges with interesting opponents, you’ll be back in 2005 Newgrounds or whatever you find to be a wonderland. Sadly, none of the puzzle pieces click together when they are all on the table. No matter who you are, there is going to be something you’ll find is never going to be satisfying. For me, it has to be those Mages and their drudgery. They bring a wholly redundant experience that further requires farming resources to replenish crucial items.

Ultimately, I did enjoy part of my time with Salt and Sacrifice a lot more than my initial foray into its predecessor. Though despite finding that spark with the evolution of the series, it was one that attempted to take sweeping risks that are not paying off in the long run. No matter the tone of disapproval, it has to be commended that Salt and Sacrifice didn’t rely on simply repeating its forebearer. The Mages and grind may not work, and the continued lack of a map is frustrating, but there are enhancements moving the series forward. Here is hoping a third game can iron out those kinks.

A PC review copy of Salt and Sacrifice was provided by Ska Studios for the purposes of this review.

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Salt and Sacrifice

$19.99

6.5

Score

6.5/10

Pros

• Five wonderfuly diverse levels to explore.
• A slightly better weight to combat and enhanced movement.

Cons

• A lack of flow to the levels.
• Mage hunts feel tired despite being a new addition to the series.
• An often temperamental platforming system.