If there’s one thing Ska Studios has nailed over the years, as seen in The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai, among others, it’s how to mix stylish 2D platforming with gruesome combat. As far as I can tell, Salt and Sanctuary will continue that trend, hopefully with an equally high skill ceiling and punishing difficulty too. Just wouldn’t feel right otherwise.
As for the story, well, there’s not really much to go on: you play the part of a shipwrecked sailor on a “purgatorial island”. Here, travellers find shelter in Sanctuaries, protected from a rather inhospitable outside world. Based on the above screenshot and trailer below, I highly doubt our protagonist will be sitting idly by for long, however; and… there wouldn’t be much of a game if that was the case, ya know?
With inspiration drawn from newer Castlevania 2D titles and the Souls series, Salt and Sanctuary promises combat with depth and weaponry that shape your style. Staffs, for example, yield magical attacks, while bows allow you to dictate the fight from afar, and consumables – well, I’m sure you know what those are.
A doomed sailor is shipwrecked on an uncharted island. In fog-shrouded valleys, where grinning, mossy corpses cling to rusted arms, shambling figures begin to stir.
Remember to keep your loadout weight in mind though, as being able to dodge roll out of harm’s way rapidly can be a genuine lifesaver. Oh and fans of action games featuring loads of towering bosses seem to be in for a treat as well, here. Groovy.
Salt and Sanctuary will be available for $17.99 on PS4 and Vita (cross-buy) from March 15th, 2016, with a Steam release coming “later”.
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