We have fallen into their traps; We ended up arriving at a boss without being as prepared as we should be. We have had to learn to play from the beginning and learn their own tactics. A wonder that after its successful passage on PlayStation 4, where it pr
emiered in March of this year, lands on PCno news beyond the pertinent technical improvements to test the bravest; to those willing to accept the challenge posed by this Dark Souls in 2D.
We define it this way because it is impossible to talk about this work without mentioning the From Softwarefranchise . It is part of their DNA and Ska Studios has no problem recognizing it. You can also see certain inspirations to the
Metroidvania , which encourages a little jumps and platforms, backtracking with new skills and that way of clearing new roads thanks to them.
The references do not end. The salt serves here as souls, how to level up. The sanctuaries and shelters are our fires and the weight of the equipment and the energy determines our type of character. But, much as it looks like other things, Salt an
d Sanctuary retains a certain ingenuity and originality. Here we also have money as a way to differentiate the experience and the purchase
of objects. The difference between sanctuaries and shelters achieves that in some we can invest our salt and in others only generate a new control point. The system of oathsdifferentiates each sanctuary, making us unable to access some shopkeepers for not belonging to the same god.
Born of salt
But it is in combat and exploration that we find the most differences. It is not the same to face a three-dimensional environment than to do it in two. The tactics vary. The jump and the agility for the stage acquires a capital importance and, although this limits some confrontations and tactics, the result is more than satisfactory. You can face e
In each sanctuary we can bring different merchants according to the stones we use. Choose well because the number is limited.
All connected to each other and in a very efficient way. There is the possibility of teleporting, although for this it is necessary to have the righ
t object or unlock the right shopkeeper, giving the situation of being able to transport us to an area, but not being able to return. And when the game seems to be running out of ideas, they begin to unlock the brands : unique abilities that allow us to walk through the roof, bounce on the wall or make certain previously inaccessible platforms solid.
It’s impossible to talk about Salt and Sanctuary without mentioning the FromSoftware franchise
The bosses are spectacular both in design and in size. The area is more limited, so it is difficult to maintain the pace of attacking, defending and healing.
Thus, SKA Studios has managed to interpret this formula and create a solid 2D game . One that also benefits from the particular artisti
c style of the team, while we visit huge and labyrinthine scenes. However, the abuse of color filters that seem to blur the image is a bit stran
ge . Although the darkness works in areas where we need torches, it shines much less in well-lit areas where a black-and-white style has been chosen that does not end up coming to mind or other scenarios so saturated that they seem to artificially hide their painted environments. hand.
The levels are intricate and unlike the Metroidvania, here there is no map worth. It will cost you to remember all the second paths and shortcuts.
The rule you already know. Hard enemies and final bosses that will make you sweat the fat drop. There are more and there are fewer, but Salt and Sanctuary starts strong and you will suffer in the first bars until you adapt to your fighting style.
In fact, its resemblance to the Souls saga causes you to take some “vices” of Miyazaki’s works and even mistake the buttons for attacking and
using objects, for example. Thank goodness that you can readjust the keys to adapt them to our style. Having said that, all of their bosses make that first huge impression, a challenge to match and a strategy to develop while we investigate what their weaknesses are and what blows leave them more sold.
It is difficult not to continue with the comparison. Its history pretends to be told in the same way; his secondary characters appear and disappear under the same pattern; and the feeling of having lost a gigantic amount of salt for having unexpectedly come across a boss is too familiar. It helps, however, that the progression systembe very deep, original and well ela
borated. By offering salt to our god, we will get black pearls, which we can exchange for points of strength, dexterity, will, resistance, magic … But they will also serve to unlock our own class skills. So, if we want to equip ourselves with a level 4 armor, for exam
ple, we will have to get to that branch of the skill tree before unlocking them. There are also other pearls that will allow us to unlearn an ability to make some changes in this curious progression system.
It seems to have come out of nowhere, but Salt and Sanctuary has been one of the digital games that we have enjoyed the most so far this year. Of course he does not get it entirely by his own merits, because he drinks from very clear and unceremon
ious sources. But put to inspire, it helps a lot to do it in some of the most successful formulas of recent times and mix them with others that have worked so well in the 2D style. If you know what you’re going for, you’ll have much more than an appetizer. A long and well-constructed title that will offer you the challenge you are looking for in an unsuspected way. And thanks to that, it will be like starting over.
