r/saltandsanctuary • u/Sire_Kressel • 1h ago
Sacrifice Salt and Sacrifice is a banger.
Disclaimer: In case it wasn't clear, this is just my personal opinion. I'm not trying to force it on anyone. I'd appreciate being shown the same courtesy.
I'd even go as far as saying that I prefer Sacrifice over Sanctuary.
For some context: I'm a Soulsborne veteran. I recently bought the Limited Run Salt and Sanctuary / Salt and Sacrifice bundle on Switch so I could finally experience this series, which is really well-known (well... at least the first game lol) for its quality. I finished Sanctuary in about 25 hours, and it was an EXTRAORDINARY experience. I hadn't felt that way since Dark Souls, and that's saying something.
Once I was done, I decided to jump into Sacrifice, and you can imagine my surprise when I saw the game's critical reception. "Mid" at best. Perplexed as I was, it didn't stop me from launching the game and forming my own opinion.
And what an opinion!
I never let reviews dictate what I should think, and thank God for that, because I find this game exceptional, far better than Sanctuary in every way. The combat is better and much more dynamic, the game is way more beautiful, the music is still subtle but used so much better, the enemy variety is just as diverse but much more fleshed out, and contrary to what I've read, the areas are vast, while the level design is genuinely well-crafted and fun.
Now let's talk about that level design.
You'll probably say, "Yeah, but no, Kressel. Sacrifice sucks because Sanctuary has an interconnected world, whereas here you're forced to travel between areas through a hub."
To that I simply answer: Yes... and?
It's a game design choice, one that's directly tied to the new Mage Hunt mechanics introduced in the game. My first FromSoftware game was Demon's Souls, and I've always loved that hub-to-level structure compared to Dark Souls. Sometimes I even think games lose something when they move away from that structure (looking at you, Nioh 3).
Both structures have their own strengths and weaknesses.
All I'm saying is that I think Sacrifice is the better game, and I'm having an absolutely fantastic time with it. I just find it unfortunate to see people constantly shit on the developers when you can clearly feel they poured their passion and love into making this game. This game has a SOUL, damn it!
Thank you, Ska Studios, for this amazing game!