Salt And Sacrifice is a 2D metroidvania hunt-a-thon that casts you as a condemned prisoner in an imperiled kingdom. Magic is corrupting the land, giving rise to monstrous creatures and ravenous undead, and the source of all of this destruction, Mages, must be hunted and their hearts devoured if the Kingdom is to survive. Like Ska Studios’s previous outing, the game features difficult combat, extensive equipment options, and hulking bosses to slay. But while the scale has increased and the combat and visuals are as slick as ever, there are some growing pains that only just manage to hold the game back from its full potential.
Upon booting the game up, it’s immediately clear that you’re in for a visual treat.The design and detail are just ever so lovely: from the way firelight gives a soft glow to its surroundings in the twilight, to how fog wafts lazily over cobble stairways in a musty dungeon, it’s all just so utterly gorgeous to look at. Ska Studios have always had a recognizable art style – imposing architecture and grungy moppets – but it’s plain to see here that they’ve upped their game in the best possible way. According to the devs, every asset was created from scratch, and that care shows in every frame.