Salt and Sanctuary is a 2D action role-playing video game created and published by Ska Studios. It was first released on March 15, 2016, for the PlayStation 4. Later versions of the game were made available for Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The game takes ideas from the Dark Souls series made by FromSoftware.

Critics gave the game good reviews, noting its visual style and gameplay. A follow-up game called Salt and Sacrifice was released in 2022.

Gameplay

Salt and Sanctuary mixes elements of the Metroidvania and Soulslike genres. The game uses 2D hand-drawn artwork and includes gameplay that is similar to the Dark Souls series. There are 600 items players can use, and different weapon types have special moves, such as attacks in the air. Players can use two-handed weapons for more power and shields to block and parry. Magic and attacks from a distance are also available. The game uses RPG ideas like origins, classes, and character stats, along with a large skill tree that offers hundreds of combinations. It also includes local multiplayer for working together or competing, and features like messages that players can send to each other even when not playing at the same time.

Plot

The game starts with the player hidden on a ship that also carries a princess from an unknown country. The princess is being sent to marry a king from another country to stop a war. However, a group of attackers boards the ship and kills everyone on board. If the player defeats the attackers and reaches the ship’s deck, they must fight a large sea creature called a "Kraekan," which resembles the mythical creature Cthulhu. Whether the player survives this battle or not, the ship is destroyed, and they wash up on a mysterious island.

On the island, the player meets an old man who gives them an icon representing one of three creeds the player claims to belong to. This icon helps them in their quest to find the lost princess. The player places the icon in the first Sanctuary and continues exploring the island, gathering salt to gain power. In this world, humans are divided into two types: Saltborn, who are mostly made of salt, and Lightborn, who are made of light. When Saltborn die, they go to the Isle of Salt, while Lightborn no longer exist. Lightborn can become gods, but Saltborn cannot. This is why the Nameless God imprisons the Three and takes their prayers.

On the island, the player may meet other characters, such as a knight, a thief, and a sorcerer, each with their own story. They also encounter a threatening talking scarecrow. Through conversations with these characters, the player learns that the island contains copies of dangerous places from different parts of the world, collected by an unknown power. The player discovers that the scarecrow is the Nameless God’s avatar and that the princess may not have been royalty but a slave meant to be sacrificed to end the war.

An optional battle reveals that the Nameless God trapped the world’s gods, known as the Three, in special coffins and answers prayers meant for them. Later, the player meets the old man again, who reveals he was once a king named Jaret who became the Nameless God’s servant for power. The Nameless God is Saltborn (a mortal) but desires to become a god. However, he cannot achieve divinity because he lacks a soul of fire like other gods.

The player travels to the Nameless God’s castle, defeats him, and finds a well to escape the island, ending the war cycle. Alternatively, they can take the Nameless God’s helmet to gain his power but remain trapped on the island.

Development

The game was first introduced in an open letter from the developer to the PlayStation Blog on August 28, 2014. It was released for the PlayStation 4 worldwide on March 15, 2016, and for Microsoft Windows on May 17, 2016. The game also appeared on PlayStation Vita on March 28, 2017. A version for the Nintendo Switch, created by BlitWorks, was made available worldwide on August 2, 2018, through the Nintendo eShop. A physical copy of the game was released on December 11, 2018, and was titled Salt and Sanctuary: Drowned Tome Edition.

The game’s idea began as a mix of the combat style from the Dark Souls series and the developer’s earlier Dishwasher series. The Castlevania series, especially Symphony of the Night and later Nintendo DS games (known for their open exploration), also influenced the gameplay. The tech demo received a lot of positive feedback, which encouraged the developers to continue with the project.

The game took about two and a half years to create. However, the basic systems were already designed before serious development began. The original plan for the game was more complex, but some parts had to be removed because the development team was small.

Reception

Salt and Sanctuary received "generally favorable" reception, according to review aggregator Metacritic.

IGN gave the game a score of 8.6 out of 10, stating that it combines elements of Dark Souls and Castlevania. The review praised the game's detailed design, including its comic-style graphics and complex network of dungeons and castles that form its map.

Pascal Tekaia of RPGamer rated the game 4.5 out of 5, describing it as a unique blend of different styles. He noted that the game is more than a simple copy of other games but expressed concern about its simple storyline and what he called "cheap deaths."

Griffin McElroy of Polygon gave the game a 9 out of 10, saying it successfully used mechanics from another game franchise without losing its own identity. He called it a "loving" adaptation that compares well to its source material.

Game Informer reviewer Matt Miller compared the game's mechanics to Dark Souls and Castlevania, stating that Salt and Sanctuary deserves recognition alongside the games it draws inspiration from.

Four reviewers from Famitsu compared the game to Dark Souls. Two said the game was not entirely original but still enjoyable for its type. Two others highlighted the sense of achievement from overcoming the game's challenging difficulty.

In a review for Black Gate, John O'Neill wrote that Salt and Sanctuary is not a bad game but fell short of greatness. He noted that the Souls formula can make or break a game and said the game had the right basic elements but lacked the execution that makes similar games successful.