Recent reviews by Recu

I don't recommend this title it just have too many annoying mechanics. The game have a nice narrator, graphic design and interesting boss fights, but that's all.
Annoying things:
- as for rat, we are soooo slow and heavy, also jumps are so small, that even platform elements may be a problem sometimes
- MASSIVE amount of boring backtracking
- bad fast travel, you need to backtrack to specific places first from which you can teleport
- you can swap equiqment only at specific places, so if you would like to change anything = backtracking
- game is saved at checkpoint, which you need to use manually and waste a few seconds at animation. If you will not do that each time, you can lost even progress in quests and you will need to do them again
- unskipable animation of getting the loot, you are wasting 2-4 seconds for each enemy drop
- one of the worst 2d fighting system and it's animations, all fight looks more/less the same. Block or dodge + attacks without clear information that may occur and kill you easily
- enemies can stack with each at the screen other and you will die, because some small enemy under the bigger wanted to attack you, but you couldn't see that
- avoid any fights at corners of the screen, you can easily miss enemies attacks

If the game were more condensed, it would be the studio's best game. Unfortunately, the amount of backtracking is overwhelming and the game has absolutely no respect for the player's time. Completing quests and side activities is even more tiring than in the latest Assassin's Creed games.
The plot and relationships between the characters are well written, and there is an interesting combat system (although it is not very developed and is based more on mechanics from looter shooters, i.e. you look at the damage and defense numbers) and good character development (significantly influencing the way of solving problems during exploration and quests).
I recommend it, but rather to fans of this studio's games.

After so many years after release, they still didin't fixed issue for those who play with keyboard + mouse and can't target-on when there is more than 1 enemy, because camera keep switching between targets.
Of course there was time to make the Nioh 2 -.-

Definitely Game of the Year 2022 even if I still love Dark Souls much more. Beautiful design of the world and lore, many weapons, armours, special skills and more!
Actually I see only 1 major problem in this game, players can easly destroy balance and most of the fights may be incredible easy or hard :/

Sweet game

At first I wanted recommend this game (during my ~5 hours of gameplay), but as more I was playing then less I liked it.
Yes, game has beauty pixel graphic, few characters with diffrent skills, nice story, good narrator voice + plenty of items to find. Boss fights are generally ok and usually force player to understand mechanics.
But after some time in game this title started really annoy me.

First of all the idea of forcing player to use all characters to make a progress is original, but when you have tested all classes and you didin't liked playstyle from most of them, then... you must play them or agree with huge content cut (no bonuses from skill trees, much less unique loot, no help from the family during dungeons) and % debuff on your health.
Really weak thing is that you actually should repeat each level for like 6 times , just to level characters, it is not fun.

Game feels a bit clunky and animations of dodges and attacks are not so clear. There are some enemies which will really annoy while playing some of the characters because of prolonged fights.

After short time combat started being really boring, especially with slow classes.

I finally writed this negative review when for the fourth time my game stuck on endless loading screen before final zone boss fight and I have lost all progress during these few hours. Game will not save your progress from the dungeons until you die or win, even character level.

If you liked previous Hero of the Kingdom 1&2 then my advice is avoid this part.
Game is 99% stupid grind fest with 1% of hidden elements.
This game doesn't care about your time, I felt like I was playing in clicker.

"Salt and Sanctuary" is the best 2D souls-like game on the market.
I am really suprised how many mechanics were changed for 2D gameplay. Game have also some unique mechanics like changing gravity, jumping from the walls, populating sanctuaries.
Character control was made very well, Dark Souls controls were definitely more poor.

Game could be a bit easy for someone who knows secrets of game and/or is good in 2d games. For some it is a problem and they are going into NG+ for true challenge, but for me as casual player in 2D platform games, game is rather balanced.

Advantages:
- many weapons, spells, buffs, items for crafting = many possibilities for builds
- nice visual design of world, enemies, armours (maybe except character models, but propably depends of taste)
- good lore, also there are plenty things to read, we don't get fed-ex quests from npcs which will explain everything to us
- very well level design with many shortcuts
- sanctuary mechanic with npcs for buying items, crafting and zone buffs to drop chance, money etc.

What is made very bad in that game? Honestly I don't see anything what I could name as reckless, stupid or incredibly annoying. The only thing which I would like to hear is great soundtrack during boss fights as in "Dark Souls".

I was worried that this game will be tiny and empty Indie title, but there are many mechanics and things which are made well, so it is definitely one of the best "less popular" games I've played.
As a fan of "Dark Souls" and not fan of 2D platform games I must say, it is a fun game for me anyway.

Quick rewiew because there is not much to say.

I recommend avoid this title and just stay in previous "Just Cause" games (if you must).
- Game is ugly as for 2018, and game cost $60
- Resolution and optimization are broken.
- Plenty of annoying, useless copy/pasted activities like escorting npcs, using control panels etc.
- Story is still stupid
- Driving model is still broken
- Shooting is still boring

And for sure more things which are same or even worse than in previous games.

Advantages?
- more toys and ways to destroy things, and that's all

I can't recommended this game at all.
Game is bad designed, combat is annoying and very unintuitive.
What is wrong with this game you could ask, well...

1. Using LMB (left mouse button) to moving and attacking in the same moment without option to change it. It could be fine as in another H&S games, BUT....
- Attack button detect even not spawned yet enemies, which will show as soon as you will come closer, so game detect their spawn before anything.
- If you have target on enemies and you have melee weapon then it starting doing auto-attack.... but it attack air, character will not move to enemies to attack them.
- Game have plenty of destructable items on each map, so if you using LMB to move then every few seconds your character will attack in the same moment some trash objects, prevents your moves

2. Combat based mostly about dodges. It also could be good, but again is bad designed. Why?
- whole idea of putting dodges as main combat mechanic in isometric H&S and forcing player to do actually everytime 1-2 dodges > 1-2 attacks > 1-2 dodges >1-2 attacks is just reckless, annoying and boring
- many animations of enemies are unclear so almost impossible do dodge them, especially when there are 5 copy/pasted enemies with these animations. Animations are not like in "Dark Souls" where you see what is coming and you have time to react.
- character easy stuck on small objects during dodges

3. H&S where grind is just bored at start of game is one of the worst things. There is no any satisfaction from loot, cause 99% are not useful trash items for other classes.

4. Crafting based on RNG, you don't know what you will get from vendors. You see only base item, but you can't improve rarity or bonuses. It would be good if grind would be fun too.

5. Forcing players to do some annoying, hidden on level, optional objectives or repeat whole map again with these objectives to be able upgrade anything what could be useful.

Advantages?
I think the best part of this game is Nordic atmosphere, it is just good, nothing amazing though.



This is just not finished budget game with very bad designed gameplay. If you have it already from somewhere then just end this title on easy mode to avoid this stupid combat system and then forget about this game.