So the game is really that good?

[CeeRiL]

I see this game is currently on top-selling page of Steam, Switch & PS.

It even boosted the stock of its publisher for ~20%

Haven't played any farming game since Alice Greenfingers. But, what about the combat?
I'm into classic brawler like Capcom & Sega retro, not nowadays combo mayhem.

[Hentaika]

It's extremely good for a game no one waited in post 2010s when even simply good games are extremely scarce as is.

The farming mechanics for rice growth are pretty obscure and get explained through various scrolls + some trial and error.. farming never(well, not until you end the game at least) feels like you are simply increasing a stale number like in most games.
Gets progressively easier to do all aspects of it as you go on with a lot of QoL improves.
Farming is kind of fun and does not get tiring until you end the game(after which grinding levels does become tiring via farming tho.. and that's the only way to get levels and stats.. luckily you don't need that many to beat the 100 floor dungeon)

As for combat.. well, you CAN do insane combos but they are not required.. most skills are press 1 button(well, to be exact the skill button + direction, so 2 buttons) and do pew pew.
There is a decent amount of skills and they all look pretty unique. You also got raiment which allows you to grab onto walls and monsters to jump around the battlefield.

[CeeRiL]

Originally posted by Hentaika:

It's extremely good for a game no one waited in post 2010s when even simply good games are extremely scarce as is.

The farming mechanics for rice growth are pretty obscure and get explained through various scrolls + some trial and error.. farming never(well, not until you end the game at least) feels like you are simply increasing a stale number like in most games.
Gets progressively easier to do all aspects of it as you go on with a lot of QoL improves.
Farming is kind of fun and does not get tiring until you end the game(after which grinding levels does become tiring via farming tho.. and that's the only way to get levels and stats.. luckily you don't need that many to beat the 100 floor dungeon)

As for combat.. well, you CAN do insane combos but they are not required.. most skills are press 1 button(well, to be exact the skill button + direction, so 2 buttons) and do pew pew.
There is a decent amount of skills and they all look pretty unique. You also got raiment which allows you to grab onto walls and monsters to jump around the battlefield.

Nice, gameplay sounds casual which fits me, will try it.

[Hentaika]

It kinda is a super good mix between casual and hardcore - you basically have a choice when and how much to level..
You could skip combat for some time and simply focus on farming to level up and take nearly no damage/nearly one shot stuff...
And you could keep the levels considerably below the enemy level(but not too much otherwise you will deal 1 damage) and will have plenty of challenge since enemies will take you down in a few hits.

[Lirum]

I find the 2.5D combat very fun.

The game uses a lot of Throwing/Pulling mechanics with the enemies.

Most simple combo finishers, and skills, ends by throwing the enemy away. If the throw hits others on its path then cause massive crash damage on everyone. Like Bowling.

So, advanced combos are more about positioning and directing your throws. Also pulling enemies back to you after a throw, so you can reset the combo or throw them again for another bowling.

[NoCreditClear]

The combos are not input intensive, if that's what you're worrying over. You've got a 3 to 4 hit basic attack combo that you can mix up a little by holding a direction on the d-pad, and some skills you can set to use by pressing a direction and the skill button. It's more about positioning yourself and your enemies so you can smash them into each other for damage bonuses then it is about memorizing and executing huge strings of complicated button inputs,

[LotusBlade]

Short answer: no, game is not that good. And there is very many reasons for that.

...

I played a lot of farming games, fighting-brawls and side-scroll platformers, this game in not good in any of those genres. And ill explain why while adding a good examples.

1) While everyone claims farming is thorough and complicated here, in reality it is at the same level as Stardew Valley, just in 3D. In Stardew You make holes with hoe, craft fertilizer, craft and place scarecrow properly + water your farm every day, while checking days / weather and finally cook dishes which does not matter at all. Sometimes you make sure weeds are not nearby to destroy crops. Also take out any stones. In Sakuna you do THE SAME. Cooking aspect itself is very basic, just toss ingredients and eat any dish, whatever.

"Battle Chef Brigade" — thats how you make cooking game with battles. It has complicated craft / cook, complicated fighting, a lot of RPG elements and actual sence of competition. In Sakuna you are just a worker who does basic stuff over and over. Oh "BCB" grapchics are much better compared to Sakuna.

There is also Atelier series (Ryza, for example), with interesting farming, crafting and expanding of your base. With much better voicing, visuals and really deep gameplay.

...

2) Sakuna platforming part is meh. It is both let down in terms of secrets, jumps, controlls and visuals. Game is in 2D-3D but it does not ever uses 3D aspect to amplify any part of gameplay (just check 18-years old "Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project" to see how to make ALL of those features shine). In fact you can even check "Captain Claw", also an old game, which is more fun to play even now, has better animation, enviroment and enemies / bosses. Platformers have developed a lot in last 10 years, but Sakuna pretty much ignores everything. Basic fighting, just few skills, stun-locking enemies non stop, thats all it has to offer. Each cave feels the same.

Dungeon Munchies is another example how you properly make hunt-cook. Oxygen Not Included is also coplex in terms of hunting for food and food actually matters a lot, you can't just dish whatever you want and keep playing - you will starve to death. "Dust: An Elysian Tail" has no cooking but it is a good platformer-fighting game, Sakuna stands no chance vs it.

...

3) Battless.
Just like everything else it is very shallow experience. Even "Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale" shows some better depth. It is not hard to just spam same skill to throw enemies out of the screen over and over. They are dumb, slow and weak in Sakuna. Sure battles is only 50% of gameplay, but honestly, those are the boring 50%. It doesn't feels like using real godess, like hitting opponents with weapons and even exploration itself is not interesting.

...

Lastly, Sakuna uses small kids... I don't really get it why, why protagonist has to be old hug in a body of young 9-years old girl and majority of her followers are also kids. What's up with this childish flood nowdays? Why can't we have heroes like Inuyashiki? A true man of honour, maturiy and responsibilities. And in Sakuna we got some lazy whining shrimp without any real story development. I thinks devs should play some "Children of Morta" to see how story should look like.

[Mois]

Not sure why you're crying about the characters when they're designed that particular way for that specific situstion but sure, you do you.

Personally, I find the ongoing story fun and more story gets explored as the game goes on. Characters get their backstory fleshed out.

How is the rice farming shallow when so many factors are in place?
I doubt you even played the game.

[Nepnep]

Its a decent enough game if you are into the genre. Also its mixed. One might say "There are better fighting games and better farming games" but said games don't do both battle and farming, at least of this variety.

That being said, this is probably more towards combo mayhem so its probably not your cup of tea.

Farming is more of an exact science compared to Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley but its farming. The general process is the same. Also you can only farm rice.

Combat is more like Fairy Bloom Freesia + side scrolling exploration. You are not permanently trapped in a box fighting waves of enemies (except bosses)

[F A T B $ $ $ R T D]

its a great cute game
play however you want
farm and gather? go for it
combat? you can do it too
abilities are unlocked as you progress, and rather pleasantly suprise, all helps with making farming a breeze