SALT AND SACRIFICE is exactly what I wanted.

Salt and Sacrifice is finally here, and I managed to get my hands on it early so that I could let you all know if it's worth getting when it comes out.
Spoilers: It is. It absolutely is.
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#thebacklogs #saltandsacrifice #review #saltandsanctuary #skastudios #devouredstudios

[@TheBacklogs]

UPDATE: A lot of people have voiced several frustrations with the game about certain game mechanics being too difficult or punishing, or just not very well made. If you haven't played the game since launch, I *highly* recommend you go back and give it another try - the developers have been updating the game on an almost daily basis, adding in several quality of life improvements and changes to help balance the game for players of all skill levels. They're definitely listening, and that's always good to see with any game. If you've been burned too badly, that's fair too. It's just a game - we don't all have to enjoy it. Just putting this here in case anyone was discouraged at launch but was hopeful for some changes. For a list of the recent updates, my suggestion would be to go to the Ska Studios discord, where they keep them listed and up-to-date : discord.gg/skastudios

[@StingrayJay302]

One QoL fix I’d like to see is to be able to see whether I’ve already crafted an item. I’m alternating between a few characters so it’s a bit tedious to go back and forth between my inventory and the crafting table.

[@Fallenstartheone]

my only gripe with the game is that it´s annoying as hell to wait for a very long time to get some pvp or co-op on pc. i had once 3 games in a row then dead for 3hours , dropped it after ng+ (there being nothing new in the game hurts it too!) but otherwise i had tons of fun and WTF THIS IS BULLSHIT moments.

[@matte5404]

@@Fallenstartheone Yeah that's one of the issues of being Epic Exclusive.

[@MithrilRoshi]

I am very happy some people enjoy the game we got. Sadly even newly updated it just is not a very good game to me personally, design wise or sequel wise. For instance being juggled is still a peeve.

[@bradmarchant9931]

This is 100% a paid ad

[@Tenderisor]

To be honest the real reason why I am excited for Salt and Sacrifice is for the sequel of the Potato only run

[@StarshadowMelody]

it came from the stars, it lives in the well

[@josephwolfe9681]

All hail the all seeing potato

[@PotatoMcWhiskey]

Excuse me?

[@ashenphoenix6869]

Backlogs been real quiet since this comment dropped

[@johnhelton9624]

Potato run!?

[@symon1033]

It feels like it was just yesterday, We all just finished our first playthroughs, didn't even knew about coming sequel, Lemon thanks me and others for 50 subscribers, and we wished him to have 1 million more, and hey, sequel is here, which means Lemon also can reach his goal. It's gonna be almost impossible to resist watch his video and instead go and play for myself first. I. WILL. TRY.

[@TheBacklogs]

If it helps, i dont spoil anything outside of one or two boss designs that werent in the playable beta tests. But youre also more than welcome to come back tomorrow after youve played the game yourself haha

[@Necrotaku999]

love how the salt series despite being called a soulslike only took inspirations and its doing its own thing, the setting of being an inquisitor hunting mages seems very cool

[@Necrotaku999]

@@kimbaptempura4073 my dude, cope and seethe, i didnt even play the games but holy shit you are toxic

[@tristankendrick2582]

@@kimbaptempura4073 nah it's great

[@jackpumpkinhead5753]

Have you herd of monster hunter

[@Necrotaku999]

@@jackpumpkinhead5753 yeah love that too, but the inquisition stuff its really a great spin

[@RapSolo]

Hearing epic exclusive made my heart hit the floor

[@roundishwhale]

As a fellow gamedev I can understand why they went for it^^ If epic gives you the opportunity to partner with them, there conditions/rates tend to be way more sustainable, especially for small to mid tier studios. And in contrast to a console exclusive, there's no dirty feeling "pay 400€ for this console or you can't even access the game" dilemma^^

[@philipisbest]

If it's that big of a deal it'll probably be on steam in 6 months or so. It's 20 bucks, I'm honestly just gonna pick it up twice to support the devs🧂

[@RapSolo]

@@philipisbest it's not a matter of paying for the game. Epic has worse cyber security, and by forcing exclusively is being toxic. In short trusting them with your information is foolish, and giving them your business supports thier anti consumer ways.

[@RapSolo]

@@roundishwhale oh yeah no hate for the devs, especially if Epic is still handing out bribes like they did with Bushido Blade. For small devs like this it's a no brainer, but a shame. SquareEnix and Gearbox however are a different story.

[@dhxmg]

@@roundishwhale as a consumer I can also understand a large bag of cash and better rates/guaranteed sales, doesn't mean I have to like it. And when the store launches in a state where it can't compete and simply purchases exclusives I'm not inclined to install it. Much less give it my personal data.

[@keen7youtubeistoast796]

"Salt and Sacrifice never felt unfair." Yeah... it was fair, going on a mission to hunt a mage, just to find out an already beaten mage stuck with him all the time. If one escaped, the other one followed to the exact same spot. Still won against both... and had no desire playing further till the game is patched here and there.

[@FrostyFrostisen]

Don't forget the juggling

[@rayoftempest]

When that happens you can just hang back and watch them fight since they will aggro each other first if you are further away, it's funny watching the two ez kills in front of you after they've lowered their hp to the point where 1 of them teleports away and the other is a few hits from death.

[@keen7youtubeistoast796]

@@rayoftempest Yeah, can be fun... but I don't play games to watch the enemies in-fighting... ^^"

[@rainbowsorceress2082]

I honestly love how chaotic the game can be, really feels like some end of the world invasion of mages which i think is fun :)

[@SolironBrightwoode]

Why I don't think this is a bad game. I do think this review does not do it's shortcomings any justice. There are definitely pain points in this game. Most notably, the mages. They don't have attack "patterns" just individual spells that they spam relentlessly. When I beat a normal boss. I feel accomplished. When I beat a mage, I just feel like RNGesus was on my side.

[@svenbernhagen6320]

Explain the Game in 1 word: "Homing" If you know you know XD

[@ApocaBloom]

I loved Sanctuary, absolutely adored it, quirks and all. So I was hyped for Sacrifice. Too bad the game is underwhelming. So many fundamental issues that you didn't even address in your review, let alone really mention makes the entire "review" come off as really disingenuous. The farmable healing? Awful unnecessary change. Limited to one teleport per entire area? Everyone loves running through areas continuously. Level up in the hub? I love that i have to run back to where i was which can take like 5 minutes if you miss a shortcut. Stunlocking? The wind mage stunlocking you into a wall is a major issue, as is being oneshot in heavy armor because a jump from a stone mage has 3 seperate hits. Not only am I disappointed in Ska Studios for changing things for the worse. I'm frankly disappointed in you for not mentioning any key issues with the game.

[@malazan6004]

Oof I've been hearing these complaints far too much... I'm scared to buy it maybe I'll wait for patches and switch release

[@shreyashrai7372]

Yeah man feels like a degrade to me lol. They took quite a few good things about the first and just removed it for some reason. Killing bosses/mages feels like a job instead of the sense of discovery that the first game had. Maybe it's just me and I am quite early into the game but I am quite disappointed with this.

[@EineChillkroete]

Yea, I rly dont know why they made healing farmable. just takes more time and punishes you for trying to beat a boss. Had to do a Boss without healing because I didnt want to run around and loot bushes. The level up in hub wouldnt be that bad if you could teleport to any bonfire. The stunlocking is sometimes rly stupid. I have big ass armor but get flinged into oblivion by everything. Kinda funny and kinda annoying.

[@mira12825]

Honestly, this video is particularly bad since it's literally not talking about any of the negatives, literally not one peep on all the points people complain about. Honestly, this is one of the shittiest reviews I've seen in a long time. I hope he was being paid for this because I don't understand why someone would deepthroat a game this much if they aren't getting paid to do it.

[@inkpendude]

Also don't be surprised if he doesn't even reply to your comment. feels like a paid review

[@xhulianolici]

'' No one size kills all build ''. I do like the sound of that and i will take as a challenge to do a play through with only one build.

[@kevinharrison8635]

I just want to warn anyone in the comments who might be on the fence about salty sacrifice as I do love lemon to death but his review is ultimately extremly bias. It doesn't have the push that made sanctuary interesting to me, little love or care poured into the bosses, rather very similar bosses mechanics wise. Every now and then when you don't fight a mage, the magic shines through with hints of what could have been, but those are the exception. The world feels very bland compared to the first one, I think it's the hub like nature and the lack of fast travel that gets me down there but the combat is phenomenal, love the weapons, and the addition of the weapon arts. Overall I bought it after the raving review lemom gave it but ultimately have yet to finish even a single run as I just don't want to play the game. I'm right before the final boss and honestly don't feel like playing further, let alone more playthroughs. The story is pretty cool though, keep in mind this is just what I think if it's your favorite game I'm happy but I feel it's fair for people to hear opinions from differing perspectives and I would in absolutely no way recommend this game.

[@fuzzypat]

And I would buy it if it were available on Steam. Hope the EGS cash keeps them warm.

[@mattches7791]

I was super disappointed when he said that at the end of the video. Guess I'll give it a year and see if it ends up on steam

[@ryankilgallon5469]

Can someone explain to me why it's such a big deal what store it's on?

[@Defectivegg]

@@ryankilgallon5469 It boils down to a simple fact that nobody wants to hassle with multiple launchers/stores on their pc screen. Sure we need some competition so that Steam doesn't get to have a monopoly and doesn't stagnate, but other stores are simply inferior in comparison( I am not using any other store so I might be wrong on this, but majority of people say it like that). That's just my opinion on it.

[@DoxycDreamer]

As someone who’s new to your channel and been bingeing a lot of your videos. I’m really stoked to go buy Salt and Sanctuary and now this sequel! 😁

[@LaCazaLP]

Start with this and then play Sanctuary. Trust me. Much better experience.

[@archmagetyler]

i admit from the footage, i'm gonna miss the appearence people had from the dishwasher miniseries and SnS1 but otherwise i'm on board with the new art. also, really hoping theirs still guns. and that they're still really good.

[@odinetsthepale6581]

not sure about the guns, but there's plenty of bows, crossbows and throwing knives/axes too

[@raven75257]

no guns :(

[@archmagetyler]

@@raven75257 I saw, fuckin sucks since I was hoping to pull a code vein and have a full sized ride as my primary, but instead I had to default to a mage

[@TheArnoldification]

no guns but you can throw bombs at people with a tier 4 throwing weapon

[@raven75257]

@@kimbaptempura4073 Don't put your opinion as universal. I'm having a blast. Game has problems, sure, but you're overreacting

[@adamc18]

It's nice to see an actual positive review for the game. I bought it this morning but only had about 20 minutes to try it out before I had to leave for work. Started watching reviews for it when I got to work and the amount of negative reviews for the game had me a bit worried.

[@GnightPunpun]

I like how this sequel feels like it is it’s own thing, doesn’t feel like SaSanc 2 it feels like Salt and Sacrifice. It’s own game with its own gameplay loop and style yet still feels connected to the first. Love that

[@rayoftempest]

@@AcousticOlli imo the interconnected world from SaSanc was pretty tedious to navigate in of itself if you take out the warps. Also, i'm pretty sure that though there are no straight up spells, the rune system with the weapons seems to replace the previous magic system (staves being the easiest example). plus, i actually enjoyed the boss chases even when they teleported to a place with an easy to fall off of ledge and even if i died i never found myself to be in dire need of healing item mats since there's a lot of places you can pick em and i picked them as i chased the bosses and explored the world. Though i do agree that having actual warps to obelisks would be very very nice to have, it still isn't a complete pain to navigate the world since while each location is large it's not big enough to where you don't know what's in which direction after you've been there once or twice thanks to the mage chases. Forgive me for being presumptuous but, long story short, i think you just don't like monster hunter-esque gameplay.

[@agentace1476]

@@rayoftempest nah I love monster hunter but this is just tedious

[@SnakeEater776]

I dont really feel the connection to the first even after I beat it, it didnt even feel like salt and sacrifice to me, just sacrifice and tbh that's my biggest gripe

[@MyTwinFlame]

Yess

[@xelthos2051]

Finally got some time into the game, and sad to say this is a disgrace to Sanctuary. Every single aspect of the game is a step back from the first game. It's like they wanted to make a Kaizo game, not a Souls-like game. At least Sanctuary is still a great game.

[@NihilSustinet]

i havent played it, but this is the exact impression ive gotten after watching several videos and reviews

[@philleotardo8542]

All the problems with the game so far I’ve encountered are fixable, just stop the mages from spamming you as badly and add fast travel and it will be good

[@SaintValtiel]

@@philleotardo8542 actually, chasing after mages everytime is freaking annoying, I don´t know how they thought this was a good idea

[@philleotardo8542]

Yeah I’ve been playing more now, I’m up to where I can either fight a priest mage or a mushroom mage and they both completely obliterate stunlock me to death in like 2 hits, my vitality is pretty high so idk what is doing it even when I equip elemental resistant armour

[@aniila7493]

epic game store is a huge disappointment but game looks fantastic, can't wait to get it on steam and I really really hope it has mod support

[@SeagullIV]

This is basically me. Waiting for steam and wishing for mod support.

[@CrashSable]

Just because you know some prick will show up to say "why do you only support Steam if you hate exclusivity so much?" it doesn't have to be Steam I'd buy it on, it just has to NOT be the Epic Game Store

[@roundishwhale]

As someone who has played quite a lot of games on both storefronts, what's the problem with epic that I haven't run into yet? Saw sentiment like yours many times under this video and was unsure where they originate from^^

[@SeagullIV]

@@roundishwhale Not sure about OP but for me: exclusivity and pedigree.

[@aniila7493]

@@roundishwhale Its the way epic does business, exclusivity deals, saying that they thrive for better consumer experience and better dev cuts which is true until it isn't. If for example epic approaches an indie dev and the dev refuses the exclusivity deal they then straight up won't post the game on their store. The costumer part is that they keep saying they want better consumer experience while not investing at all in their storefromt to have written reviews from gamers, atchievements and so on. My stand is principals, I don't like hypocracy, most people's stand I like to think that is the same however this whole thing started because people got annoyed with all the launchers and storefronts

[@turntapeover5749]

Im affraid I cannot share your enthusiasm...and it makes me really sad. I was waiting for this game very badly since they announced it because I gave up on the chance of S&S ever getting a sequel and now that it's there and I played it........It's the same feeling I got from Dark Souls 2 all over again. I was in an initial honeymoon phase for the first few days and made it to Corvus Mire and now it has vanished because of all the tedium and what I can sadly only call Bullshit thrown in the game. I think this is a perfect example of Feature Creep in a passion project. TLDR; Let me expand in details on what I think is good and what I think is bad. The good first since the list is gonna be a lot shorter. -The online features are really fun. But that's a given since its 2D Dark Souls coop and pvp. -The level design is Top-Notch and very fun to explore. -The art style is absolutely gorgeous and total eye candy. -The music is very atmospheric and adds a lot to the experience of exploration. -The story and lore are a lot deeper and interesting. Im affraid that is it... Now...everything I dislike or find completely baffling: -Restricted Builds. I know that each weapon has its own weapon art and everything but all in all, its a sharp downgrade versus the wild costumization you could do in Salt 1 despite the fact you had less weapons in total in the first game. And I truly, honestly feel that James made a mistake by listening to the fans that were disappointed he made a stat spread instead of a tree of skill because with how the weapons works, a stat spread makes so much more sense and would actually feel like builds are a lot less set in stone than they feel now because they would be stat based instead of weapon based. -Perfect Block. Patch that out and give us a parry button like you had in Salt 1. Idk what the idea behind that was, but its a bad one plain and simple. -Every boss is the Capra Demon. I feel like most of the times I died was not because the boss was particularly challenging but because I found myself in this unfair spank tank with no space to dodge with a barrage of BS coming my way. Imagine if Murdiella Mal's or the Witch of the lake or the Forgotten King arena size was cut in half and how much it would artificially increase their difficulty. -Not being able to manually spawn the Mages you want and have all the previous ones you kill roam around the map at random. Depending on your build, some mages drop are completely useless...so when you find 3 of them in the same screen spawning a ton of ennemies blocking your way to where you wanna go.........WHY? Ok the first time it happened I just waited 5 minutes for them to duke it out and thought it was funny, but after the 20th I just want them to move the f*** off. -Healing and offensive Items not completely refilling when you rest at an obelisk if you dont have the crafting materials. You know what I REALLY REALLY loved in Bloodborne? Having to farm some goddamn blood vials and bullets when I ran out of them because i was struggling on a boss before being able to continue giving another crack at it. That's totally not a complete pace killer and immersion breaker. -Wall jumping is clunky compared to Salt 1. It just is there's no real need to expand on that, it's pretty self explanatory. -The combat is not quite has snappy and responsive as it was in Salt 1. Like you could literally turn your attacks on a dime in 1 but not in 2. You're locked in the direction you're facing and you have to really take a moment to stop and turn when you wanna change and it just feels awkward. -A map or more warp points...take your pick or in my case, I'd argue for both. Now...I was an advocate that Salt 1 didn't really need a map because of of tightly laid out the world was and because of the Sanctuary/Guide system that made it really easy to go back to specific areas. In Salt 2 the areas are gianormous and you always start from the same starting point. I know there's a lot of shortcut and all but even with that, to go back where you were if you had to go to pardoner's Vale to idk...level up after a boss, you're still stuck with a pretty colossal run back depending on where you want to go in the level. -Angsty Spiders. F*** them. They're far worse than angsty bones because they're far more deadly. Angsty Bones were just annoying as hell. Angsty Spiders at enormous and hit like a bus and they're pretty early games. At least Angsty bones were mid/late game so you could one-shot them. -Traps are less visible. And that is VERY annoying. Which is kinda weird because the graphic in general are a lot more crisp than in Salt 1 but for some reason I don't see the trip wires nearly as well as I did in the first game and there are actually a LOT more traps in Salt 2. And they tend to put a lot of them near deadly pitfalls just to cause instant deaths. That's Dark Souls 2 level of design choices again. -Pardoner's Vale is too big? Now that's kind of a more minor nitpick but if you have to level up, Make wpns, upgrade, see creed leaders etc etc....that's a lot of walking around the hub and the hub is actually really really big. I feel like they could have condensed it a lot more and cut some walking around. -Straight up losing half your silver when you die without the possibility to get them back. Yes. Let's just be punishing for the sake of it. In salt 1 it didnt really matter because the use of money was limited and you actually got a lot more than you actually needed because you'd cap your consumable before you knew it and had very little use for money, but in Salt 2? First off, Silver is actually scarce and second, that silver makes it so you don't have to farm for the previously talked about crafting materials you need to replenish when you rest at an obelisk. Why can't you pick it back up along with your salts? No reason other than to be punishing just for the sake of being punishing. I'll stop at that. There are other nitpicks I could point out but those are more like minor gripes than anything else, but everything listed above completely baffles me. I want to love Salt 2, I really really do, Salt 1 is probably in my top 5 if not top 3 faves games of all time but man.......Salt 2 has so many design decisions i cannot get behind. And that's sad because the online is fun, invading is fun, but building your character through playing the actual game is just tedious and removes any motivation I have to play it and I know im not the only one because the response so far have been pretty mixed and it might just kill the online before it could even exist and it legit makes me sad...and want to just replay Salt 1 because I think it's just a superior and far more fun game. I really hope they change some of those things but if they don't, I don't see myself playing it more than once for the sake of completion and just got back to the first one.

[@2265Hello]

Out of your list I only agree with warp points, needing materials for heals, and, and silver loss. Though the crafting part is basically neutralized if you take the extra half second or few seconds to collect nearby materials while exploring or mage hunting in the area you will have an abundance of them before you know it. This game heavily rewards exploration and makes it easier to traverse the more you unlock a more important criticism is that this game would have heavily benefited from having an efficient map that at least marked short cuts doors rest points, and materials. Regardless on your issues with mages exploring gives you nameless mage hunts and you unlock fated mage hunts (daily’s) that can help you find the mages you need and get upgrade materials. Furthermore the most recent patch makes it possible to track open world mages you fight. Regardless as the game currently is it’s like a 7-8 out of 10 and needs a few patches.

[@aquack9919]

I thoughts I was the only one who thoight they made the traps less visible. They're so much more annoying than they were in Sanctuary

[@Contragonista]

This review feel insincere as hell, I'm a big Sanctuary player and after your review I went to check it out Sacrifice. It's nothing like you described, game feel unfair with the juggle mechanics and a souls like with no parry, nice. This review is nothing but praise, which is a something to be concerned about.

[@Konfide4043]

Either he genuinly likes it, unlike 90% of other reviewers, orrrrr....$$$$$$$$$$

[@TheBacklogs]

The former. I have to add an advertisement icon on the top left of videos ive been given any form of compensation to make.

[@Konfide4043]

Well there you have it, Petros

[@rainbowsorceress2082]

There is parry though.

[@R.Kardos]

DO NOT BUY THIS GAME WITHOUT WATCHING OTHER REVIEWS. If you go only by this video the game looks like is perfect and the best sequel ever. Far from that. It's a mess. The mages are BS levels of unfair and not fun to fight at all. The stamina for your first 20 levels is cancer and you get thrown around by bosses and enemies all the time. They can literally combo you to death and your character won't be able to move at all. The mages will also be everywhere around the map and sometimes you need to deal with 3 or 4 in the same place when you're just trying to get through the bloody level. They removed parry, items to teleport you back to checkpoints(like the bells and horns from the first game), removed a way to tell you you're about to enter a boss fight(like the candles from the first game) and removed the ability to level up at checkpoints. You have to go back to HUB area every time you want to level up. No interconected world like in Dark Souls, now it's mission based like in Nioh. Which is terrible because every time you go back to camp to level up then back to the mission you always start at the first checkpoint of that mission. There is no fast travel to other checkpoints inside that mission and since there is no map good luck remembering where you were if you didn't unlock a good shortcut. You lose half your money when you die instead of the small fee from the first game and now you need to farm for healing materials and ammo like in Bloodborne(the literal worst system in that game). Edit: This game feels like the first one and Salt and Sanctuary feels like the better designed and improved sequel. What were they thinking with this game?

[@mkv2718]

People keep ignoring deflect cuz they think it’s just a worse party. unfortunately, this is why you are running out of stamina. Deflect slow melee attacks, only roll to dodge status attacks or long attack chains or to reposition. Engage with the deflect system and once you get it you’ll only run out of stamina when panic rolling

[@R.Kardos]

@@mkv2718 perfect block doesn't stagger enemies like parry did in the first game. Big enemies take 3 or 4 perfect blocks to get stunned, you might as well just dodge and attack behind them. It's all risk and no reward. A stupid system when parry was 10x better. There is no defense for this change.

[@mkv2718]

@@R.Kardos the reward is not losing all your dang stamina on bosses. i would agree that normal enemies need to be easier to break early game (there are items that make this a lot easier latter on), basically they need their poise cut in half, but think of it more like sekiro, there was no instant parry there either. i swear tho, too many people are thinking about this game as “what a souls like NEEDS to be!” instead of “is this even really a pure souls like at all?” start playing the game that you have and not the game you want it to be. the sad thing is that people are literally moaning about issue that are in salt and sanctuary as well, but they have no issue with them there, but the same systems are now a problem? stun lock, getting thrown across a map into the next zip code, are BOTH in Sanctuary, but it seems like people have been playing it so long that they forgot how much bullsh!t is actually in the first game cuz they just learned to deal with it. i had ALL of the same complaints my first time with sanctuary, but i learned how the game worked and got over it. and it turns out, hey! i did in Sacrifice too. basically, it seems like people have forgotten how much bs was in sanctuary and are viewing it thru rose colored glasses and are just salt they basically didn’t just get dlc or something. the game aint perfect, but it’s not this horrible game fans of the first are making it out to be. it’s just a different game (tho the nameless hydromancer can screw itself. why does he keep summoning a guy to make himself invincible? it’s just annoying. they need to nerf that crap pronto.)

[@Omega77232]

@@mkv2718 the bosses also has never ending combos even you rolled once on their attacks they will hit you immediately in their attack (that void mage waves attacks is the worst offender of this)

[@R.Kardos]

@@mkv2718 You really thing I'm gonna read this whole rant there mate? If you liked the game go ahead and have fun with it. It's a bad sequel and a bad game no matter your opinion.

[@MacDonellCashRicher]

Tried playing it again with a friend of mine. Both us loved Salt and Sanctuary and played through it on his console. An hour in and we just didn't want to continue playing anymore, just like last time we tried it. I can't tell if anything has been patched, since a lot of the problems are still there, such as enemies spawning right next to the obelisk, either because they were placed there or because a mage summoned them. Couldn't happen in Sanctuary. Except maybe with a few of the flying enemies when resting, but never when dying. Enemies deal stupid amounts of damage and damage over time, which can't be compensated proberly with the slow healing. Wanting to level up while exploring an area is annoying, since you can only warp to a single obelisk. I was optimistic with the notion of patches and updates, but it just feels like shit, just like a year ago, if not worse.

[@pockystyx4087]

Gonna be picking this up tomorrow. Looking forward to many weird builds!

[@pockystyx4087]

UPDATE: I am enjoying myself quite a bit with my Spellsword build so far. My one complaint; a lot of QoL I took for granted is sorely missed lol Having to warp back to the hub for leveling is fine; did it a lot in DkS2 and DS. . . but having to constantly warp in from the start of the stage and trek back is a bit of a bother. I appreciate the abundance of shortcuts; but there's times where I really miss my warping from S&S1. I've seen some people also complain about the healing crafting material grind (like early Bloodborne); but this is something I haven't had to experience just yet. If it is an issue; at the very least its not as overtly obnoxious like it was in Bloodborne's opening hours. Aside from that; it's been pretty good so far, here's hoping this game does well enough to keep the content coming.

[@bladexic5461]

@@pockystyx4087 thanks for the update!

[@pockystyx4087]

UPDATE 2.0: Having about 40ish hours under my belt; and 2 bosses left, I can confidently say that this game is fun! Gonna go ahead and do a mini-review. Gonna mention a positive, and a negative with each point. Game-feel: First off; this game is similar, but very different from the first game. I think it feels more snappy than the original S&S; but there are some things that do feel a little worse. Climbing up ledges being so stiff and blocking being so costly, definitely feels like something that should be looked at. Combat System: Combat feels great; while simple, I don't think you had to do much to improve on what was in the original S&S. Runic Arts are fun; and experimenting with mage gear is something I enjoyed, even if I stuck to my Ashbone Stave for the majority of the game. On the other hand; the blocking system is pretty bad. Perfect blocking sounds awesome; on paper, but in practice. . . its pretty unfun to use. Most weapons; even Vanguards, have terrible stamina-usage for blocking attacks, and you are constantly dealing with multi-hit attacks. Thankfully this is something that can be easily fixed with values being adjusted; just increase the power of blocking and stamina cost reductions on anything that isn't something you'd not really block with. (I already see they buffed the block ring from the kinetomancer; so there's hope they'll do this) The World: Level design is fantastic; with tons of pretty to look at and explore areas, with the only downside to it being our QoL of fast-travel being gone. I'm of the mind that having a halfway measure would be fair; let us unlock warping in an area, after we kill half the mages there. And obviously let us warp back to the spot we want to when choosing a zone to go to. This would keep us exploring, without having us stuck with the tedium of retreading the same ground over and over. Hell; make it cost silver, that'd probably make it more valuable. Story: its there; just like the first game, I wasn't really in it for the plot. Lore is cool though. Runic Arts: fun system; but I will admit, I wish we had more freedom to it. The original S&S did a good job of giving us spells and prayers that we could use with or without a magical tool; so having everything tied to a weapon you may or may not enjoy using is a bit of a bummer. Especially since you can't respec out of a node for weapon rank unlocks; so if you got a class 5 sword and found out it had a runic art that sucked, you have to live with it. Hate bringing it up; and it has its own share of issues, but I think the Ash of War system was definitely a step in the right direction From took from DkS3's Weapon Art system. If we ever get another game like this; unless S&S3 is gonna be another wildcard genre mix, I do hope they let mages have craftable Runic Arts we can attune to weapons we like. Weapon system: having come from a Monster Hunter and Nioh loving background, I am totally ok with the idea of having weapon classes. That being said; S&S2's system is not the most elegant take on it. What's here works well; and I don't need a full on MH or Nioh styled weapon class system, with skill trees and whatnot. Its nice to simply pick a branch and go. While most weapons do feel different from each other; there is a problem of balance and variety of available options. Take for example Staves vs Vanguards. I love both these weapons; but I have to admit that I was drowning in choices for Staves, and dying of thirst for Vanguard options. Over half of the elements aren't represented in Vanguards; and we have 4 non-elemental options. That's kinda silly; and while I doubt its possible, I'd like it if the devs could try and maybe add a few new weapons to each class. . . If they have to even cheap it out; just take the Runic Arts off of other weapons to fill out the roster. Equipment System: I really dug that heavy armor is good now. So many soulslikes really fail to make wearing heavy armor as appealing as being able to just avoid all damage. I think this game; and Nioh 1/2, really gets that being built like a brick shithouse is a valid life goal. Trinkets and accessories are also great; with its own fun little randomization. If there's one problem I have the selection on offer: why are there only 2 light armors with any poise? Granted; I was all about that Pyromancer's set, but even I found it odd that the rest of the light armors on offer gave nothing for poise. I think they should at least give some poise to the light armors with actual armored bits on them. Mages/Bosses: Here's the real meat and potatoes. These baddies a real step up from the original S&S. The variety of nasty things these guys throw at you is fun to play around; and I have already had fun tackling them with different builds. I think most bosses are pretty fair and balanced. . . but I will admit that two are very much over-tuned in certain attacks. Sanguinmancer's rapier flourish, and the Bibliomancer's runes seem to do absurd damage for how rapidly they come out. Now; I played a squishy spellsword, so I was expecting to die easily. . . but I actually didn't really get killed too often for my lack of bulk. The Sanguinamncer and Bibliomancer were tearing through my HP like butter; and even people I saw with tankier builds were being melted in seconds by those attacks. From my understanding; the devs are working to tone down the stun-locking and overly obnoxious juggling effects. I think it'd be a good idea to look at whatever it is that is making these certain attacks' damage scale so oddly. Overall: I really am enjoying the game; and am looking forward to these events the devs have planned. While I think there's a lot to be improved; the final product has kept me hooked, and I am all in for improvements. TL;DR: 40hrs of fun so far; game has issues, devs are working on them, but its still a totally worthwhile play!

[@bladexic5461]

@@pockystyx4087 Thank you for the in-depth review!

[@Kelnef]

I didnt finish the first game but this is looking like a cool evolution of the first game. Epic exclusive? Whelp time to wait for steam.

[@pandosham]

its on ps5 at least

[@Cartoonman212]

What's the problem with epic

[@tristankendrick2582]

@@Cartoonman212 it's not steam. For some reason people worship the steam monopoly like it's a fucking cult

[@Superschokokeks]

petting a pet??? SOLD! 10/10 masterpiece more games should have that I'm serious I wanna pet stuff!

[@dennisnordlund902]

Then you should check out Blasphemous

[@Superschokokeks]

@@dennisnordlund902 Dragon Age: Origin!

[@felixh2786]

Thank you for getting me into Salt and Sanctuary. Today I'll finally get to play Sacrifice. super excited!

[@lainedonnelly8962]

This looks amazing and I cannot wait to pick it up! Thanks for spreading the good word. Looking forward to your many challenge runs!

[@lordvaust5830]

It comes out tomorrow for me, so I’m unbelievably excited. Been waiting literally 6 years, hoping for this game to exist.

[@AbyssalPlague]

After some time playing...I can conclude that I, sadly, do not like this game compared to the first.

[@Haddosan]

:(

[@Toastoffire100]

You are absolutely biased, but that's exactly why I'm here. If it's good enough for the guy who beat the first game with only potatoes, it's good enough for me. I think this video actually has me hyped enough to buy it on the epic store. I don't really have anything against EGS, but before seeing this video I was content to just wait a year for the steam release. Also I hope for your sake that your inevitable dumb challenge runs are less painful :^)

[@Dylailahma]

ngl I dont like hunting the mages. Fighting them feels always the same. Its like the devs just made some new spells, put the mage in a different cloak and called it a day. The bosses in salt and sanctuary are way more intresting imo.

[@DollKotzen]

I bought Salt and Sanctuary when it came out and stopped right after the first boss. When i saw that this channel started with salt and sanctuary challange vids i got so hooked i finished the game in one sitting and am now watching the review of salt and sacrifice because im about to forget my surroundings with this one too.

[@king-boneanger]

Farming in MH vs farming in this game are two totally different experiences. I love dark souls and monster hunter both and they are in my personal top 5. But the way it went about it in this game just didnt work for me sadly. Gave it a fair shot but the original S&S will always be there😁

[@andrewchristie5296]

Thanks Lemon, your review helped me convince friends who didn’t play the first game to join me for coop :)

[@danielcalabrese5769]

This game has been on my watch list for a while and I got notified as soon as it was available and it's already downloaded, the only problem I have is that I'm in the middle of my first run of salt and sanctuary and I'm 3/4 through the game so there is no way I'm stopping, so I'll just have to wait a few more days to play this one but when I'm ready to play I won't need to wait for a download 😁😁, also looking f8to seeing some new challenge runs in sacrifice, thank you and good luck

[@ashenphoenix6869]

My Bday is today so this coming out tomorrow will be a little gift to myself

[@Zeonis]

I was pretty hyped that shields got reworked into real weapons but blocking feels so clunky, you have to let go of block to initiate a attack which leads to the game eating inputs for no reason. The stun time from being hit while blocking is also too long, enemies will routinely loop attacks while you just sit there and never getting room to attack yourself. At that point I'd rather just use a different weapon and just parry, it's the same either way. Which is what I did but I'm saddened that I'm going to be rolling forever again.

[@raoslin2277]

Aight Lemon, color me convinced, I'll pick it up next paycheck. But I expect many challenge runs in exchange!

[@madengineerkyouma]

After playing it a couple hours yesterday and today, I'm having a LOT of fun. Haven't advanced a lot in the main story, but I'm having a lot of fun with the co-op and pvp, specially the Blueheart Runners stuff.

[@jaredh923]

This game DESPARATELY needs a steam launch. PC (Epic) has 5 minute+ wait times for any multiplayer content. This could easily be fixed with a steam launch with cross platform between Epic/Steam

[@killyvv]

well it happened

[@Barnesofthenorth]

Still a year before I can play it sadly :( but still glad they made a sequel

[@personagemsecreto]

hey Lemon, I did my Salt and Sacrifice mod. It replace the paladin gear with solaires gear. I will not put the link here, but you can see it on the salt and sanctuary nexus (because theres no salt and sacrifice nexus) Enjoy!

[@goldengolem4670]

I would have been happy to buy it, but i really don't want to give epic any money... So i guess i'll wait back on the Island for the time being...

[@lewis1423]

i picked the game up recently and played it, i though it was really pretty good ( i recommend people to play it) although i feel like the mages are a misfire in my book. first i say i think the mage fights are really good none felt unfair and they were a distinct step up from the first games bosses in a lot of ways however a few issues when stacked together make it feel a tad lack luster. first i think the idea of the bosses roaming is cool but also bad seeing them just out and about kinda makes them feel like a glorified mob and less of a level boss. second is the levels itself, they are all cool and well put together, however due to the form of the game each is a holding pin for a lot of bosses and since bosses don't have arenas or anything killing one dose not really feel like progression especially since you can kill them over and over in the nameless form. On this note since you fight a few different bosses in each area it makes then again feel less like special level bosses. finally a weird gripe is that despite being cool and having very diverse move sets, to the artists praise, they all kinda look like mages it just leaves them feeling less unique in the end (much like breath of the wilds blights they all fit a theme but with no super distinct arena or look they kinda blend together).

[@MyTwinFlame]

I do agree that the mages running around the map should have a been a separate kind of map or mode . Not in the main . so once you clear an area its clear But when yoi choose " Adventure mode" you'll walk a simplied version on the map with cluster of already beaten mages for you to hunt and farm

[@IsrafilTheTrumpeter]

I think what killed the game for me was the fact they removed all attunable spells/miracles in favor of those lame weapon-locked abilities. Being a cleric or a battlemage was awesome in 1 because you had an entire pool of abilities to draw from without switching away from your weapon. Here it's a gamble whether you will even like the skill set of your weapon. Atrocious design change.

[@samwill7259]

That wandering boss system sounds really cool, almost like the confrontations in monster hunter, I might just wanna follow them to see what they do before I attack them.

[@keen7youtubeistoast796]

It is exactly like this... just with the difference, that you have absolutely nowhere to dodge if you have 2 mages stacked on top of each other. In concept, it is really cool... in practice, there is no good reason for it and it's more of a hindrance. Imagine playing "Dark Souls", and any part where you have to balance on thin scenery. Now imagine, instead of rats or minor enemies, 2 bosses show up on both ends.

[@nightrain1121]

Trust me it’s not 🤣

[@TheKeyboardBeatz]

​@@keen7youtubeistoast796Maneaters, Gargoyles, ...?

[@mitchmcnair4222]

Here years late to the party but only found your channel recently and wanted to share. I really enjoyed this game for the first 3/5ths of it. I enjoy both Soulslike games and Monster Hunter games so it's blend of farming and challenge hit just the right spot. The problems for me came in the late game. I enjoy playing a tanky playstyle, allowing me to make more mistakes and wear the bosses down, and was building a greathammer/heavy armor set up for the game that worked well through most the game, but by the 4th zone things felt too punishing and once I reached the last zone bosses started one shotting me despite me spending every effort to make that impossible. Add in their screen covering attacks and it just made it feel like the whole game was punishing me for my playstyle way late in the game along with being hard just for being hard instead of trying to provide a tough but fair challenge. I came back to the game with a friend some time later, the one I played Salt and Sacrifice with, and again we had fun until about the 4th zone. The breaking point came when we were just trying to get back to the mage we were fighting and were just constantly stopped cold by random other mages hitting us while we were trying to do the platforming sections. Often times from off screen. I ended up throwing my controller in frustration and we never came back to it. Now I don't know how soon into the game's lifespan I played it and maybe the patches fixed some of the later game issues. Either way I hope they give the idea another spin and iron out the kinks in it. Maybe reduce the screen hitting AoOs in the wandering bosses and nerf the late game damage some so if you build tanky it isn't entirely invalidated.

[@AydarBMSTU]

epic games store? That's a pass

[@asgarzigel]

As a GW2 player I'm not surprised the soundtrack is great, Maclaine Diemer is great and can do a lot of different styles. The game looks great, but I might wait for a switch release, not sure yet. (I still haven't beaten Elden Ring lmao)

[@malazan6004]

I'm surprised the reviews are so mixed on this game kinda reminds me of Axiom verge 2. It seems I'll have to try it for myself and decide how it compares to the original.

[@mythosspecialist1352]

It's the way the game designs difficulty. Alot of haters look to Soulsborne as king for the ways enemies can kill you, adhere you should be safe, yada yada. They've come to expect that you can't get killed when knocked down or juggled to death. Both of those happen in this game with the mages. I'll just tell you that I like the asynchronous challenge. SnS felt really easy.

[@mira12825]

That's because some people like in this video completely avoid talking about literally every legitimate complaints people have with the game. After having played the game expecting more salt and sanctuary, which I fucking loved, if that's what you're expecting, look at the complaints and not rose tinted glasses take like in this video or you'll regret it.

[@egoalter1276]

I havnt heared any legitimate complaints. You can get stunlocked. Right. So what. Dont fucking get stunlocked. You have no parry. Wrong, you have to block right when you would parry. All the rest is crying about the game not being dark souls.

[@mythosspecialist1352]

@@egoalter1276 Basically, yes Ego. Because for the same reasons people buy every From Soft game and put it in their game of the year list, they assume the Miyazaki formula is perfect. Dark Souls 1/2/3, and ER play so similarly. You throw something that's wildly different in difficulty and mechanics, and people complain that it "isn't as good." I think that the Blood Mage and Umbramancer alone in Salt and Sacrifice are better than every single boss in the previous game (at least by mechanics).

[@aeriagloris4211]

​@@egoalter1276moron

[@draegore]

I had a bad experience when I first played the game... but then I tried again, with Sorcery! Second time's the charm!

[@boukh_h]

I just started playing but could people stop talking about “there’s this huge plot twist”. Don’t you realise that’s a spoiler in itself?

[@matthewkerrivan6385]

I love how far they came from Charlie murder and dishwasher

[@VoltGuardian]

I just hope it comes to steam in 6 months to a year, as much as I hate epic exclusivity it's a business (I would also be willing to pay more for a game like this that isn't AAA price to make up some of the devs cut of the pay to have it on steam)

[@dhxmg]

It's epic exclusive? Oh ducks sake. :

[@Barnesofthenorth]

it'll be a year timed exclusive, just count it as time for them to fix any bugs and maybe release a DLC to throw in free with the steam version, thats how I've learnt to treat epic exlucisves.

[@dhxmg]

@@Barnesofthenorth I just avoid them. There are enough games to play and other things to do anyways.

[@opi_is_me1576]

I just picked this up yesterday on ps4 since it was on sale for like 14 bucks. And overall I'm glad I waited for a sale. I'm having some fun, but having to chase the bosses around and re farm them to make gear is just tedious for me. I played monster hunter world for over 100 hours before I put it down but that seemed less tedious for me then in this game. And not having attunable spells is a huge misstep in my opinion. In the first one I could have a nice two handed magic scaling weapon and still choose my spells and incantations. In this I'm locked to using certain weapons if I want a specific spell. I don't think its a bad game, but even tho the game is only 20 bucks I'm still glad I got it on sale. I definitely prefer the first one over this one.

[@grapplesauce9939]

*Sees Salt and Sacrifice is out* >:D *sees it’s on the Epic Games store* D:

[@MSDGAMEZ]

Excited. Salt and sanctuary is one my favorite games of all time

[@borticus101]

Only one question; can you pause while playing offline? If yes, day 1 purchase. If no... will have to wait as I need to be able to pause to deal with kids.

[@borticus101]

I got to the end of the review... this game is only $20? Day 1, no BS pre-order bonuses or Super-Duper-Ultimate editions? I'll just buy it anyway and if there's no pause, chip away at it when I have the time.

[@TheBacklogs]

No preorder bonuses, and no official pause buttons. Though if you clear a screen, youre more than likely safe if youre not online (invaders being the unpredictable factor here)

[@borticus101]

@@TheBacklogs Even with over 100,000 subscribers, still the personal response? Thank you, never change! With the password option, I would be safe from on line invasions as well... that could work.

[@PrinceofRavens64]

The weapon move sets look a lot better than how they were in Sanctuary.

[@necoborgirarc]

IM LITERALLY SO EXCITED AS SOON AS I SAW IT WAS COMING OUT TOMORROW I COULDNT GO BACK TO SLEEP I NEED TO TELL THR WORLD IVE BEEN WAITING FOR SIX YEARS IM GOING TO CRY IVE LITERALLY 100% SALT AND SANCTUARY TWO TIMES

[@voidstar6353]

I love this game. But honestly my biggest and really only gripe is that They went for the hub system. One of the things i really loved about salt and sanctuary is the map the pieces of great kingdoms and fallen civilizations sewn together into going from a castle to a blood obsessed or the ancient pyramids and steampunk mechanisms and then of course the final bossfight but in sacrifice the portal system while it does allow for bigger maps it also makes it feel disconnected

[@noirbe238]

My friend really likes this game, but it’s a bit underwhelming for me. He started off with this game, so he doesn’t really have anything to compare to. But I just keep thinking of Salt and Sanctuary. I don’t like the humanity mechanic, where you lose 1/4 of your health after each death. Crafting feels pointless. If you can only restock at obelisks, why even add crafting to begin with? The whole point to crafting on the go was to NOT have to rest at an obelisk. The only thing about crafting that I like is making more ammo, but compared to Sanctuary where you could just. Buy ammo. And you weren’t restricted by your pouch. I’m fine with being flung around when hit by a strong enemy or attack, but I hate the bouncing. Bouncing once is fine, but the 2-3 times afterwards just feels aggravating. I hate how weapons work now. I don’t like that each weapon has their own specific Runic Art that can’t be changed, and I hate how you’re forced into a specific kit. In Sanctuary, I liked playing as a Paladin. Being able to heal, revive, block attacks with a shield, and use a big hammer to attack. Now, healing can only be done with a Runic Art? And it’s locked to a weapon that can’t be used with a shield. I don’t like how often I have to chase Mages. I don’t feel like a hunter tracking my prey, I feel like I’m playing ring around the rosy with a big stupid boss. Maybe this is all because I was never a big fan of the Monster Hunter series, but I find it difficult to enjoy this game.

[@noirbe238]

I can say, I do like the combat, I like how it was expanded a bit with running attacks, and I especially like the shield bashes. I think the hunter tools are neat, and I especially like the grappling hook. The resources for flasks are abundant enough so that running out is never an issue, but it also just brings back the question of why do you need to craft them in the first place?

[@chegorach1779]

I can only hope this comes to steam

[@giuliovieira8681]

The game is Just Fine, 5/10

[@colorgreen8728]

If they take the stagger off of perfect block and add parrying back to the game as sanctuary had it, perfect block should work in tandem with parrying, not one or the other. Or at least make it far far less punishing

[@MattHew-rq8zw]

New challange runs ahead! More salt to mine, gold to claim and wizards to fight.... oh my!

[@Cthulhusdreams]

Recently picked this back up and it feels ok but sanctuary was way way better

[@josephhanicak7922]

Salt and Sanctuary has the best world I have ever seen in a video game, with a pervasive and unnerving sense of desolation that seeps through every area. The atmosphere is damn near perfect. Why in God's fucking name the devs decided that rogue-like was where the game should go next, I will never know. The bosses aren't well designed, which is kinda a big deal when the entire goddamn game revolves around killing bosses. Getting rag-dolled by bosses with shitty hotboxes that are impossible to dodge isn't challenge, it's cheap. And the weapon crafting system is an amazing concept, except for the fact that it's ruined by the Devs fetish for giving every weapon E and D scaling, and their own lacking variety in moveset between weapons. Speaking broadly, the 4th area is probably the worst area I've gone through in a Souls-like since Shrine of Amana. What bumbling moron thought that putting 500 infinitely respawning enemies with an insanely fast attack that send you flying 50 feet backwards was a good idea? Hazaburnt went from "minor annoyance" to "Satan's taint" level in a single world. This game is so fucking disappointing. To follow a sprawling, tightly designed Souls-like with a sloppily thrown together Rogue-like and Metroidvania mashup is such a shame. Don't get me wrong, it's still pretty solid, saved by good combat and flawed but fun progression. But instead of the 9/10 Salt and Sanctuary got, Salt and Sacrifice is a floundering 6.5/10.

[@darklurker1402]

Im counting hours to release of the game. In time, amazing review!!!

[@totemicthor3707]

Great review you’ve got a knack for it.

[@pablosoria4071]

I’ve 100% Salt and sanctuary, Bloodborne and Sekiro, and played every Souls game except for Demon’s Souls and Elden Ring, and when he said that veterans should have an easy time at the begining of the game my soul just dropped because I started playing yesterday and got my ass beat over and over and over XD Still, it was pretty fun and I’m gonna spend quite some time in this game trying to figure out what to do, maybe it will get easier over time :’)

[@Roger_Smith_]

I played 8 hours and stopped. Then I started playing salt and sanctuary again cause it’s a great game. It’s a disappointment and has Major issues. 5/10

[@jkls106]

Same here. Sacrifice is the epitome of mediocre. Sanctuary is superior

[@giantpopeg9986]

I mean I was going to get it anyway but now i'm straight up hyped!

[@DemonKingCozar]

I wonder what the 3rd games gonna be called. Salt and Service? Where you hunt kings. Any ideas?

[@cjbael]

"Salt and Salvation" perhaps?

[@DemonKingCozar]

@@cjbael that's a good one

[@TheM4yu]

"the Salt series" Nice!

[@TheM4yu]

I'm quite torn, really. On the one hand I'd really prefer buying it on Switch, but gosh darn, I want to play it SO. BAD. :o Sooo, thank you for making it so hard on me, i guess? :p

[@paul-ernestmichel123]

I've been waiting a while for this to release. Absolutely worth the wait.

[@choklatecheeseburger]

Game looks amazing, but I think it was a really bad marketing decision to release it around Elden Ring's release date. I know they aren't all that similar, but people are going to fill their "souls-like" craving with elden ring, and this is going to be left on the back burner.

[@reedworsham5643]

i hope the epic games store thing is just a limited time exclusivity deal

[@twiptwip8203]

I really am happy you made this me and my dad have been playing it thank you

[@Pottzy]

I really hope this comes to Xbox at some point. This looks absolutely amazing

[@colinclement2752]

I'm A massive fan of the original however this game is completely ruined for me by baffling design choices and bullshit juggle deaths

[@grantcole8898]

Here's hoping it eventually comes to xbox like its predecessor.

[@NihilSustinet]

the lack of map and fast travel is a deal breaker for me

[@Bearvalid]

Man now both the name ska studios and the music genre ska are things that no longer exist

[@iankeith]

...oh no. The Epic store? No, no, nonononono

[@bettywhite2694]

It's on steam now

[@realcuondaotherside]

While I'm glad you like the game, it was a really big let down to me. Especially after waiting for so long. The game felt boring, the weapons are boring, the level design and traversal is boring and tedious, and the overall feel was so detached from salt and sanctuary. Salt and sanctuary felt like a journey, a real trek with real depth, while this game felt like a to-do list where the whole list was dishes. Every dish is slightly different, but it all feels the same. They absolutely did not nail it

[@grunner7557]

No Steam release? Guess I'll be saving my money then.

[@TrairFrair]

It will eventually make its way to plenty of other systems. But it'll be months before it happens.

[@cursagektora7434]

Nice fight, Backlogs. This says is me - FashionPolice with highblade.

[@tiredwhitemagesquared]

Annnnnd, it's on the Epic Games Store. God damn it. Guess I'm getting it on console then, if at all.

[@jjthe]

I'm just disappointed about the lack of firearms

[@TheOptimistDelusion]

I really want to like this game but it’s a huge step down from the first one… It’s just mediocre

[@Xylio979]

Personally I found the game really underwhelming overall and a downgrade from salt and sanctuary. So many bad design choices which just baffles me as to why they were implemented. Finished it and got the plat, but will never touch it again.

[@Crazyoldman84]

Playing it and getting platinum then saying you'll never touch it again is weird 😂

[@Vicioussama]

Sure wish it wasn't EPIC only atm.... also, I'm not a fan of dailies in any game. Even weeklies might be a bit too much. They feel like chores then

[@justsomejojo]

So, I watched this when it premiered, but after my first session, I thought I'd come back to comment. So far, the game definitely feels familiar but different, coming from the first S&S - I think it's mostly stamina and equipment load starting low though. As a fan of Monster Hunter, I've had a blast farming the first couple mages for pieces of their equipment. I *thought* I'd be missing the free form weapon choices from the first game, but honestly? So far, it actually feels very similar, since my off hand was usually a ranged option anyway and you have that in this game. That said, I'm still a bit confused about a few things: - I don't see a crafting system beyond the game automatically converting herbs and ore into flasks and ammo. Is that something you unlock later or did I just miss the menu option? I'd love to see if I can craft more fire bombs. - Can you only travel to the base obelisk in each area? It seems a tad tedious to scale the entire area if you want to spend your salt before a tough battle. - Lastly, the game actually greeted me to the "alpha" ingame (I bought on Epic Store). I'm quite confused to be honest. The game also still has the Ska Studios logo in there (though the Devourer's Studios logo comes after)

[@TheBacklogs]

Crafting is simplified. Hold B and you'll craft anything your missing. Base firebombs arent technically craftable, but youll unlock other types of bombs that are. Yes, you can only warp the main obelisks, but if you explore and unlock more inquisitors tools (like the grappling hook) you can get around the map very quickly. Certain charms will also give you faster climb/grapple speed too, so look forward to that. Not sure about the last one. Id put in a bug report ingame (its in the menu). Glad youre having fun!

[@justsomejojo]

@@TheBacklogs Oh so that's it. That's a strange way to go about crafting, but I guess it works. Thank you for clarifying!

[@TrueChaoSclx]

Wow, I had no clue there was a sequel coming up. Definitely gonna look into this

[@MaJinViDz]

Really curious to hear your thoughts on Phemeto's video on this game, the reviews are so wildly different. To be honest, there are parts in his video that I agree with more than yours, but I will get further into the game to judge it all.

[@zelphermm]

First was better and they changed the game to much skills being tied to weapons ruins the game.

[@egoalter1276]

I tend to agree. Its a pointless change that limits build variety for no good reason. It certainly isnt enoigh to ruin the game though. Hybrid builds are far from the only, or evsn primary way of charactdr progression.

[@armandogavilan1815]

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED the first one, anyone here has played both? I don´t like how the sequel looks and well many people say is bad.

[@nexofury4979]

i cant wait!!! i have been looking forward to this for a looong while FUCK YES!!!!! Lets go!!!!

[@lancemckenzie1074]

Now...this is Epic.

[@AydarBMSTU]

epic fail, amirite?

[@LaCazaLP]

Why does the Sequel feel more like their first game? It just worse in every aspect compared to Sanctuary. The world is dull,the combat is no fun, there is no parry system. No customizable Spells/incantations. No Shields (unless you use the intended weapons), NO GUNS?! Bosses who port away all the time. Bosses who keep spawning Minions. Bosses who teleport to small Platforms where you just get either smashed off the moment you land on it or get rushed the moment you land on it. EVERY Boss or enemy can and will juggle you. Bosses dont really have pattern anymore and can just spam their attacks... Metroidvania feel is complete gone. Not even the Online Coop is fun. Its just Dark Souls but in worse. Thats NOT what we wanted. We played coop and we couldnt get us to play more than the first 3 areas. Its was a grind heavy mess. After the Launch day we never even bothered to play again. Glad i sailed the High Sees before buying this game. Im incredible disappointed with this sequel. Which sucks cause i REALLY Love S&S1. But this. This piece of Software is just...that a piece of software. There is no fun to have with this game if you know in the back of your mind there is S&S1 which is everything this game does wrong. Only problem is...you probably played it to death just like me. If you enjoyed S&S2 great. More power to you. But for me...its just worse than S&S1 in every aspect and not worth your time playing.

[@TheBacklogs]

Sounds like you wouldve enjoyed the updates that came out after release. Solved a lot of quality of life problems players had. But if you're actively pirating games, then I guess you lost nothing but time.