[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fRpO-kZHPW55mr0QD5vd6ZvZsBnO4wtQgQjv-0oWZF6s":3},{"game":4,"reviews":20},{"id":5,"name":6,"summary":7,"cover_image":8,"header_image":9,"release_date":10,"created_at":11,"updated_at":12,"igdb_id":13,"slug":14,"is_published":15,"trailer_url":16,"category":17,"avg_score":18,"steam_app_id":19},105539,"Salt and Sacrifice","Salt and Sacrifice is the follow-up to the hardcore action RPG platformer, Salt and Sanctuary. Explore a new era and region, as well as a new role: a Marked Inquisitor. A Marked Inquisitor is a criminal condemned, yet spared the hand of justice in exchange for a lifetime of service in the unending war against Mages: twisted, irredeemable creatures of elemental malice.","105539\u002Fco392e_webp","105539\u002Fsccrow_webp","2022-05-10","2024-09-14T02:32:35.636812-04:00","2026-03-27T17:39:42.912157-04:00",152065,"salt-and-sacrifice",true,"https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002FZnBkp9ascxc",0,72.18,1437400,[21,54,76,105,130,151,176,200,226,262,286,309,334,358,384,418,440,464],{"id":22,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":23,"author":24,"original_score":32,"normalized_score":33,"review_url":34,"review_date":35,"summary":36,"created_at":37,"updated_at":37,"author_id":25,"last_edited_at":38,"outlet":39},84151,65,{"id":25,"bio":26,"name":27,"avg_score":28,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":29,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":30,"claim_token":26,"article_count":31,"claimed_by_user_id":26},6585,null,"Alex Fuller",66.76369863013699,"2025-02-22T13:11:54.02545-05:00","2025-08-26T19:06:30.223-04:00",594,"3.5",70,"https:\u002F\u002Frpgamer.com\u002Freview\u002Fsalt-and-sacrifice-review\u002F","2022-09-03","Ska Studios returns with its follow-up to action RPG Salt and Sanctuary. Though the game largely treads familiar ground, it features an unnecessary innovation that feels shoehorned in.","2025-02-26T14:48:33.664821-05:00","2025-07-08T09:45:04.827206-04:00",{"id":23,"logo":40,"name":41,"slug":42,"tags":43,"bluesky":44,"twitter":41,"youtube":45,"facebook":41,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":46,"website_url":47,"score_format":48,"average_score":33,"default_timezone":49,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":50,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":51,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":52,"editor_in_chief_email":53,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FRPGamer-Logo.jpg","RPGamer","rpgamer","[  \n  'independent',\n  'online_media',\n  'ingestion_pending'\n  ]","rpgamer.com","@RPGamer","Complete RPG Coverage. Period.","https:\u002F\u002Frpgamer.com\u002F","5","UTC","2025-07-04T09:28:49.429906","news@rpgamer.com","pr@rpgamer.com","webmaster@rpgamer.com",{"id":55,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":56,"author":57,"original_score":64,"normalized_score":17,"review_url":65,"review_date":66,"summary":67,"created_at":68,"updated_at":68,"author_id":58,"last_edited_at":68,"outlet":69},2234113,154,{"id":58,"bio":26,"name":59,"avg_score":60,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":61,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":62,"claim_token":26,"article_count":63,"claimed_by_user_id":26},17809,"By Huzaifah Durrani",77.65,"2026-03-21T07:25:49.957133-04:00","2026-03-21T07:28:38.298611-04:00",57,"0","https:\u002F\u002Fexputer.com\u002Freviews\u002Fsalt-and-sacrifice-review\u002F","2022-06-30","When Salt and Sanctuary was first released back in 2016, it was hailed as a phenomenal little indie game that had managed to do what a lot of other bigger and more elaborate games had failed to accomplish. It had successfully captured the essence of the Dark Souls series of games, with all of their emphasis on difficulty and balancing, while also translating that into a 2D format.","2026-03-21T07:28:26.978658-04:00",{"id":56,"logo":70,"name":71,"slug":72,"tags":26,"bluesky":26,"twitter":26,"youtube":26,"facebook":26,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":26,"website_url":73,"score_format":48,"average_score":74,"default_timezone":49,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":75,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":26,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":26,"editor_in_chief_email":26,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FExputer.jpg","eXputer","exputer","https:\u002F\u002Fexputer.com\u002F",74,"2026-03-21T07:01:49.054409",{"id":77,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":78,"author":79,"original_score":86,"normalized_score":33,"review_url":87,"review_date":88,"summary":89,"created_at":90,"updated_at":90,"author_id":80,"last_edited_at":90,"outlet":91},85730,82,{"id":80,"bio":26,"name":81,"avg_score":82,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":83,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":84,"claim_token":26,"article_count":85,"claimed_by_user_id":26},4005,"Jason Faulkner",79.39655172413794,"2025-01-18T12:10:33.122454-05:00","2025-07-08T15:30:25.304328-04:00",117,"7\u002F10","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gamerevolution.com\u002Freview\u002F707232-salt-and-sacrifice-review-pc-ps4-ps5-worth-playing-buying","2022-05-24","Salt and Sanctuary was a hit when it was released approximately six million years ago in 2016. It distilled the gritty atmosphere and challenge of Dark Souls into a leaner 2D package. It also shared that games’ predilection for subtextual storytelling and featured a world that was on its last leg and where little was as it seemed. When I set out to review Salt and Sacrifice, I had hoped for an evolution of the original 2D Soulslike formula. Unfortunately, what we’ve got is different and altogether less satisfying.","2025-02-27T18:59:58.893305-05:00",{"id":78,"logo":92,"name":93,"slug":94,"tags":95,"bluesky":26,"twitter":96,"youtube":97,"facebook":98,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":99,"website_url":100,"score_format":101,"average_score":102,"default_timezone":49,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":50,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":103,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":103,"editor_in_chief_email":104,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FGame-Revolution-Logo.jpg","Game Revolution","game-revolution","[  \n  'corporate_owned',\n  'online_media',\n  'ingestion_pending'\n  ]","Game_Revolution","GameRevolutionGR","GameRev","Gaming, entertainment, and tech coverage where the reader comes first","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gamerevolution.com\u002F","10",76,"jason.faulkner@gamerevolution.com","paul.tamburro@gamerevolution.com",{"id":106,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":107,"author":108,"original_score":115,"normalized_score":116,"review_url":117,"review_date":118,"summary":119,"created_at":120,"updated_at":120,"author_id":109,"last_edited_at":120,"outlet":121},80674,59,{"id":109,"bio":26,"name":110,"avg_score":111,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":112,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":113,"claim_token":26,"article_count":114,"claimed_by_user_id":26},6286,"Henry Yu",79.26190476190476,"2025-02-12T06:10:30.642849-05:00","2025-07-08T18:29:15.071415-04:00",43,"8.0",80,"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gamingnexus.com\u002FArticle\u002F7589\u002FSalt-and-Sacrifice\u002F","2022-05-20","Salt and Sacrifice to Salt and Sanctuary is like Dark Souls 2 to Dark Souls 1. It diverges a lot from the original, with some ideas that work well and some that don't. All in all, it's still an excellent 2-D Souls-like Metroidvania that brilliantly infuses Monster Hunter elements with challenging combat. Despite some poor design choices and questionable difficulty spikes, it's still astonishing to think this game was created by a team of just two people.","2025-02-12T06:13:29.077477-05:00",{"id":107,"logo":122,"name":123,"slug":124,"tags":43,"bluesky":26,"twitter":125,"youtube":26,"facebook":126,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":127,"website_url":128,"score_format":101,"average_score":116,"default_timezone":49,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":50,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":26,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":26,"editor_in_chief_email":129,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FGaming-Nexus-Logo.jpg","Gaming Nexus","gaming-nexus","GamingNexus","gamingnexus","Established in 1997, Gaming Nexus is an ad-free site, writing honest video game reviews and covering industry news.","https:\u002F\u002Fgamingnexus.com\u002F","ehauter@gamingnexus.com",{"id":131,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":132,"author":133,"original_score":139,"normalized_score":132,"review_url":140,"review_date":141,"summary":142,"created_at":143,"updated_at":143,"author_id":134,"last_edited_at":143,"outlet":144},87072,60,{"id":134,"bio":26,"name":135,"avg_score":33,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":136,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":137,"claim_token":26,"article_count":138,"claimed_by_user_id":26},2629,"Joseph Yaden","2024-12-03T07:30:45.019666-05:00","2025-03-01T12:14:10.693572-05:00",32,"6","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.inverse.com\u002Fgaming\u002Fsalt-sacrifice-review-pc","2022-05-19","Soulslikes are appealing because of the sense of accomplishment they evoke, offering tremendously difficult battles that — with practice — can be overcome. Every death feels fair, and the design philosophy is fine-tuned in such a way that feels intentional and deliberate. Salt and Sacrifice, on the other hand, achieves difficulty with clunky design, which completely misses the point of what makes a good challenge worth the time. Instead, the sacrifice of wasted time here is more than enough to make you salty.","2025-03-01T11:58:20.764435-05:00",{"id":132,"logo":145,"name":146,"slug":147,"tags":95,"bluesky":26,"twitter":148,"youtube":147,"facebook":147,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":149,"website_url":150,"score_format":101,"average_score":102,"default_timezone":49,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":50,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":26,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":26,"editor_in_chief_email":26,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002Finverse-logo.jpg","Inverse","inverse","inversedotcom","Inverse is for the superfan in all of us. We take you deeper in the worlds of entertainment, gaming, tech, and science — and all the fantastic ways they collide","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.inverse.com\u002F",{"id":152,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":153,"author":154,"original_score":161,"normalized_score":162,"review_url":163,"review_date":141,"summary":164,"created_at":165,"updated_at":165,"author_id":155,"last_edited_at":165,"outlet":166},102645,140,{"id":155,"bio":26,"name":156,"avg_score":157,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":158,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":159,"claim_token":26,"article_count":160,"claimed_by_user_id":26},9020,"Nat Patterson",71.66666666666667,"2025-03-25T20:46:45.069573-04:00","2025-03-26T05:41:17.794095-04:00",46,"5.5",55,"https:\u002F\u002Fcheckpointgaming.net\u002Freviews\u002F2022\u002F05\u002Fsalt-and-sacrifice-review-repetition-begets-tedium\u002F","Souls-like games truly are a dime-a-dozen these days. After the success of From Software’s flagship series, Dark Souls, and the subsequent smash hits Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and most recently Elden Ring, the genre is well established as one of the most dominant and popular flavours in the current market. Alongside these large, sprawling 3D beasts are a humble smattering of 2D games that echo the same game design sentiments: overcoming immense challenge, decisive gameplay, and...","2025-03-25T20:48:06.625042-04:00",{"id":153,"logo":167,"name":168,"slug":169,"tags":26,"bluesky":26,"twitter":170,"youtube":26,"facebook":171,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":172,"website_url":173,"score_format":101,"average_score":74,"default_timezone":49,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":50,"headquarters_city":174,"news_editor_email":26,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":175,"reviews_editor_email":26,"editor_in_chief_email":26,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002Fcheckpoint-gaming.jpg","Checkpoint Gaming","checkpoint-gaming","checkpointAU","checkpoint.joy949","Join us every Saturday 2PM on JOY94.9 for all the latest news, reviews & more in the gaming world!","https:\u002F\u002Fcheckpointgaming.net\u002F","Melbourne","Australia",{"id":177,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":178,"author":179,"original_score":186,"normalized_score":187,"review_url":188,"review_date":189,"summary":190,"created_at":191,"updated_at":191,"author_id":180,"last_edited_at":192,"outlet":193},98419,137,{"id":180,"bio":26,"name":181,"avg_score":182,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":183,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":184,"claim_token":26,"article_count":185,"claimed_by_user_id":26},8921,"A.J. Maciejewski",74.75103489059728,"2025-03-25T13:44:29.804291-04:00","2026-05-28T04:09:05.552399-04:00",1691,"7.2",72,"https:\u002F\u002Fvideochums.com\u002Freview\u002Fsalt-and-sacrifice","2022-05-18","Ska Studios has taken a 2nd stab at the 2D Soulslike genre but does Salt and Sacrifice live up to their previous efforts? Let's find out.","2025-03-25T14:00:40.955465-04:00","2025-03-25T15:15:54.781837-04:00",{"id":178,"logo":194,"name":195,"slug":196,"tags":26,"bluesky":26,"twitter":197,"youtube":26,"facebook":26,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":198,"website_url":199,"score_format":101,"average_score":102,"default_timezone":49,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":50,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":26,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":26,"editor_in_chief_email":26,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FVideo-Chums.jpg","Video Chums","video-chums","VideoChums","Video Chums brings you great video game reviews and fun top 10 lists for new and retro video games.","https:\u002F\u002Fvideochums.com\u002F",{"id":201,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":202,"author":203,"original_score":210,"normalized_score":33,"review_url":211,"review_date":212,"summary":213,"created_at":214,"updated_at":214,"author_id":204,"last_edited_at":215,"outlet":216},26877,28,{"id":204,"bio":26,"name":205,"avg_score":206,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":207,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":208,"claim_token":26,"article_count":209,"claimed_by_user_id":26},2851,"Richard Wakeling",72.07272727272728,"2024-12-04T10:28:59.472641-05:00","2025-12-16T16:39:51.179312-05:00",110,"7.0","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gamespot.com\u002Freviews\u002Fsalt-and-sacrifice-review-mage-hunter\u002F1900-6417879\u002F","2022-05-16","Salt and Sacrifice imbues its Souls-like formula with elements from Monster Hunter, creating a peculiar mixture that falls just short of realizing its full potential.","2024-12-04T13:42:47.513737-05:00","2024-12-29T20:20:33.816897-05:00",{"id":202,"logo":217,"name":218,"slug":219,"tags":220,"bluesky":221,"twitter":218,"youtube":219,"facebook":218,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":222,"website_url":223,"score_format":101,"average_score":224,"default_timezone":49,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":50,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":26,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":26,"editor_in_chief_email":225,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FGameSpot-Logo.jpg","GameSpot","gamespot","[  \n  'corporate_owned',\n  'online_media'\n  ]","gamespot.com","GameSpot is the world's leading source for PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PS Vita, Wii, PC, 3DS, and DS video game news, reviews, previews, trailers, walkthroughs, and more.","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gamespot.com",71,"thussain@fandom.com",{"id":227,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":228,"author":229,"original_score":236,"normalized_score":237,"review_url":238,"review_date":239,"summary":240,"created_at":241,"updated_at":241,"author_id":230,"last_edited_at":215,"outlet":242},21981,25,{"id":230,"bio":26,"name":231,"avg_score":232,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":233,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":234,"claim_token":26,"article_count":235,"claimed_by_user_id":26},2655,"Johnny Hurricane",78.0836820083682,"2024-12-03T11:56:46.394047-05:00","2026-07-18T13:08:17.242909-04:00",243,"75%",75,"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gamersheroes.com\u002Fhonest-game-reviews\u002Fsalt-and-sacrifice-review\u002F","2022-05-13","Salt and Sacrifice has a lot going for it, but some bad design choices hold it back. I'd recommend watching some gameplay footage - especially of its bosses - before buying.","2024-12-03T12:55:32.411518-05:00",{"id":228,"logo":243,"name":244,"slug":245,"tags":246,"bluesky":247,"twitter":248,"youtube":248,"facebook":249,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":250,"website_url":251,"score_format":252,"average_score":253,"default_timezone":49,"last_review_date":254,"stats_updated_at":255,"headquarters_city":256,"news_editor_email":257,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":258,"reviews_editor_email":259,"editor_in_chief_email":259,"published_authors_count":260,"published_reviews_count":261},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FGamersheroes-logo.jpg","Gamers Heroes","gamers-heroes","[  \n  'independent',\n  'online_media'\n  ]","gamersheroes.bsky.social","GamersHeroes","GHeroes","➡️ Honest Reviews 😇\n➡️ YouTube Guides (330K+!) 📺\n➡️ Poor Journalism 😂\n🔗🌲linktr.ee\u002Fgamersheroes","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gamersheroes.com","100",77,"2026-06-02","2026-07-15T10:53:02.221303","Alameda","casey@gamersheroes.com","North America","CaptainCamper@gamersheroes.com",7,532,{"id":263,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":264,"author":265,"original_score":210,"normalized_score":33,"review_url":272,"review_date":273,"summary":274,"created_at":275,"updated_at":275,"author_id":266,"last_edited_at":215,"outlet":276},28577,29,{"id":266,"bio":26,"name":267,"avg_score":268,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":269,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":270,"claim_token":26,"article_count":271,"claimed_by_user_id":26},3055,"John Cantees",71.9047619047619,"2024-12-05T09:30:20.016958-05:00","2024-12-05T09:35:58.891994-05:00",42,"https:\u002F\u002Fgamingbolt.com\u002Fsalt-and-sacrifice-review-been-there-done-that","2022-05-12","Salt and Sanctuary checks all the boxes for what a 2D Soulslike should have but doesn’t do much beyond that, delivering a worthy, albeit conventional addition to the sub-genre.","2024-12-05T09:31:07.423207-05:00",{"id":264,"logo":277,"name":278,"slug":279,"tags":95,"bluesky":26,"twitter":280,"youtube":281,"facebook":282,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":283,"website_url":284,"score_format":101,"average_score":102,"default_timezone":49,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":50,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":26,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":26,"editor_in_chief_email":285,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FGaming%20Bolt%20Logo.png","GamingBolt","gamingbolt","GamingBoltTweet","GamingBoltLive","gamingbolt.official","We are one of the most frequently updated sources of gaming news on the internet. We cover everything from gaming consoles to handhelds.","https:\u002F\u002Fgamingbolt.com","admin@gamingbolt.com",{"id":287,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":116,"author":288,"original_score":295,"normalized_score":33,"review_url":296,"review_date":10,"summary":297,"created_at":298,"updated_at":298,"author_id":289,"last_edited_at":298,"outlet":299},59714,{"id":289,"bio":26,"name":290,"avg_score":291,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":292,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":293,"claim_token":26,"article_count":294,"claimed_by_user_id":26},4812,"Adrian Morales",73.75,"2025-01-26T12:36:24.418401-05:00","2025-07-08T18:29:53.768985-04:00",41,"7","https:\u002F\u002Fgamerant.com\u002F\u002Fsalt-and-sacrifice-review\u002F","Overall, Salt and Sacrifice still nails the core elements that make a 2D reimagining of Dark Souls a compelling idea thanks to its fundamental understanding of how character and level progression should flow and its expansive combat system. By adding in an extra layer of Metroidvania-style exploration and a unique approach to boss encounters with its Mage Hunt mechanic, Salt and Sacrifice sees Ska Studios carve out a space for itself as more than the studio that is good at making 2D Dark Souls games.","2025-01-26T15:30:07.014334-05:00",{"id":116,"logo":300,"name":301,"slug":302,"tags":95,"bluesky":26,"twitter":303,"youtube":304,"facebook":303,"mastodon":305,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":306,"website_url":307,"score_format":101,"average_score":74,"default_timezone":49,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":50,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":26,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":26,"editor_in_chief_email":308,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FGame-Rant-Logo.png","Game Rant","game-rant","GameRant","@GameRant","","Game Rant launched as an online gaming publication in 2009, and we're now a leader in gaming news, reviews, analysis, community discussions, and gaming guides.","https:\u002F\u002Fgamerant.com\u002F","editorial@gamerant.com",{"id":310,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":311,"author":312,"original_score":295,"normalized_score":33,"review_url":319,"review_date":10,"summary":320,"created_at":321,"updated_at":321,"author_id":313,"last_edited_at":322,"outlet":323},97418,136,{"id":313,"bio":26,"name":314,"avg_score":315,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":316,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":317,"claim_token":26,"article_count":318,"claimed_by_user_id":26},1001,"Jason Rodriguez",72.18253968253968,"2024-11-27T13:59:35.475827-05:00","2025-04-15T11:06:58.450785-04:00",129,"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pcinvasion.com\u002Fsalt-and-sacrifice-review\u002F","Salt and Sacrifice is enjoyable in short bursts. It retains certain core concepts from the original, including a fairly controversial one: the lack of a map. This is further compounded by repetitive Mage Hunts that become tedious after a while.","2025-03-25T07:43:38.690502-04:00","2025-03-25T07:56:57.816768-04:00",{"id":311,"logo":324,"name":325,"slug":326,"tags":26,"bluesky":26,"twitter":326,"youtube":327,"facebook":328,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":329,"website_url":330,"score_format":101,"average_score":237,"default_timezone":49,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":50,"headquarters_city":331,"news_editor_email":332,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":333,"reviews_editor_email":332,"editor_in_chief_email":332,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FPCInvasion.jpg","PC Invasion","pcinvasion","@PCInvasion","PCInvasionCom","Review Archives for PCInvasion.","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pcinvasion.com\u002F","Toronto","No Longer Active","Canada",{"id":335,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":336,"author":337,"original_score":344,"normalized_score":23,"review_url":345,"review_date":10,"summary":346,"created_at":347,"updated_at":347,"author_id":338,"last_edited_at":347,"outlet":348},159905,147,{"id":338,"bio":26,"name":339,"avg_score":340,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":341,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":342,"claim_token":26,"article_count":343,"claimed_by_user_id":26},11814,"Jordan Garcia",77.4931506849315,"2025-04-30T12:50:13.713044-04:00","2025-05-28T07:22:41.021708-04:00",73,"6.5","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.well-played.com.au\u002Fsalt-and-sacrifice-review\u002F","Salt and Sacrifice makes a number of changes to its general design and structure that are absolutely not worth the cost, and while the game is still enjoyable, it ultimately feels like a step backwards from the charming 2016 original.","2025-05-28T06:26:10.85213-04:00",{"id":336,"logo":349,"name":350,"slug":351,"tags":26,"bluesky":26,"twitter":352,"youtube":353,"facebook":354,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":355,"website_url":356,"score_format":101,"average_score":253,"default_timezone":49,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":50,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":357,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":175,"reviews_editor_email":357,"editor_in_chief_email":357,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002Fwellplayed-logo.png","WellPlayed","wellplayed","WellPlayed_AU","@WellPlayed_AU","WellPlayedau","A small collective of avid Aussie gamers, who have ventured out on their own and present their spin on the gaming world.","https:\u002F\u002Fwell-played.com.au\u002F","zach@well-played.com.au",{"id":359,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":33,"author":360,"original_score":367,"normalized_score":116,"review_url":368,"review_date":369,"summary":370,"created_at":371,"updated_at":371,"author_id":361,"last_edited_at":371,"outlet":372},76097,{"id":361,"bio":26,"name":362,"avg_score":363,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":364,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":365,"claim_token":26,"article_count":366,"claimed_by_user_id":26},5797,"TJ Denzer",80.02941176470588,"2025-02-08T08:46:05.743273-05:00","2026-07-20T11:21:49.284417-04:00",171,"8\u002F10","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.shacknews.com\u002Farticle\u002F130225\u002Fsalt-and-sacrifice-review-mage-season","2022-05-09","Salt and Sacrifice does a lot of cool things on top of the Soulsborne 2D action-platforming system created for the first game. The focus on hunting mages is a cool twist and getting their components and making new gear was the stuff that’s made Monster Hunter a blast for decades. Even then, there’s plenty to explore in each biome between the mage hunts. I’m not fond of collecting berries for my healing flask and I feel it can get unfair when mages team up on me. However, getting stronger and coming back with enough might that not even multiple mages could stop me made Salt and Sacrifice’s 2D Soulsborne exploration and mage fights an intoxicating quest to wield the very power I was hunting.","2025-02-08T09:17:06.016502-05:00",{"id":33,"logo":373,"name":374,"slug":375,"tags":95,"bluesky":26,"twitter":375,"youtube":376,"facebook":375,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":377,"website_url":378,"score_format":101,"average_score":102,"default_timezone":49,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":50,"headquarters_city":379,"news_editor_email":380,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":381,"reviews_editor_email":382,"editor_in_chief_email":383,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FShackNews-Logo.jpg","ShackNews","shacknews","Shacknewsgames","Gaming News on the Cutting Edge of Technology.","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.shacknews.com\u002F","Canton, OH","tj.denzer@shacknews.com","United States","bill.lavoy@shacknews.com","asif.khan@shacknews.com",{"id":385,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":386,"author":387,"original_score":393,"normalized_score":33,"review_url":394,"review_date":369,"summary":395,"created_at":396,"updated_at":397,"author_id":388,"last_edited_at":397,"outlet":398},79331,38,{"id":388,"bio":26,"name":389,"avg_score":390,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":391,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":392,"claim_token":26,"article_count":237,"claimed_by_user_id":26},4697,"Arron Kluz",68.85135135135135,"2025-01-24T10:58:56.69309-05:00","2025-07-08T17:43:49.005107-04:00","70","https:\u002F\u002Fbutwhythopodcast.com\u002F2022\u002F05\u002F09\u002Freview-salt-and-sacrifice-is-a-worthy-if-uneven-sequel-pc\u002F","Salt and Sacrifice is still a very worthwhile sequel to the original. While some of the elements don’t work as well as others, the game’s combat and build variety offer players a great sandbox to play around in.","2025-02-11T06:04:54.514224-05:00","2025-02-11T06:27:38.999206-05:00",{"id":386,"logo":399,"name":400,"slug":401,"tags":402,"bluesky":403,"twitter":404,"youtube":405,"facebook":404,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":406,"website_url":407,"score_format":101,"average_score":408,"default_timezone":49,"last_review_date":409,"stats_updated_at":410,"headquarters_city":411,"news_editor_email":412,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":413,"active_authors_count":414,"headquarters_country":381,"reviews_editor_email":415,"editor_in_chief_email":415,"published_authors_count":416,"published_reviews_count":417},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FBut-Why-Tho-Logo.jpg","But Why Tho","but-why-tho","[  \n  'independent',\n  'women_led',\n  'minority_led',\n  'online_media',\n  'ingestion_pending'\n  ]","butwhytho.net","ButWhyThoPC","@ButWhyThoPC","Independent media outlet covering video games, film, TV, and anime.","https:\u002F\u002Fbutwhytho.net\u002F",79,"2026-07-22","2026-07-23T11:17:09.86955","Texas","matt@butwhytho.net",6,4,"kate@butwhythopodcast.com",37,821,{"id":419,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":420,"author":421,"original_score":427,"normalized_score":116,"review_url":428,"review_date":369,"summary":429,"created_at":430,"updated_at":430,"author_id":422,"last_edited_at":430,"outlet":431},51183,66,{"id":422,"bio":26,"name":423,"avg_score":424,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":425,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":426,"claim_token":26,"article_count":116,"claimed_by_user_id":26},4334,"Zhiqing Wan",77.02702702702703,"2025-01-22T13:19:20.107696-05:00","2025-02-10T06:58:19.69969-05:00","4.0","https:\u002F\u002Ftwinfinite.net\u002Freviews\u002Fsalt-and-sacrifice-review\u002F","As it stands, Salt and Sacrifice continues to nail down all of the moving parts and elements that go into creating an impressive Souls-like game. For most players --especially those just discovering the genre for the first time-- this is an easy recommendation. But for the rest of us, it's not quite enough anymore.","2025-01-23T06:18:50.207367-05:00",{"id":420,"logo":432,"name":433,"slug":434,"tags":435,"bluesky":26,"twitter":433,"youtube":26,"facebook":436,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":437,"website_url":438,"score_format":48,"average_score":253,"default_timezone":49,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":50,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":439,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":439,"editor_in_chief_email":439,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FTwinfinite.png","Twinfinite","twinfinite","[  \n  'corporate_owned',\n  'online_media',\n  'inactive',\n  'ingestion_pending'\n  ]","2winfinite","We love video games, so we talk about them.","https:\u002F\u002Ftwinfinite.net\u002F","N\u002FA",{"id":441,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":260,"author":442,"original_score":449,"normalized_score":450,"review_url":451,"review_date":369,"summary":452,"created_at":453,"updated_at":453,"author_id":443,"last_edited_at":454,"outlet":455},36579,{"id":443,"bio":26,"name":444,"avg_score":445,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":446,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":447,"claim_token":26,"article_count":448,"claimed_by_user_id":26},3658,"Mark Steighner",77.71495327102804,"2025-01-15T13:18:47.982723-05:00","2026-07-14T10:01:06.216258-04:00",214,"90",90,"https:\u002F\u002Fcogconnected.com\u002Freview\u002Fsalt-and-sacrifice-review\u002F","I don’t envy any developer releasing a Soulslike game in the same year as Elden Ring. FromSoftware’s open world masterpiece sets a pretty unattainably high bar. Salt and Sacrifice, like its predecessor Salt and Sanctuary, certainly borrows mechanics from Dark Souls. Being a 2D side scroller, however, it looks and feels quite different from anything by FromSoft. And this time around, it adds new mechanics and ramps up the challenge even more. It’s a remarkably polished and engaging game essentially made by a two-person team.","2025-01-15T12:26:00.277405-05:00","2025-01-24T09:48:02.607295-05:00",{"id":260,"logo":456,"name":457,"slug":458,"tags":246,"bluesky":305,"twitter":459,"youtube":460,"facebook":459,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":461,"website_url":462,"score_format":252,"average_score":253,"default_timezone":49,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":50,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":463,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":333,"reviews_editor_email":463,"editor_in_chief_email":463,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002Fcog-connected-logo.png","COGConnected","cogconnected","COGconnected","GameCanadian","COGconnected is your source for PS5, Xbox Series X, PC, Nintendo Switch video games with News, Reviews, Videos, Cosplays and Top Lists.","https:\u002F\u002Fcogconnected.com","trevor@cogconnected.com",{"id":465,"game_id":5,"outlet_id":466,"author":467,"original_score":367,"normalized_score":116,"review_url":474,"review_date":475,"summary":476,"created_at":477,"updated_at":477,"author_id":468,"last_edited_at":215,"outlet":478},22614,26,{"id":468,"bio":26,"name":469,"avg_score":470,"outlet_id":26,"created_at":471,"profile_id":26,"updated_at":472,"claim_token":26,"article_count":473,"claimed_by_user_id":26},2746,"John Schutt",80.3409090909091,"2024-12-04T06:24:58.950876-05:00","2025-09-25T09:38:52.377399-04:00",45,"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gameskinny.com\u002Freviews\u002Fsalt-and-sacrifice-review-no-sacrifice-for-quality\u002F","2022-05-08","Salt and Sacrifice is a labor of love, one that will scratch any Souls veteran's itch for more mysterious worlds to explore, even if it doesn't succeed at everything.","2024-12-04T07:03:25.74081-05:00",{"id":466,"logo":479,"name":480,"slug":481,"tags":482,"bluesky":26,"twitter":483,"youtube":484,"facebook":483,"mastodon":26,"muckrack":26,"claimed_at":26,"description":485,"website_url":486,"score_format":101,"average_score":237,"default_timezone":49,"last_review_date":26,"stats_updated_at":50,"headquarters_city":26,"news_editor_email":439,"platforms_covered":26,"claimed_by_user_id":26,"reviews_this_month":17,"active_authors_count":17,"headquarters_country":26,"reviews_editor_email":439,"editor_in_chief_email":439,"published_authors_count":17,"published_reviews_count":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.criticdb.com\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Favatars\u002FOutlets\u002FGameSkinny-logo.png","Game Skinny","game-skinny","[  \n  'independent',\n  'inactive',\n  'online_media'\n  ]","GameSkinny","@gameskinny4737","Video game guides, reviews, news, and culture.","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gameskinny.com"]