Salt and Sanctuary (Aug. 2)
Best Switch Games in August 2018
Salt and Sanctuary was a bit of a surprise hit when it first launched back in 2016. The game featured this dark and quirky-looking 2D art style, and also had some action RPG elements that drew inspiration from the Souls series. To put things simply, Salt acts as this game’s version of souls and experience, while sanctuaries are bonfires that you can rest and level up at. As you might have expected already, if your character dies, you have one chance to go back to your grave site to pick up your lost salt. Die again, and it’s gone forever.
The game sets itself apart from other Souls-like games with the 2D plane. It doesn’t come with a map, which means you’ll constantly need to be mapping the areas out in your head, and remembering which places you can’t get to yet, and then coming back when you’re strong enough or have the ability to go through it. The level design in Salt and Sanctuary could be a little tighter, but it still features that looping design that fans loved from the Souls games. Salt and Sanctuary also boasts a rather extensive skill tree to customize your build with, along with other cool challenge run features (salt level 1 playthrough, anyone?) that offer great replay value.