Salt and Sanctuary, the 2D Soulslike from Ska Studios, is getting a proper sequel with Salt and Sacrifice, which releases early next year. The gameplay trailer debuted during the Summer Game Fest presentation today, and we learned the title will arrive in early 2022 on both the PC and PlayStation 5. Like the first game, Salt and Sacrifice is a bleak tale in a bleaker world, though it’s clear Ska Studios has learned a thing or two since Salt and Sanctuary debuted in 2016.
Become a Marked Inquisitor in Salt and Sacrifice to hunt down 20 different mages.
In Salt and Sacrifice you play as a customized Marked Inquisitor, a captured prisoner of the Alterstone Kingdom that opted for servitude over death. There are eight classes for players to select – the Highblade, Paladin, Assassin, Cleric, Dualist, Fighter, Ranger, and Sage – each altering how players slay the 20 deadly mages roaming the land.
Salt and Sacrifice can be played both solo or in coop. Like its predecessor, the game will utilize a distinct hand-drawn art-style, though the color palette has certainly expanded a bit since Salt and Sanctuary proved the Soulslike formula could indeed work in a 2D sidescroller. The coop element should prove interesting, with Ska Studios founder stating, “There are so many interesting things we can do with our different factions’ goals within this perilous Mage-wracked world.”
Per the press release:
“Customize a Marked Inquisitor’s crime, look, and class. Choose from one of eight starting classes — Highblade, Paladin, Assassin, Cleric, Dualist, Fighter, Ranger, or Sage — then partake in the Magebane Rite. Imbibe the sacred drink, speak the words, and come away from the rite Spellmarked, in a flux state between life and death. Free from mortal fears, the Inquisitors vow to spill the blood of Mages to put an end to their cruelty.Â
Prepare for each excursion at Pardoner’s Vale, a hub filled with friendly Inquisitors. Set out and roam eerie villages, tomb temples, and swamp kingdoms in single player or drop-in drop-out online co-op. Find clues and track down more than 20 types of Mages, including scorching Pyromancers, toxic Venomancers, and abominable Corpumancers. Wield grappling hooks and pursue them, then slay them in brawler-style side scrolling combat.Â
Pillage the remains of Mages to craft new equipment with Runic Arts, granting Inquisitors unprecedented new abilities. Search every decrepit corner across multiple maps for powerful melee weapons, deadly ranged weapons, and protective armor and charms. Join multiplayer factions, including the cooperation-focused Dawnlight Order and the player-killing Shroud Alliance.
Ska Studios brings back its signature hand-drawn look, providing each candlelit cave and foggy forest with a personal feel. The expansive Bestiary features more than 100 monsters, many inspired by Scandinavian folklore. James Silva’s haunting score injects a sense of foreboding throughout the entire journey.”
Salt and Sacrifice will launch in early 2022 for $19.99 on PC and PlayStation 5.
