Smoke and Sacrifice Review (PS4)

good
key review info
  • Game: Smoke and Sacrifice
  • Platform: Playstation 4
  • Show system requirements
  • Gamepad support: Yes  
  • Reviewed on:
Smoke and Sacrifice artwork

At first glance, it's hard not to compare Solar Sail Games' latest title, Smoke and Sacrifice, to the much more popular Don't Starve franchise. Both games have many gameplay mechanics in common including the day/night cycle, which involves different rules of engagement and survival abilities.

Despite many of the similarities between the two games, Smoke and Sacrifice does offer players a more engaging story and a unique hand-drawn graphical design. Unfortunately, other gameplay mechanics end up being more of a chore rather than a benefit for the game.

Smoke and Sacrifice is an action RPG with light survival elements, in which players take the role of Sachi, a young woman living in a post-apocalyptic steampunk town. The “sacrifice” part in the title refers to a one of the town's traditions that forces mothers to give up their firstborns to be sacrificed to the Sun Tree, the mystic object protecting the town from dark forces.

The game start simple, but quite brutal, as Sachi attends the ceremony during which here firstborn son Lio is sacrificed to the Sun Tree. Soon after the sacrificial ceremony is over, she learns that villagers have been lied and that there's more to these traditions that the priest of the Sun Tree want them to believe.

Fast forward several years later and the Sun Tree suddenly “malfunctions” and the village is attacked by giants. While trying to find out what really happened with the Sun Tree, Sachi is accidentally transported to the underground, the place where all sacrificed firstborns are supposed to go.

Smoke and Sacrifice
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This is where things get serious as the underground world isn't protected by a Sun Tree, although there are way to survive the dark forces and the “smoke,” which only the strange inhabitants of this world know about.

Unlike Don't Starve's day/night cycle, Smoke and Sacrifice features a day/smoke cycle, but the principles are the same. You need a light source during the “smoke” cycle, otherwise your health will continue to drop until you die. There are no safe zones during “smoke” cycles, if you don't count the torches that that underground inhabitants are carrying.

Every item in the game is craftable and there are tons of these. Although things start simple with just a few blueprints that allow you to craft the items required for Sachi's survival, everything becomes more complex and even overwhelming as you progress in the game.

To learn the whereabouts of her son, Sachi must explore new areas and convince various NPCs to give up vital information that helps the mother to reach closer to her goal. Soon enough, Smoke and Sacrifice become a chain of fetch quests sprinkled with optional boss fights. Even though the engaging story is what drives players to keep roaming Sachi's open world, the way that the quest system has been designed and what they involve are definitely a downside.

Not to mention that a lot of backtracking is necessary in order to complete many story missions. Also, there are so many items in the game that it's hard to keep track or even remember how to obtain some of them. While playing Smoke and Sacrifice, you'll have to manage the durability of some of your items. Another negative aspect is that many items will decay over time, so you'll have to gather them again if you want to craft certain recipes.

Sachi must meet certain requirements to access new areas, but almost all are related to gear. Usually, Sachi needs the proper footwear to explore various areas in the game, which is an interesting idea since every new area seems to have a different theme: winter landscapes, industrial areas, etc.

But it's not just by gathering that Sachi will obtain the necessary ingredients to craft various items. Combat is an important aspect of the game as well, but, sadly, one that doesn't make it justice. Simple is the perfect word to describe what combat looks like in Smoke and Sacrifice. Swing your weapon at enemy, hope to do damage, rinse and repeat. However, you can't apply the same tactic when you're fighting bosses, which are incredibly difficult to down.

The best way to approach a boss fight is to run in, attack one or two times, dodge away, then try to do it again if the boss hasn't recovered. From what I've been experiencing during my playthrough, the combat system is very easy to learn, but hard to master.


The Good

  • Engaging story
  • Beautiful hand-drawn graphics
  • Great soundtrack backed by an eerie atmosphere

The Bad

  • Most quests involve crafting and nothing else
  • Barebone combat system
  • Too much backtracking and too many items to keep track of
  • No autosave

Conclusion

Smoke and Sacrifice combines RPG, survival, adventure and action elements, but not well enough to offer well-balanced gameplay experience. Although it's light on the survival elements, the amount of crafting you'll need to do to progress in the game is absolutely ridiculous.

Combat works well enough, but it's just a barebone system that seems to have been rushed to meet some deadlines. But my main concern is that such a heavy narrative-driven RPG looses its potential due to the chain of fetch quests that developers throw at players from start to finish.

Otherwise, if you can get past the fact that you need to “craft” rather than “combat” your way to the finish line, Smoke and Sacrifice is a pleasant experience that will keep you occupied for 15-20 hours.

story 8
gameplay 7
concept 7
graphics 8
audio 8
multiplayer 0
final rating 7.5
Editor's review
good
 
NEXT REVIEW: Kingdom Hearts III

Smoke and Sacrifice screenshots (11 Images)

Smoke and Sacrifice artwork
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