Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a mix of a beat 'em up platformer and farming simulator for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC. Produced by Edelweiss and authored by XSEED Games, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is full of fun combat and complex growing mechanics, creating an interesting role-playing adventure.
In Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, Sakuna, a spoiled harvest goddess, is banished in the gods' home of Capital to an island overrun by demons. Joined by a group of humans who have been in a position to sneak into Capital due to Sakuna's actions, the goddess must pay off the island of demons and make sure the survival of the humans by growing rice.
To progress in Sakuna, unlike typical RPGs, Sakuna's stats build based on rice harvests. The rice-growing process is complicated, involving strict maintenance of water levels and fertilizer. However, Sakuna doesn't aim to punish the player, that is good because I was way too incompetent to develop rice well. This didn't impede my progress, though – it just meant i had to spend longer to obtain stronger, that we appreciated.
The combat was a lot more my jam. Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin uses 2D side-scrolling action, mixing platforming with beat 'em up combat. I loved taking my weapons and smashing through waves of enemies.
The combat isn't a breeze constantly, however. I often would delay a certain level until I possibly could upgrade my weapons or harvest more rice to boost stats after i couldn't beat a boss. I'd constantly test my limits with each new area that opened on the map, returning to tend my fields and revisit older areas to farm materials for new equipment.
Equipment is gifted through the human members of your small town after completing side quests for them, which lets them build forges, looms, and much more. The introduction of your town is satisfying to see throughout the game as buildings appear and the island becomes cleared of demons.
Unfortunately, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin drops the ball on a single critical level – the characters. Each character feels a lot more like a caricature rather than a fully developed person. For instance, one of the humans is really a young boy with an attitude problem. While he comes with relationships that develop with Sakuna along with other members of the camp ground, he consistently shows aggression, even if it’s uncalled for.
Sakuna herself is no breeze to deal with, despite the fact that she's the main character. Part of Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin revolves around Sakuna's growth through the game, but her character is truly insufferable. She never takes accountability and also picks fights with other people, insulting them, and blaming them for exactly what goes completely wrong. It's difficult to enjoy story moments and cutscenes between characters because coping with Sakuna is frustrating.
Overall, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is an enjoyable gameplay experience if you are really into managing statistics and growing from your mistakes. The largest flaw is that the narrative, which has an interesting premise, is stunted by the shallowness and, sometimes, obnoxious nature from the characters. Luckily, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is focused more about the gameplay and is a simple recommendation if you are seeking a satisfying combat experience and farming simulator. However, should you need a more engaging, emotional story, Sakuna's Demon Island isn't the spot for you.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is on November 10 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC.
