<s>
Salt	B-Application
and	I-Application
Sanctuary	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2D	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Ska	O
Studios	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
March	O
15	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
with	O
later	O
releases	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
macOS	B-Application
,	O
Linux	B-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
and	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
heavily	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
series	O
by	O
FromSoftware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
Salt	B-Application
and	I-Application
Sacrifice	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Salt	B-Application
and	I-Application
Sanctuary	I-Application
combines	O
aspects	O
of	O
the	O
metroidvania	O
and	O
soulslike	O
genres	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
features	O
2D	O
hand	O
drawn	O
visuals	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
gameplay	O
mechanics	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
player	O
kills	O
all	O
the	O
marauders	O
and	O
escapes	O
to	O
the	O
deck	O
,	O
they	O
are	O
then	O
set	O
upon	O
by	O
a	O
giant	O
"	O
Kraekan	O
"	O
(	O
a	O
corruption	O
of	O
kraken	B-Device
)	O
of	O
the	O
sea	O
resembling	O
Cthulhu	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
worldwide	O
on	O
March	O
15	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
on	O
May	O
17	O
,	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
released	O
on	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
on	O
March	O
28	O
,	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
port	O
,	O
handled	O
by	O
BlitWorks	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
worldwide	O
on	O
August	O
2	O
,	O
2018	O
via	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
eShop	I-Application
,	O
with	O
a	O
physical	O
retail	O
released	O
on	O
December	O
11	O
,	O
2018	O
under	O
the	O
title	O
Salt	B-Application
and	I-Application
Sanctuary	I-Application
:	I-Application
Drowned	I-Application
Tome	I-Application
Edition	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
initial	O
idea	O
behind	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
conceived	O
as	O
a	O
fusion	O
of	O
the	O
combat	O
of	O
the	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
series	O
with	O
the	O
studio	O
's	O
previous	O
Dishwasher	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Castlevania	B-Application
series	O
,	O
particularly	O
Symphony	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
and	O
the	O
later	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
installments	O
(	O
which	O
are	O
noted	O
for	O
their	O
free-roaming	O
exploration-based	O
design	O
)	O
,	O
also	O
served	O
as	O
inspiration	O
for	O
the	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Salt	B-Application
and	I-Application
Sanctuary	I-Application
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
"	O
reception	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
awarded	O
it	O
a	O
score	O
of	O
8.6	O
out	O
of	O
10	O
,	O
saying	O
"	O
You	O
could	O
call	O
Salt	B-Application
and	I-Application
Sanctuary	I-Application
a	O
2D	O
mashup	O
of	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
and	O
Castlevania	B-Application
,	O
and	O
you	O
'd	O
be	O
right	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
But	O
such	O
a	O
simple	O
pronouncement	O
would	O
be	O
a	O
disservice	O
to	O
the	O
tremendous	O
amount	O
of	O
thought	O
that	O
's	O
gone	O
into	O
Salt	B-Application
and	I-Application
Sanctuary	I-Application
,	O
whether	O
it	O
's	O
in	O
the	O
graphic	O
style	O
that	O
evokes	O
horror	O
through	O
the	O
style	O
of	O
comic	O
strips	O
or	O
in	O
the	O
intricate	O
web	O
of	O
dungeons	O
and	O
castles	O
serves	O
as	O
it[s]	O
map.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Favorably	O
comparing	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
mechanics	O
to	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
and	O
Castlevania	B-Application
,	O
Game	O
Informer	O
reviewer	O
Matt	O
Miller	O
said	O
,	O
"	O
Salt	B-Application
and	I-Application
Sanctuary	I-Application
deserves	O
consideration	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
breath	O
as	O
the	O
games	O
to	O
which	O
it	O
pays	O
homage.	O
"	O
</s>
