The next game from Ska Studios, developer of The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile and Charlie Murder, is coming to PlayStation 4 and Vita in 2015. It's called Salt and Sanctuary and, according to its creator, is inspired by Nintendo DS-era Castlevania games and From Software's Souls series.
James and Michelle Silva, the two-person team at Ska Studios, describe Salt and Sanctuary as a "stylistic, brutal action RPG platformer that's teeming with visceral, satisfying combat, deep, diverse character builds and some of the most incredible bosses we've ever made." In an email to Polygon, James Silva said, "Michelle and I wanted to marry our visual and gameplay style and aesthetic from The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile with RPG mechanics and themes inspired by DS-era Castlevanias and Souls games."
Ska Studios says its new game emphasizes side-scrolling combat with weapons that have movesets, air attacks with hang time and loadouts that affect your speed and stamina.
"Weapons can be one-handed and paired with shields or offhand crossbows for versatility, or wielded two-handed for added power — and every configuration has its own unique moveset," the developer says. "There are staffs for magic, bows for ranged combat, and belt-slotted consumables like throwing daggers and weapon-buffing Pitchfire. ... Basically, it combines two things we love: fast, precise 2D combat and super strategic RPG depth."
Salt and Sanctuary will be playable at the Indie Megabooth at PAX Prime this weekend.
