Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a PC and PS4 platformer with farming elements. The production was developed by the Japanese studio Edelweiss, the developers of such games as Astebreed or Fairy Bloom Freesia. The English version was done by XSEED Games.

Plot

The action was set in a fantastical version of medieval Japan. We play as the titular Sakuna, the goddess of crops, who, together with a group of people, is expelled to a mysterious island inhabited by demons. The heroine must defeat the beasts and create a new home for herself and her followers.

The plot borrows a lot from the Japanese folklore; the authors have put a lot of effort to faithfully reflect local legends and myths.

Mechanics

In terms of gameplay mechanics, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, released for PC and PS4 platforms, is a hybrid that combines elements of several genres. We spend most of our time on missions done in the style known from two-dimensional platformers. Players explore large, partially open maps, overcome obstacles, fight enemies and solve occasional puzzles. As befits the goddess of crops, Sakuna uses mainly agricultural tools as her weapons. In addition, she has a magical scarf which works like a grappling hook.

Between the missions, we return to our home in the mountains, which serves as our base. There, we cook food and craft armor. Planting rice and harvesting it when it ripens plays a key role.

During the campaign, the heroine slowly learns new combat skills and learns better and better farming techniques.

Technical aspects

The platforming sections in Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin are fully two-dimensional, but the graphics were made in 3D. The authors opted for a style resembling Japanese cartoons.

Last updated on May 8, 2019