Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin Reviews
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a very mediocre independent game that you probably will not interact with. It also gets boring quickly due to its numerous problems. It would be great for the developers to address these problems and fix the game.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a fun, cute action platformer bogged down by unnecessary repetition and tedious farming mechanics.
Japanese indie game developer Edelweiss has put a lot of heart into this long-awaited game, but some key flaws hinder this charming title.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin picks you up pretty good at the beginning with some great characters, a bit of charme and a thoughtful rice cultivation simulation. It sadly it loses a lot of it with repetitive gameplay design and action-rpg elements which make a lot of the tasks a bit tedious.
Review in German | Read full review
It’s a solid and certainly unique game that can be quite enjoyable when approached with the right expectations.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a game that grows on you. People accustomed to farming simulations like Story of Seasons or even Rune Factory will find themselves forced to suddenly pay way more attention to the process of growing crops than before, then be patient since it will be in-game years before you “get good” at growing crops. Folks coming in because the combat seems satisfying will have to understand this is a game where constantly revisiting areas and keeping up with farming will be necessary to make any sort of significant progress. And everyone will have to deal with the fact that the lighting system and fonts will sometimes make you strain your eyes as you try to get things done.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a fun gameplay experience if you’re really into managing statistics and growing from your mistakes. The biggest flaw is that the narrative, which has an interesting premise, is stunted by the shallowness and, at times, obnoxious nature of the characters. Luckily, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is focused more on the gameplay and is an easy recommendation if you’re looking for a rewarding combat experience and farming simulator.
Some accomplished character work and a narrative full of heart, sits next to a deep and detailed rice-farming mechanic that will have you sinking hours in trying to get the perfect crop. However, fiddly combat and shallow platforming take their toll. If you’re anything like me, you’ll get lost in the farming, and let the other parts lie fallow.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin yields a unique blend of farming simulation and action-platforming that manages to be a filling meal without providing much valuable nutrients. For the most part, the two gameplay styles work off each other in harmony, but each have individual faults injecting tedium into the experience. Thankfully, the art style, story, and characters are all rich enough to carry the game through any dry spell.
Lovers of Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon may not find this game to be exactly the kind of farming they enjoy – it's more like, you know, actual farming, with all the tiny changes in fertiliser recipes and water temperature that farming requires. But for anyone who needs to practise mindfulness, patience, and appreciation for the small things (all 2,000 of them), Sakuna: Of Rice And Ruin may just be the therapy you need.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a charming experience, and its charming cast keeps things surging forward, even while the main story drags on for a bit. There's certainly a bit of a learning curve, and the game could do a better job with tutorials, but there are deep systems to dig into once players get the hang of them.
In the evenings you can spend time with your new human family to chat and eat a meal using the food that you’ve gathered and grown yourself. Watching Sakuna slowly mature and start to care about more than just herself is a truly heart-warming journey. Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is an absolutely wonderful blend of farming simulator and action RPG. Whether you’re fighting off hordes of demons or trying to find the best way to manage your crop, there is constantly something new to learn and discover in this charmingly unique adventure.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin has a lot going for it, from a fun and quirky protagonist to snappy combat and gorgeous visuals. Above all else, though, it's one of the most immersive and rewarding farming experiences in gaming. To slowly toil through each step of the process and eventually reap your rewards is a delight, and even if the combat encounters can sometimes become a frustrating chore, the slow process of cultivating the rice harvest is always a treat.
If a quirky action game with RPG progression and relaxing agricultural activities seems like your kind of thing, trust your gut on this one. The Nintendo Switch version is solid enough for me to recommend it.
There are sometimes games you run into that can be a bit perplexing, that take a chance to combine genres or elements into a new experience that has merit but at the same time you can't help but question who it's really for...
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin manages to deliver some great farming and solid action gameplay but falls short in both areas in different ways.
Despite the few issues, I enjoyed my time with Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin. The in-depth farming system was relaxing and almost therapeutic, which really goes in its favor.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a really unique game. The end result may not have reached a certain level of exceptional quality, but the attempt to do something new has certainly reached its goal. As much as the central mechanics are bound to become tiring, it manages to blend two very different genres with mastery, and this is something very worthy of respect. If you like farm simulators, action platforms or simply indies who are not afraid to invent their own formula, Sakuna is a good option.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
For those wanting a fun side-scrolling beat’em up, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a fun and unique game that will provide hours of content. Those wanting a farming and village sim are better served by other franchises like Rune Factory.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin delivers a remarkably in-depth set of mechanical systems. The interplay is impressive, even if the execution is somewhat flawed.