Smoke and Sacrifice Reviews
Smoke and Sacrifice hits the Nintendo Switch, offering a survival and crafting sim with a surprisingly dark story, but also endless busywork
With a more unique crafting system or stronger combat or more emphasis on the story Smoke and Sacrifice could have really been something special. As it stands, though, it’s a fun little adventure.
Smoke and Sacrifice is certainly different from any other game I’ve ever played, but whether this worked out in its favor is questionable.
It will be hard to remain interested in Smoke and Sacrifice for more than a handful of hours. By then most will realise that what started as an emotive journey, ends up being an endless series of unbalanced crafting, unexciting exploration, and controller-breaking, clunky fighting.
There are good ideas here, but I wouldn't say the game is worth playing. Even if you are a survival game nut or seriously invested in long, drawn out stories, I'd probably recommend against grabbing this one.
Rote, uninteresting and devoid of narrative pathos, Smoke and Sacrifice never compels or engages enough to offer more than a few moments of potential.
There’s nothing ground breaking about Smoke and Sacrifice. That said, it takes some tried and tested tropes and ties them together in an effective and entertaining package.
Go to hell and back to save your son in this gorgeous, flawed story-driven survival game.
An amiable crafting game with an interesting story of parental devotion — let down by flawed combat and generic area design.
A nicely designed Steampunk action adventure underpinned by an intriguing story line, Smoke and Sacrifice is hampered by repetitive world design, an excess of unnecessary crafting and a fighting mechanic which just isn't as much fun as it should be.
Smoke And Sacrifice is by no means terrible, but while its asking price may be lower than other known RPGs and its story is at its core interesting, its gameplay can at times also be just as fundamentally lacking.
Smoke and Sacrifice is a beautiful handcrafted game with a solid game loop that fails to deliver an intense story filled with very similar and poorly designed quests.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Smoke and Sacrifice is a visually splendid survival RPG that has a strong narrative and a well designed and implemented resource system. The PS4 version is also a great port of the PC version, the control system feeling natural and intuitive. The repetition and bland fetch quests, coupled with hit and miss combat (pun intended) however, mean that getting to the games best moments can occasionally feel like a slog.
Smoke and Sacrifice is a title I am conflicted about. I love the art direction and foreboding atmosphere with clever crafting mechanics, but the poor combat gameplay and unforgiving difficulty are frustrating. If you're intrigued by the premise though, it is definitely worth checking out.
Smoke and Sacrifice is yet another worthy entry in the survival genre. While it isn’t the best one, it certainly has a lot going for it and is a still a cracking little title. It has an impressive overarching story which is rare in the genre.
Overall, Smoke and Sacrifice ends up feeling like a little bit less than what it was advertising, but it's still a fun experience.
If you're looking for an indie RPG that tugs at your heartstrings, Smoke and Sacrifice is that game. Sachi fights her way through the unknown, scavenging for tools and food. She pushes past the obstacles in her way driven to bring her lost child home. A mother's perseverance and strength give me those Kleenex commercial feels. It'll take about twenty hours to complete the story and side quests, which is a good length for an indie game of this scope. And those of us who get emotionally invested in games like these might want to have something comforting at hand. My go-to: a giant bag of M&Ms and some good Japanese whisky, neat.
Smoke and Sacrifice is an attractive take on the survival genre with a diverting story examining our reliance on fossil fuels and class-dependent economies. Juggling your gear is more finicky than it should be, which is disappointing when inventory management is such a fundamental part of the game. However, if you're prepared to keep on top of things, and you have the fortitude to brave the oppressive smoke, there's plenty to enjoy in Sachi's quest and the core crafting loop.
Smoke and Sacrifice is a good addition to the survival genre, from its compelling storyline to its amazing design that engrosses you in a bleak world run over by monsters. The only thing Smoke and Sacrifice seems to falter in is its clunky and outdated combat and daunting crafting system. A beautiful aspect that distinguishes the game from other survival games is the narrative that focuses on motherhood. If you like titles such as Don't Starve, then this is a decent alternative.
Smoke and Sacrifice tells a compelling tale of a mother searching for answers after being forced to give up her son. While the game's gorgeous art brings its grim world to life, its story is ultimately undercut by poor pacing and vague objectives. Smoke and Sacrifice shines in concept, but falters in execution.