10 Awesome Video Games That Owe Their Success To Dark Souls

Salt & Sanctuary is 2D Dark Souls. The similarities are unavoidable, and arguably intended – including the levelling and progression system, the moody and depressive atmosphere, the methodical combat system, interconnected environments, vague background storytelling, challenging enemy encounters – including some grandiose bosses – and stat management system.

In this respect, Salt & Sanctuary is the closest thing to Dark Souls that isn’t Dark Souls, a love letter to the series which inspired its creation in the first place. That said, there are other inspirations evident throughout – including Castlevania: SotN – but those are only secondary, the primary goal being to recreate the experience of playing Dark Souls in a two-dimensional platformer, perhaps with a greater emphasis on adventure over role-playing elements.

Salt & Sanctuary is completely unapologetic about its influences however – and while there are many, many parallels – the game does just enough to differentiate itself, even correcting several reoccurring evident throughout the Souls series.