80
CRITIK
In Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, players take on the role of Sakuna, a proud yet lonely harvest goddess who is banished to a dangerous island with a group of outcast humans. Sakuna tames the island by defeating demons using farm tools as weapons while also making ample use of her “celestial scarf,” a magical item that allows her to grapple distant enemies and platforms. Along the way, she establishes a home in a mountain village, which serves as a base of operations for crafting weapons and cooking food. Additionally, as a harvest goddess, she grows rice by following a detailed process that encompasses everything from planting to harvesting. Through this process, across each of the four seasons, she’s able to improve the harvest and hone her battle skills alike.
Game analysis
Critik Scorecard
Scorecard Coming Soon
We're still gathering data and reviews for this game. Once we have enough information, we'll provide a detailed scorecard breaking down all aspects of the game.
Reviews
90 reviews found100
LadiesGamers.com
Nov 9, 2020
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin comes with a decent price tag, not as much as Nintendo’s big staples. However, it’s more than reasonable for Sakuna. In just under a month of playing, and I’m still hooked. Even as someone who generally dislikes platformers, Sakuna has ticked all the right boxes for me. My love of farming, mixed with the fighting style, makes for a complete and fascinating game. I will be recommending this game to pretty much everyone. It has a bit of most things but manages to incorporate it all smoothly. Other games can feel jarring when mixing playstyle or genres, but Marvelous have succeeded, almost expertly.
Read full review
100
Digitally Downloaded
Nov 9, 2020
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a genuine cultural artefact. It never forgets the need to be entertaining and engaging, but every facet of the game is invested in communicating the Japanese cultural perspective on the world, from how we see the divine, to the respect that we should hold for the very staples that sustain us. This is a game that transcends the conventional expectations of video games, to deliver something much grander and more inherently valuable than passive entertainment to consume.
Read full review
100
100
GameSkinny
Nov 9, 2020
Summary and quote unavailable.
100
GameGrin
Dec 2, 2020
This game is the perfect mix of an RPG, 2D Platformer and farming simulator that you can find. Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin looks and sounds great and has a great story that will make you care about all the characters.
Read full review
100
100
TheGamer
Nov 14, 2020
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is an absolute delight and comes highly recommended, regardless of whether or not you're a fan of the platforming, RPG, or farming and crafting genres. I have the game for PlayStation 4, but I will most definitely be picking it up for Nintendo Switch as well, as the rice farming process offers up a meditative experience that I’d like to play just for a few minutes before bed to unwind. It’s warm narrative, incredible voice acting talent, stellar soundtrack, and overall gameplay makes Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin a must-buy. A PlayStation 4 copy of Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin was provided to TheGamer for this review.
Read full review
95
DASHGAMER.com
Nov 13, 2020
it's indeed the full harvest. It defies everything we know about the commonplace Anime video game, and exceeds all expectations from gameplay, presentation, narrative and character growth. We’re also given the incredibly dulcet tones of Mr.
Read full review
91
Player 2
Nov 9, 2020
You’re only as strong as your weakest link, and with so many links in the Sakuna chain, you expect something to give way at some stage – but it never happens. Every part of the gameplay experience holds up, and meshes together so well that it takes several disparate elements, that for all intents and purposes, simply shouldn’t go together, and brings them together in a wonderful symphony that must be played before it can be truly appreciated.
Read full review
90
Cubed3
Jan 4, 2021
The realistic, in depth elements of rice farming combined with honing fighting skills plus surprising character revelations and development make Sakuna of Rice and Ruin a magnificent game. Sakuna's personal growth is a pleasure to watch. Her reason for living is tested to the limit, she learns to serve others rather than herself, and has to make a sacrifice that she would not have made if faced with the same decision at the start of the game. The balanced emphasis on farming and fighting provides a great variety of tasks to undertake, providing dozens of hours of fun. The delay in the game's original planned release was worth the wait.
Read full review