Smoke and Sacrifice Reviews

Smoke and Sacrifice is ranked in the 48th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9 / 10
Jun 9, 2018

Smoke and Sacrifice is an involving, vast and well crafted game that joins RPG elements to those of survival horror to create a world that is both beautiful and disturbing to explore, coupled with a long and compelling lifespan and an impressive degree of interactivity with the surroundings. One of the most original and significant games of this generation on the Nintendo Switch.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

9 / 10.0
May 31, 2018

Smoke and Sacrifice is like a fine cigar, a slow burn from start to finish. It can be very challenging at times, but the reward is worth it once you complete a quest that seems impossible. The intricate crafting and compelling story only compliments the beautiful art direction. Smoke and Sacrifice is a single game that beckons to becomes a series.

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9 / 10.0
Jun 1, 2018

Smoke and Sacrifice is fantastic. It's not often where a game comes along and uniquely pieces together elements quite well both visually and from a gameplay standpoint in a genre not occupying much of the gaming scene at the moment. It's beautiful and fun to play. Dozens of hours can be had. There are clever ideas implemented such as how the crafting system is handled. Both character progression and enemies are rightfully balanced. There's a lot to take away from Smoke and Sacrifice when it comes to what we should expect in the future. The only slight issue players have to deal with is the inventory, but if you can handle that then the rest is pure excellence.

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89 / 100
May 30, 2018

Smoke and Sacrifice get a lot of the things we love about this genre right, with the added bonus of playing a protagonist with clear goals and motivations. It also teaches players a lesson with every death.

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8.5 / 10.0
May 31, 2018

In the end I really appreciate what Smoke and Sacrifice set out to do and how well it generally executed that vision. While survival games typically have played out, for me, as being merely for their own sake the added purpose behind your character’s survival being for the sake of finding the truth about the fate of her child I found compelling. Each step I’d take to get closer there would be more demands and the drive to overcome those obstacles felt much more personal than it typically does. While there’s some tedium, which is somewhat common to the genre, and handheld mode isn’t ideal it is still a compelling game that plays quite well.

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8.5 / 10.0
Jan 16, 2019

Smoke and Sacrifice is a beautifully drawn survival game with an emphasis on its interesting story. For me, it felt like a ‘survival-lite’ game, as it didn’t have any intense survival aspects other than finding components and crafting your way to victory, but that was great for me as I prefer them like this. At times, the game may feel like it’s ramped up the difficulty, especially if you go off the recommended path, but nothing felt unfair or impossible – You just have to master the controls and upgrade your gear. It truly is a stunning game which will challenge you and have you coming back for more, regardless of how many times you perish to the horrific creatures within the smoke!

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8.5 / 10.0
May 30, 2018

Looking for a survival action-RPG that has an excellent story? You really don’t need to look any further than Smoke and Sacrifice. With eye pleasing graphics, excellent sounds, and an engrossing atmosphere you just can’t go wrong. Will you be so kind as to help Sachi find her child and possibly save her world in the process? If you do, you may just feel like a better version of yourself!

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8.1 / 10.0
May 30, 2018

ll said and done, I think Smoke and Sacrifice is a game that's worth your time and money.

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May 31, 2018

A sometimes grotesque, always engrossing take on the survival game, woven together with a twisted tale, weird weapons, and giant, charging porcupine pigs.

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8 / 10
May 30, 2018

A dark and twisted fantasy RPG which uses elements of survival games to great effect, Smoke & Sacrifice is a beautiful piece of indie software. Tonally and physically challenging, the artistry on display sets it apart from its peers, creating a foreboding world that's well worth being drawn into.

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8 / 10.0
Jan 15, 2019

Smoke and Sacrifice is a dark and compelling adventure that deserves to be played

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May 30, 2018

Survival games were in need of a shakeup and Smoke and Sacrifice appears to be the game to do it. More than just a title of crafting and cooking, you'll find yourself rooting for Sachi while still appreciating the satisfaction that can come from a battle for survival. This is a game that's brimming with heart and emotion.

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80%
May 30, 2018

It's hard not to fall in love with Smoke and Sacrifice, simply because it is a beautiful game.

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8 / 10
Jun 22, 2018

Smoke and Sacrifice is a tough and challenging game with lots to do to be able to survive. The difficulty curve might get in your way here and there at some points, and the lack of tutorials is definitely not for everyone, but if you give this one a chance I'm sure you will not be disappointed.

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XGN.nl
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Jan 24, 2019

Smoke and Sacrifice is a surprisingly complete game. It offers a ton of crafting options and challenges you on every step you take. The story is interesting and plays out in a wonderful hand drawn world. It is not perfect, but definitely worth your time.

Review in Dutch | Read full review

7.8 / 10.0
Jan 24, 2019

After only a few minutes of playing Smoke and Sacrifice, You would easily recognize tons of similarities between this game and other dark survival games like Don't Starve. Still, because of it's unique story and narrative and also it's remarkable art design, Smoke and Sacrifice have it's own unique identity. Smoke and Sacrifice could be much more enjoyable if it wasn't for some technical issues, inventory management problem and more importantly gameplay repetition. but on the end Smoke and Sacrifice deserves a chance to prove itself as a good, enjoyable survival game. If you are looking for a nice survival game with RPG elements and beautiful story, Smoke and Sacrifice is worthy to experience.

Review in Persian | Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
May 30, 2018

The story, mechanics, lore and aesthetic are all fantastic, but some simple tweaks, like improvements to the mission notes, would balance the crafting and survival aspects enough to make them less of an impediment to completion. That being said, whatever effort you put in to finish Smoke and Sacrifice will be worth it. It's flawed, but it's a step in the right direction for survival crafting games, and I hope to see others in its genre take the same initiative towards aesthetic and narrative in the future.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jun 2, 2018

Smoke and Sacrifice is an ambitious survival, but not enough. The chance to stand out with the adoption of a fascinating story is wasted in the repetitive quests that will lead us to the ending. Solar Sail production manages to propose astounding visuals, but fails in trying to entertain us with shallow survival mechanics and a disappointing combat system.

Review in Italian | Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Feb 12, 2019

Otherwise, if you can get past the fact that you need to “craft” rather than “combat” your way to the finish line, Smoke and Sacrifice is a pleasant experience that will keep you occupied for 15-20 hours.

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7.5 / 10.0
Aug 22, 2018

Smoke and Sacrifice is a good game once you know what you're getting into. It is an adventure with clear objectives but a slower pace due to the amount of collecting and crafting involved. It's also a much easier survival game to digest, since you aren't monitoring too many meters at one time. Tying it together is a captivating presentation and a narrative that is as dour as it is fascinating. Although the Switch version suffers from some hitches in areas, the game should still be experienced by genre fans.

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