Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin

"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 …"

"Sakuna unfolds as an original action J-RPG, that feels different and it&s;s fun. if you connect with it, you&s;ll find that it&s;s hard to put it aside, even if it can fail in grind and repetition, everything it&s;s well dosed …"

"Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a deep, intriguing game that makes some poor design decisions and fails to clarify itself. The mechanics are interesting and unique but its got a hell of a learning curve."

"Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is charming and challenging in all the right ways. Even now, as I sit here spending time working on this review, I wish I were playing the game. In spite of a few frustrating puzzle …"

"A delicious action/management hybrid, ideal for lovers of Japanese atmospheres and for those who appreciate the two genres that characterize it."

"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 …"

"It’s a robust game with a fresh atmosphere and it’s found its own little niche where it undoubtedly has full reign... It’s safe to say I’m going to be knee-deep in water and checking on my rice for seasons to …"

"Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin succeeds at offering both an exploration-based beat &s;em up adventure and a relaxing life-sim experience. The combat may not be perfect and the difficulty feels uneven at times, but the addicting gameplay loop and charming …"

"Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a wonderful mix of the two ideas. As a platformer, the game wouldn’t have enough driving force, and would wear out quickly. For farming, while it’s truly lovely, there’s too much downtime with not …"

"Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin seamlessly blends 2D platforming action with 3D farm management."

"Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin works well on all levels. The action segments are a treat thanks to their fast pace, since they deliver an experience that matches up with other fast-paced action titles. The farming segments are interesting because …"

"Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a heavenly combination of realistic farming, combat and exploration served with a hearty side of great characters and writing"

"Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a breath of fresh air that shouldn&s;t be overlooked. It&s;s hard to believe that a game with this much detail and depth is from just two developers. The team at Edelweiss have created such …"

"Sakuna is eye-opening, not only because it shines a light on the nourishing, temperamental, and soulful qualities of rice but also because it demonstrates how a small team of two people can produce greatness by combining two seemingly incompatible genres."

"Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a fun and entertaining game. I was quickly swept in by its charming characters, great writing, and rice farming simulation. Unfortunately, a lot of the game mechanics hold it back including the brutal day …"

"Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is definitely an interesting title, mixing the mundanities of rice planting with 2D hacking and slashing. While an acquired taste, those who like their games unique should have a fun time with Sakuna. If you …"

"Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is ultimately a charming and fun adventure. The farming mechanics could have been explained more explicitly, but once everything clicks, you come to appreciate how well both the farming simulation and sidescrolling action adventure aspects …"

"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, …"

"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;s certainly a bit of a learning curve, and the game could do …"

"This rice is anything but bland."

"Move over, Uncle Ben. There’s a new rice god in town. Sakuna of Rice and Ruin lets you have your grains and eat them too by serving up a nice heaping of action alongside one of the most detailed and …"

"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 …"

"Combat is fun, and it ties into the simulation elements well. However, the pacing and repetition makes it difficult to fully appreciate it all"

"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."

"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 is a bold genre fusion that pays off with superb farming and combat systems plus a cast of characters you&s;ll remember for a long time to come."

"Lovers of Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon may not find this game to be exactly the kind of farming they enjoy – it&s;s more like, you know, actual farming, with all the tiny changes in fertiliser recipes and water temperature …"

"Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a combination 2D side-scrolling combat game and 3D farming sim, and both elements are strong enough to stand on their own. You&s;ll need to master each to be successful, and you&s;ll have a fun …"

"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."

"The art style is vivid and manages to not look realistic but still be immersive, and the simple act of being Sakuna and exploring the visuals around me is enough to want to keep playing. In some ways, the game …"

"Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin combines complex rice farming and grappling hook based combat to create a truly memorable experience."

"Where Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is difficult to comment on is the whole experience. Making farming such a critical part is going to turn off a lot of people and even skipping it makes things more tedious than it …"

"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 …"

"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;s one of the most immersive and rewarding farming experiences in gaming. To …"

"This unusual take on virtual farming has you battling demons – when you&s;re not tending to rice paddies"

"Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a game divided into two very well designed and distinct parts, but which at the same time are able to relate in a very cohesive and functional whole. Sometimes, it has a preciosity in …"

"Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a marvellous game. Pulling together two genres in a fun and unique way, you&s;re left with a game quite unlike anything before it. Give it a shot, you&s;ll find it more than worth the …"