Game: Sea Salt
Platform: PC, Xbox One, Switch
Genre: action strategy
Style: directly based on Lovecraft’s work
Verdict: Recommended
Buy: Steam | GOG | Microsoft Store | Nintendo eShop
Sea Salt is a “reverse horror” action strategy game in which a bishop of Dagon refuses to comply after being told he himself must be one of the next sacrifices. Enraged at his disobedience Dragon sends his forces to destroy the human lands and take the sacrifice by force.
The twist is that you play as the forces of Dagon.
You begin each level by choosing an Apostle, which determines your starting units and any special abilities. Then you march across the land, summoning eldritch horrors and destroying everything in your path. You control your minions as a group, telling them which direction to move in and when to attack. New minions are unlocked as you play, and meeting certain conditions unlocks new Apostles, as well.
Between each level, a short scene will play out as the bishop attends to rally the people against your forces. Its retro graphics do a good job of setting up the atmosphere, but the bishop is just horrible enough that you don’t feel like a complete monster (although you still massacre plenty of people in your rampage).
While it starts out pretty easy, a simple matter of surrounding enemies and attacking, it quickly becomes challenging. As you face more powerful enemies, you’ll need to pay attention to their attacks to avoid dying. If all of your minions die, you can either restart the room or return to the map to start the whole level over.
It’s a short game, but there are a few branching paths and secrets to discover. Trying out new Apostles is another aspect that adds replay value. If you enjoy action with strategy elements and want to play as the eldritch forces for a change, Sea Salt is worth a look.
Buy: Steam | GOG | Microsoft Store | Nintendo eShop