Sacred Stones

Genre: Action-Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

Sacred Stones is a challenging Action-Platformer released on PC in 2018 and ported to Nintendo Switch in 2019. This game features a poorly-localized story that’s difficult to follow, revolving around the player trying to piece back together the missing components of an important machine (the “sacred stones” in question, I guess), currently being held by giant, hostile animals the player needs to fight. The result is a game that plays like one big boss rush.

The presentation here is pretty good, with pixel art visuals and a synthesized soundtrack that seem somewhat reminiscent of the game Cave Story, with some interesting character designs and an overall retro feel that works well for the game.

Be aware that this game starts out a little confusing and unclear about where you need to go or what you need to do. Also, the challenge level here is pretty high. However, once you get going this is a pretty well-made Action-Platformer with a good variety of weapons you gradually pick up as you proceed through the game, and some nice boss design. I just wish this game gave players the option to remap the controls. In particular, I wish you could use the directional buttons to move instead of the analog stick, since this game seems like it could benefit from more digital precision.

Still, while this won’t be a game for everyone, players who crave an Action-Platforming challenge will find a lot to like in Sacred Stones. I do think the $10 price tag is a bit steep for what’s on offer here, but overall there’s some strong gameplay here that’s worth a look for those who enjoy this niche.

tl;dr – Sacred Stones is a challenging Action-Platformer that plays like a boss rush. The gameplay and boss design here is very good, although players may stumble at first due to a poor localization, confusing opening, and a high challenge level. However, players who crave that challenge will find a lot to like here.

Grade: C+

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