PlayStation Plus is getting a serious buff to its lineup this month, with tons of great games being added to the games catalog, but there’s one that seriously stands out.
This month PlayStation Plus has managed to outshine Xbox Game Pass with a range of fantastic games like the stealth-focused action-adventure title Dishonored 2 and the third-person shooter Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. However, after the release of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, I’m in the mood for something more fantastical and bright.
Luckily, PlayStation Plus is adding Sakuna: Of Rice and Rain to its roster this month. This side-scrolling fantasy RPG centres around Sakuna, a spoiled harvest goddess kicked out of her celestial home and sent to an island decaying and overrun with demons. With an outcast group of humans at her side, Sakuna must reclaim the island, fighting against the hordes of demonic enemies and taming the landscape for farming.
The real star of the show
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin merges combat and farming in a way reminiscent of fellow farming simulator Stardew Valley. However, Sakuna manages to outshine the quaint valley with its impressive side-scrolling combat and complex farming systems. While Stardew Valleys’ combat and harvesting can sometimes seem like separate entities meant for two kinds of players, Sakuna combines these two features.
Mastering the art of agriculture helps you in more ways than one. You use farming tools chained together as weapons to cut down the demon hordes, learning special attacks on your way to defeat powerful enemies. With each rice crop, Sakuna’s strength grows, and she can learn attributes varying in aesthetic and flavor, directly impacting her combat abilities.
While Stardew Valley has its own perks with a fun romantic system, sweet 2D art style and some fun fishing simulations, it doesn’t strike the same chord. Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin has a fantastic story that uses Japanese mythology to tell a narrative about one’s place in the world. Couple this with the stunning artwork that breathes life into the RPG and a beautifully engaging soundtrack, and you have yourself a winner.