So Salt and Sanctuary dropped a few weeks ago and the question I got the most from friends and family was “What is different between this and the PS4 version?” I have been asked with that question quite a lot so I decided to do this to list down the differences, highlight the cross features, and give my recommendation.
FEATURES:
Before we get to the nitty-gritty, let me first say that the game is cross-buy. This means if you already purchased the game on PS4, you are getting it free on Vita. While it has cross-buy, it does not have cross-save. You cannot download your PS4 characters and play on the go. You will need to start over and the reason behind this I will talk about later.
One might ask “If I already played it on the PS4, why would I want to start over on the Vita?” Well, outside of being able to bring the game anywhere, the PS Vita version of the game comes with its very own Trophy List. Yes my friends, unlike most cross-platform PlayStation games, Salt and Sanctuary‘s PS Vita trophy list is separate from the PS4’s. I know a lot of you out there are trophy hunters and you wouldn’t pass up the chance to earn the same trophies twice.
DIFFERENCES:
Most of the online features of Salt and Sanctuary are missing in the PS Vita version. I don’t see the ghost of other players showing me how they died. I have yet to pick up a message from another player but the ability to leave messages is there. Weird. The biggest difference and the reason why cross-save is not possible is because: Co-op is missing from the PS Vita version. The starter item: Stone Sellsword is non-existent in the PSVita version. The Stone Sellsword is the item that allows you to summon the Sellsword NPC. Talking to this merchant allows you to summon a friend to aid you in your adventure. This is huge for me as the co-op feature was the main reason I got this game on the PS4.
It actually confused me when I learned that Co-op was not part of the PS Vita as co-op is the lifeblood of handheld gaming. That is why we have seen an influx of Monster Hunter-clones in recent years. So the lack of co-op was quite puzzling but when I thought about it a little more, I kinda understood why. The co-op feature on the PS4 was a couch co-op feature. It was not possible to play with friends online, and that is what is needed for co-op to work on the PS Vita. The people who ported the game would have had to create a feature that was virtually absent on the PC and PS4 versions.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
If you already have the PS4 copy of the game, download the PS Vita version and play it for the trophies. If you don’t own Salt and Sanctuary yet, I would very much recommend the game. This is the closest thing to a Souls game, a title with similar mechanics to the Souls franchise (Dark Souls), we have on the Vita and it is one hell of a Souls game.
Have you already played the PS Vita version of Salt and Sanctuary? Do you think the lack of Co-op impacts a person’s decision to buy a game? Let us know in the comments below.
