Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Offline)
Rejoice, sinners, for redemption is on the way. Saga of Sins puts players in control of Cecil, a battle-weary cleric who has just returned from the Crusades. Instead of receiving a warm welcome upon his arrival, he finds his hometown of Sinwell to be infested with plagues and its citizens consumed by their sinful ways.
Luckily, Cecil’s master, Ulrich, has a solution to the crisis plaguing Sinwell. He grants Cecil the power to enter people’s minds and fight the sin within them, first as a werewolf who shoots fireballs from his mouth, then as a flame-spitting gargoyle. and finally as a winged griffin. By taking these forms and immersing herself in the hearts of those who indulge in sin, Cecil is able to battle demons and free people from their influence.
Suspicions that all is not as it seems arise very soon. The game makes no secret that there’s more going on than the player realizes, so it’s no huge surprise when it changes things up with a mid-game twist. He’s still effective and spices up the second half of a game that quickly becomes a touch of formula, but he’s unlikely to surprise you.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Connected)
Saga of Sins’ gameplay draws inspiration from classic action platformers like Mega Man, with a Metroidvania twist thrown in for good measure. You explore Sinwell and interact with the citizens to find out what sin they are afflicted with. Each stage is themed around one of the seven deadly sins, though most of the differences are purely cosmetic. Greed and Envy features a few small changes to how money is earned or lost, but otherwise there’s little difference between the stages.
It’s disappointing that each level is so similar. It would have been fun to see more unique creatures or more varied mechanics come into play to bring the Sins to the forefront of the plot. As is, they look like a showcase of Cecil and Ulrich’s story rather than a key piece.
Fortunately, Saga of Sins is relatively short. There are a total of 31 sinners to be rescued in Sinwell; two levels plus a boss fight for each of the seven deadly sins. The remaining ten levels are Innocents who are free from sin. These stages have no enemies, rather they are presented as a puzzle that needs to be solved to get more pieces. Completing all of these levels will take you around 10 hours, although you can go back and complete them again if you want to get more gold or unlock the game’s secret ending.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Offline)
Each of your three main beast forms gain upgrades that can be purchased with earned gold. Some of them increase your health or give you more Power Dashes, which can be used both to attack enemies and to reach new areas. There’s a bit of a balance issue in play, because once you’ve unlocked the Griffin form, all the other forms are really only needed for specific puzzle pieces. The Griffin does everything it can do but better, making it the default option that players can use until proven otherwise.
Saga of Sins’ visuals replicate the look of a stained glass window in a church and are by far the most interesting part of the game. The walking and running animations are a bit stilted, as if animated with Flash Player in 2005, but we can forgive this minor issue considering the quality of Cecil’s controls and the quality of the visuals. The way enemies crack as they take more damage only to shatter like glass on death is a great touch that goes a long way to improving how Saga of Sins comes together.
Players who expect Saga of Sins to replicate Mega Man’s famous difficulty curves will be deeply disappointed, we fear. Although later levels are more difficult than the first, none require more than a handful of attempts to complete. A few puzzles that rely on quickly using Power Dashes may take longer, but these are generally optional paths for players looking to uncover the game’s hidden treasure chests. something else, which means finding the right pattern or the right creature to attack.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Connected)
An extra touch of challenge would have helped make the ending feel more like a feat. It’s almost too easy to unlock the entire skill tree, giving you a distinct advantage against enemies. This slight balance issue makes Saga of Sins disappointing, despite how well it does. You can’t summon games like Mega Man and then chill with your players.
That leaves Saga of Sins as a technically proficient, if somewhat basic, addition to Switch’s library of action-adventure platformers. Even on Hard difficulty, it lacks enough challenge to feel satisfying. If the plot had been a little harder to predict or if some of the later levels weren’t so easy, it would be easier to recommend Saga of Sins. One of the highlights is how developer Bonus Level Entertainment has stuck to the visual theme so consistently, but it’s not enough to just save this one and elevate it to heaven.
conclusion
Saga of Sins’ excellent stained glass visuals are let down by a predictable plot and somewhat rote gameplay. Die-hard action-platformers will likely be disappointed, but this could serve as a gentle introduction for newcomers to the genre. There aren’t any glaring flaws or issues, but it’s a shame it doesn’t do enough with its solid, mind-bending, demon-fighting premise.