Sands of Salzaar could be considered an unfashionable game because it’s not permadeath roguelike Souls-like with survival and crafting elements. Despite its looks, it’s not a loot-a-thlon either. Instead it’s a fast-paced and personally involving action-RPG that is fresh as a bubbling oasis in middle of the desert that isn’t just a mirage! Mod support and separate multiplayer campaign add to the already addictive experience. All this comes at the price tag of only 13 dollars for some amazing value for money. One could even say that Sands of Salzaar puts many of the bigger titles to shame with its creativity and energy. It may not re-invent computer role-playing games but it shows that there is still kick in the old genre and all it needed was bringing it out to the sun.

The dialogues between named characters and quest givers are equally dull. There was not a single moment of depth in any writing and all characters just spoke their mind and acted out their cliched character tropes. I definitely would not recommend this game for its storytelling. I would say, for most of our audience, to definitely hold off on purchasing Sands of Salzaar as it is still currently under heavy development. However, there is immense potential with the system they have developed! Keep an eye on this one.

There’s a reason the Sands of Salzaar fanbase put in so much unpaid translation modding work prior to this full release: it’s an inspired and engrossing RPG that delivers a fierce value for its modest price. It makes up for an occasional lack of polish with impressive and entertaining depth, and features an excellent soundtrack that somehow doesn’t wear out its welcome 50 hours in. While the game is narrative-complete, Han-Squirrel Studio’s attentive updates thus far means that more content could well be on the horizon, and a spirited mod community will only grow further with this English translation. Anyone wanting to lose themselves in a new sandbox RPG need look no further: Sands of Salzaar is it. [Early Access review score = 80]