Salt and Sacrifice has finally arrived for fans of metroidvanias and souls-likes. The sequel to one of the earliest 2D souls-likes, Salt and Sanctuary, the game casts you as a condemned criminal forced to join a group of Mage Hunters in order to earn your freedom. In a fun addition, players can select what crime they committed to find themselves in this dire situation in the first place. While most of them are pretty straightforward, if a bit archaic, one, in particular, has players scratching their heads: usury.
What on Earth is Usury?
Though there are already some pretty absurd charges on the docket in Salt and Sacrifice, like blasphemy, heresy, and brigandry, the strangest and most mysterious charge players can select is usury. In fact, a record number of players have been seeking out the answer to what this rarely heard word even means. If that’s why you’re here, fear not! The wordsmiths of Gameranx have the answers you seek.
In the most basic terms, usury is the crime we all wish we could charge our credit card companies with. It comes down to unfair lending terms with the goal of turning a significant profit on already desperate folks. If this is starting to sound relatable to you with the soaring gas prices and inflation we’re all experiencing, you’re probably not alone.
Alas, we don’t live in the humble medieval world of Salt and Sacrifice, so those characters out there charging 20% interest won’t find themselves thrown in the stockades, unfortunately. But, hey, on the plus side, we don’t have magic-wielding menaces stalking our prairies and forests and an out-of-control theocracy in charge, so luck can go both ways.
The developers over at Ska Studios definitely have a sense of humor, though. The fun thing about choosing Usury for your crime in Salt and Sacrifice is that you’re rewarded with a Bag of Silver as your starting item. I mean, come on, right? Pretty on the nose.
Still, if this whole notion has you hot under the collar, then feel free to toss out a few choice expletives of your own choosing. After all, they can’t jail you for that!
