It's been 10 years since the original Sacred burst on to the
gaming shelves as an epic fantasy RPG set in the kingdom of Arcania. This was Hack
'n' Slash with a bit of dash that offered a large campaign with stacks of side
quests, 4-player co-op and up to 16 contenders in PvP.
There were 6 hero classes - Gladiator, Seraphim, Battle
Mage, Wood Elf, Dark Elf and Vampiress - each with their own combat arts, magic
spells and fighting skills. There were 50 levels to ascend to and - oh joy! -
you could even ride into combat on an upgraded steed and dish out death and
destruction. Ok the graphics were a bit
tame but it was a lot of fun.
Spin forward 4 years and up steps the sequel, Sacred 2:
Fallen Angel. Arcania is in ruins, split between forces of light and dark
fighting over powerful T-Energy and you now have the option to join one of two
campaigns for victory and explore 500 quests. Of the 6 classes, only the
Seraphim remain and they are now joined by High Elf, Dryad, Temple Guardian,
Shadow Warrior and Inquisitor.
Co-op is now drop-in/drop-out, you still have PvP and PvE
modes for 16 players and there's even an in-game concert by a rock band! And if
you thought riding horses was a blast, then how about screaming into battle
astride a Shroud Spider, Hellhound, Sabretooth or Wind Serpent?
Six years on and fans now have the chance to see how Keen
Games has progressed the saga. The trailer looks fast-paced, colourful and
stuffed with spectacular effects but by the end there's a feeling that something appears to be missing.
Once you engage with the full game, it's clear that sacrifices have been made
and we're not talking about dicing trolls on a High Elf altar.
For a start, initially you are only presented with 4 classes
- Seraphim (naturally), solidly built Safiri, spear-wielding Ancarian and bow
maestro Khukuhru. A fifth class of blood magic and blade-slashing Malakhim can
only be accessed via pre-order and will probably only come into their own
properly when the DLC arrives.
The paper-thin story has Ancaria cowering before the might
of the evil Emperor Zane (should that be Ming?) and your mission is of course
to save the world and kick serious ass. Now it's clear that Sacred 3 was conceived
primarily as a multiplayer game with strong emphasis on the four-player co-op
mode.
Certainly the beginning stages can be quite demanding in
single player and the designers chose to keep the chests and loot for the end
of each level rather than being collectible on the journey. Only gold, health
and power orbs can be picked up as you advance and checkpoints are spaced quite
wide.
Attacking strategy involves left clicking for basic attacks
and right clicking for more powerful results. Enemies can be grabbed and hurled
at others with explosive effects and satisfying concussions arise from
execution moves and 'bashing' to break shields. The big difference in Sacred 3 combat
is the use of Weapon Spirits which tend to appear at random on the battlefield
and offer buffs and debuffs that may significantly alter the balance of the
conflict.
Most of the gameplay is linear and while you can level up
and vary your skills, choosing a class is ultimately not as important as being
quick on the button-mashing and dodging. The control system is much improved on
the previous games, though, and co-op fighting when surrounded by swarms is the
high point of the game. There are repetitive areas such as turning wheels to
release more enemies which are annoying but once you get a head of steam, then
the adrenaline rush can kick in.
But just as several other features have been curtailed, so
is the game length which may not last more than 10-15 hours on first
playthrough. And seriously, Deep Silver, what did you do with the mounts? Could
you not even spare a moth-eaten donkey? As for the in-game humour, all I can
say is, the constant 'wit' is about on a par with the last Duke Nukem reboot.
Don't get me wrong - if this is your first experience of
this genre, then grab some pals and have a furious hour or two of furious
foe-smashing. But for Sacred aficionados, however dash the slash, less does not
mean more.
Score: 3/5
