Just saying aloud the title of this game, “Sacred 3” calls to mind a slightly generic backdrop – a fantasy world that you expect is going to cash in on clichés we all know and love. One shouldn’t necessarily take this as a bad thing though, what it lacks in polish and execution it makes up for in the gameplay department, affording you a chance to bash your way through some rather well-designed levels and hordes of strange creatures. After playing for any length of time however, you’re certainly come to notice some of the title’s rather obvious pitfalls, the voice acting being among them.
As for the storyline; there’s a big bad villain named Lord Zane who wants to take over the world and no doubt burn down all the nice, happy villages out there, naturally this doesn’t sit well with the land’s greatest heroes, of course. After you’ve chosen your class / warrior then it’s time to figure out how to use them on the battlefield. The idea is to play to your strengths while leaning on your party members to cover your weaknesses. In this sense Sacred 3 actually comes across more like a functional co-op game more so than a full-fledged single player title.
Throughout the course of the game the general idea is to simply keep on mashing buttons until everything aggressive and violent onscreen is lying dead on the ground. What’s puzzling most of all however is the apparent lack of conventional loot, which (let’s be honest here) is a large part of the reason people like to play these kinds of games in the first place. Instead you have to wait for special weapons to be handed to you, which doesn’t really happen often enough to tell you the truth. In terms of difficulty you’re basically dealing with a fair challenge, but again, if you’re well-versed in games in this genre, getting through this one should be a bit of a breeze.
What’s going to keep a lot of gamers interested though is the graphics, which really aren’t all that bad. In fact, some might even be inclined to say that the game offers up stunning visuals at times, particularly when there’s lots of action taking place onscreen. Even the minimalist cut scenes, which elaborate on the evil Lord Zane’s dastardly deeds, are well put together and feature an agreeable art style. Likewise, the basic level / character art for the game is of a high enough caliber to create the effect of a more mature title. Overall, what keeps you dredging forward is the need to topple the next wave of enemies as well as the continual variety of villains that are thrown at you.
Sound-wise, Sacred 3 certain doesn’t disappoint either. Both its music and sound effects certainly paint the picture well and are also quite fitting. Poking its ugly nose through the mists is the voice acting and script writing (in certain key places). It would seem that the general style they were trying to convey here was one of self-deprecation – gently poking fun at various elements while making oddball modern cultural references. As a novelty, this title certainly doesn’t disappoint, but the execution of these ill-timed puns and one-liners leaves much to be desired. The end result is that you often feel a tad alienated from the action onscreen because someone is interjecting some trivial nonsense or cracking wise about something irrelevant. Had they tried to keep the dialogue serious and on point (or just hired some great comedic writers) it could have been a great deal more enjoyable.
