Sacred
If “diablo” means devil, is nothing Sacred? Well, maybe this game is…
Tags: Sacred Categories: PC Reviews, Reviews
Posted by Craig "American Idle" Hansen on Jul 28th, 2004
| Title | Players | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacred (title page) | 1 | ||
| Developer | Publisher | Genre | Online |
| Role-Playing | Yes | ||
The modern computer RPG was basically trailblazed several years ago with innovative re-visionings by two franchises: Baldur’s Gate and Diablo. In the time since, nearly all computer RPGs have followed in that mold, further refining but never really reinventing the formula and format those two titles established.
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One of the newest entries into the computer RPG market, Encore’s Sacred, is no different in that respect; it follows the 3D isometric perspective, the inventory system, the battle system and nearly every other element that has been part and parcel of computer RPGs since Diablo and Baldur’s Gate debuted. While Sacred offers a slick system, gorgeous eye-candy and a refined game engine, it offers little in the way of innovation. That being said, Sacred is a somewhat mixed bag with more strong points than weak points, making it a solid but unspectacular entry into the genre.
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One of the disappointments comes when you first start a game; you are offered a select group of character classes to choose from, and that’s when it hits you: there characters are all pre-generated, offering no real room for customization. Even the most basic Baldur’s Gate clone allows players to customize the look and “character roll” of their chosen player character; not Sacred. Instead, each character from which you can choose is given their own starting point in the game, backstory, abilities and skills.
The choices you get, however, are at least a bit interesting; there is a gladiator, a seraphim, a wood elf, a dark elf, a battle mage and a vampiress. Of these, the most unique are the seraphim and the vampiress, both predetermined as female characters. The seraphim, a member of an angelic force, offers a sort of magical paladin character type, while the vampiress is your basic tortured anti-hero, a woman who is a bad girl tempered by noble impulses.
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While all these choices are good, the problem becomes that there’s ultimately not a world of difference which you choose, since the game ends up playing largely the same. The only difference is in mild variances in weapons and armor you can equip, as well as the special skills and attacks and combos you can acquire. Yet the differences still amount to minimal impact on the game; unlike some RPGs, which require an entirely different approach for thieves or magic users compared to fighers and monks, a gladiator and a vampiress will ultimately still end up doing mostly a lot of hack-n-slash as they make their way through the game.
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Another problem pops up in the token nature of the pregenerated character classes; while in concept it is completely cool to play through the game as a female vampire driven by noble urges against her dark nature, ultimately she ends up mostly playing as just another type of paladin. For example, the “vampiress” resembles a werewolf more than a vampire, in that she can change form at will and walk around in daylight while in human form; she takes minimal damage in vampire form walking in daylight, but seldom enough to be life-critical. Furthermore, while there is a skill called “bloodlust,” there is little in the game that actually gets in your way in terms of the vampiric “need to feed.” In fact, there’s not even a way to feed off the innocent – what kind of vampire is this, anyway?
Similar concerns pop up with the seraphim; as a host of heaven, one would expect the seraphim to play as the ultimate noble paladin, eschewing bloodshed in all but the most unavoidable circumstances. Yet the same hack-n-slash combat plays out with almost no thought for the implications to the “character” you’re supposedly playing.
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That’s what makes “me too” type RPGs weaker than the originals; while they innovate new character classes, they are usually plugged in with little thought toward story and character implications. Instead, all the developers’ energies are poured into creating a vast gameworld for these characters to fight their way through; that’s all well and good and much beautiful work is on display in Sacred, but as a result the game seems shallow and ill-planned, rather than intricately conceived. Sacred comes off a bit like Paris Hilton; beautiful on the surface, but only skin-deep.
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On the upside, the surface is quite fetching; the game, from the same company that brought us the RTS-RPG, Spellforce, really pushes the hardware requirements in order to deliver a game of surprising graphic detail and beauty. The kingdom of Ancaria is vast and intricate, peopled by unique characters with a variety of needs, providing the expected amount of side-quests, mini-missions and storylines that flesh out a title of this sort and extend the amount of gameplay available.
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With noticeable weather effects, day and night visual changes and a healthy variety of enemies to battle, Sacred’s Ancaria is a visual feast that won’t soon bore most RPG fans. The world is presented sharply and about the only improvement would be if the game offered a rotatable camera in order to allow better perspectives on the action than is sometimes afforded by the three-quarter isometric standard overhead camera. Neverwinter Nights is more versatile with its game camera, and that was released nearly two years ago now.
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While there is an online play mode to Sacred, the game feels rather generic in online mode and lacks the tools and versatility of games like Neverwinter Nights and Morrowind, which have spawned vast online communities that are constantly creating new modules for extended play; with Sacred, you just get to play around in the same gameworld the single player mode offers, without the storyline. Yawn.
About the only other gripe I have is that some of the early side-missions offer challenges you’re not ready for as a level three vampiress or a level-four seraphim; considering the game is divided up into regions, having some impossible-to-beat-till-you’re-level-15 monsters in the earliest part of the game doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Does it?
Still, when all the griping is said and done, Sacred is a solid entry with a fair amount of fun to be had. The frustrations the game inspires comes in its lack of innovation and its annoying “cookie cutter clone” feeling. This is unlike Encore’s previous offering, SpellForce, which not only offered eye-candy but innovation as well.
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If you pick up Sacred, you won’t be disappointed or feel ripped off; the worst you’ll feel is that it’s the latest version or chapter of the same RPG we’ve all been playing for the last five years or so, with graphical enhancements as the only real upgrade, since Diablo and Baldur’s Gate first appeared on store shelves. It’s decent, playable, fun … but sadly lacking in inspiration.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
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+ One of the sharpest-looking RPGs on the market right now. + Inclusion of “vampiress” class is fun and creative. + Boasts a lot of side-quests and mini-missions, giving you plenty to do. + Presentation is sharp and easy to navigate. |
7.1 |
| What Doesn't | |
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— Online play mode is nothing special compared to Neverwinter Nights or Morrowind. — Vampiress class can walk in daylight in human form and doesn’t need to feed on the blood of humans, so how much of a vampire is she? — Game camera is far less versatile than many other similar RPGs. — Lack of customization to main player character is annoying. — Like many computer RPGs, many of the side-missions and short quests throw challenges at you you’re simply not ready for, level-wise, especially in the early going. |
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| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| Lengthy, deep and sharp-looking, Sacred is a polished RPG that does many things well but breaks little new ground. An appealing entry that will please most RPG fans, but probably won’t draw in anyone who’s not already an RPG enthusiast. | |
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Tags: Sacred
Posted by Craig "American Idle" Hansen on Jul 28th, 2004 and is filed under PC Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
