Sacred 3 Reviews
Massacring Sacred 3's monster hordes is brutal, silly fun, but don't expect anything more ambitious than that.
Sacred 3 has the skeleton of a fun co-op hack 'n' slash experience, but it's marred by too much repetition, balance issues, and the worst comedy routine this side of Open Mic Night at the Middle of Nowhere Comedy Shack.
Did you enjoy Sacred: Citadel's arcade-style hack-and-slash take on the RPG franchise? You're in luck, because that's where the series appears to be going overall
Tedium is at the heart of Sacred 3, a successor to the earlier games in the series in name only.
Sacred went from a varied Diablo clone to a Gauntlet clone, but doesn't live up to either. While it may be a good hack-and-slash appetizer to tide gamers over, it never manages to distinguish itself in the genre.
But instead it's the rusting chassis of an ARPG, after it's been stripped down for parts and left, abandoned in a disused yard, where it really ought to be forgotten.
Frankly, I'm not sure what the developers were thinking with Sacred 3. The gameplay, of course, screams Diablo III or Torchlight clone, but those games actually provided worlds you could really explore and discover. Also, people really enjoy them. I definitely had fonder memories playing each of them than Sacred 3, and they're not even in a genre I usually play. That should really say enough.
While Sacred 3 isn't a broken mess, there are few redeeming qualities to be found. Linear levels, repetitive enemies, meaningless progression, and insulting voice acting add up to a dreary mechanical exercise. There are far better options for action RPGs than Sacred 3.
As it stands, Sacred 3 feels distinctly average. The game works well enough at what it presents and is largely annoyance-free (though the checkpointing system could be better and I had a save-game issue where my progress wasn't saved from one session to another) but there's better and more rewarding games out there right now that you should seek out first.
Deeper combat and customization could have gone a long way in making Sacred 3 a great game. Instead, it's a game with a lot to do, with little reason to do it.
For 30 bucks, Sacred 3 is a decent beat 'em up that you and a few friends can have a fun time with if you look past the Sacred name.
In the end, while fast paced and good for a fitting end to a bad day at work, Sacred 3's gameplay simply lacks everything that makes a great ARPG: Loot, leveling, questing, and a basic (and well-written) story.
Despite a few quibbles, Sacred 3's action flows freely (even if the treasure doesn't). If you're a fan of the previous, more Diablo-like entries in the Sacred series you might be disappointed with some of this sequel's retooling. But if you're hungry for a game to play alongside a few friends, one where you can relax, laugh, and bust some bad guys, and don't mind a bit of repetition without much loot to show for it, Sacred 3 makes for a passable, if flawed, meal.
Sacred 3 is a complete let down for fans of the franchise, departing from a formula that has somewhat worked in the past in the hope of attracting a wider audience. Instead of building on features, and borrowing some from games that pull off the action RPG genera to a tee, Sacred 3 is disjointed, boring and just downright bad.
I have no doubt that some folk will dismiss Sacred 3 because it bears no resemblance to the previous core games in the series. But that's not why it should be avoided by most. It's simply not fun to play. The writing is abysmal, the combat is all sizzle and no steak, and, for a rather short game, it regurgitates a hell of a lot. It never rises above mediocrity, but often sinks below it.
While Sacred 3 isn't likely to steal the crown from Diablo III, it's a great hack-and-slash alternative that's worth checking out. While the technical limitations of the game are too easy to spot, the multiplayer is still a blast, and the audio will crack a smile on your face as you finish off goblin goons. Fans of role-playing games that want to do without the usual bland spell-casting would be wise to pick this game up.
Sacred 3 has stripped away most of what makes an ARPG great while doubling down on hopes that its silly narrative will be enough to keep you going. This could very easily end up being a guilty pleasure game for a lot of you; however, there's simply not enough here to make it worth a full price purchase.
Sacred edges away from the RPG, but sadly in doing so edges away from fun also.