Sacred 3 Reviews
Sacred 3 is a mildly fulfilling hack and slash game that, while fun in limited doses, isn't a patch on previous entries, and does very little to stand out within the genre in which it wishes to now be housed.
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.
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
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.
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.
If ARPGs, particularly co-op ones, are your thing then Sacred 3 should definitely be on your to-buy list, but don't expect it to take over your life the way other games in this genre have a tendency to do.
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.
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.
Considering the scope of its predecessors and how far the genre has come since the series' inception a decade ago, that's as unnecessary as it is unwelcome. Still, there's potential here and approached with the right mindset and a group of friends there's some fun to be had. Streamline your expectations, in other words, and you're more likely to view Sacred 3 as slick rather than shallow.
If the sort of effort that went into the visual and audio design of Sacred 3, went into the story and the characters, this is a game that could have been a game of the year contender. Unfortunately, these two areas were not enough to save Sacred 3 from mediocrity.
Take no note of the name, it's not an RPG, it's a fairly mindless brawler, and a mediocre one at that.
Massacring Sacred 3's monster hordes is brutal, silly fun, but don't expect anything more ambitious than that.
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.
It’s an action RPG at its most basic, with little to make it worth recommending.
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.
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.
Sacred 3, as you can establish from this review, is a game that has moved away from its predecessor's roots to become more of a brawler with light RPG elements.
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.