The Sacred franchise is a great franchise but hasn’t got a lot of sequels at all. While we get a lot of Call of Duty’s and Assassin Creed’s, we rarely see a new release in the Sacred franchise. This changes with the release of Sacred 3… Too bad this isn’t the only big change we had to endure.
Sacred 3 can be considered as a reboot sequel. The new developer ‘Keen Games’ had the task to reinvent the Sacred franchise and create a new and challenging game for PC and consoles. The result is Sacred 3, a game that throws everything you knew about Sacred straight out of the window.
We have to admit, the new developer was willing to take a risk with this reboot but they also made some strange decisions when it comes to the gameplay itself. No longer will you be able to wander around in a gorgeous open world, the world of Sacred 3 is very linear, without many options to sidetrack. So we lost the open world…. But that’s not the only thing we lost. The biggest change is without a doubt the removal of the well-known looting system.
Removing the looting system has some important consequences. Because you can’t loot your enemies, you can’t improve your weapons or gear by defeating enemies. This means the RPG element has been removed as well. Sure, you’ll be able to give your characters some specific skills in a small skill tree but it just isn’t the same as gaining new gear thanks to looting. The game isn’t an RPG-game anymore; Sacred 3 is a hack & Slash game just like games such as Diablo III. Too bad that Sacred 3 doesn’t dare to innovate this genre; instead it follows the path of a very traditional hack & slash game.
So this means that the game lets you face a lot of different enemies at the same time. You can attack those using your standard attack button but you have some other options as well. During combat you’ll also be able to use a stronger attack to destroy the guard of an enemy, you can also dodge your enemies by rolling and you’ll be able to cast two types of special attacks. This really sounds good on paper but in reality you’ll just use your standard attack to proceed in the game. None of the regular enemies really offer a challenge; they just run straight for your sword to die at your knees.
Thank god that the game also features some boss battles at the end of each level. Those bosses are harder to defeat and offer the challenge that was very much needed in the regular levels as well. The bosses aren’t extremely hard to defeat but you’ll definitely need to find the right strategy to bring them on their knees. The boss battles are without a doubt fun to play, also thanks to the great controls.
Fun but lacks variation
Not all is bad in the land of Sacred 3.
Everything we’ve said until now isn’t really positive but not everything is bad in this game. The controls are great, resulting in a very fluent game to play. Without having to think about your controller, you’ll be able to fight against enemies, throw bombs and block attacks without blinking.
Aside of the great controls, the game also offers you the choice of the way you would like to play. Thanks to the different classes in the game, you can for example play as a brute or more tactical hunter. Picking your class really affects your gameplay since each class really is different. Every character has its own strong and weak points to defeat the enemies on the field. Therefore it’s also possible to replay the game with another character if you really want to have a different experience the second time you play.
But it lacks variation.
It’s a shame to say that even with those great controls and different playable characters, the game really lacks variation. Defeating the enemies and facing the boss at the end of every level just isn’t enough to keep you going. The game could have been so much better if the developer introduced more enemies or different environments for example.
It’s a shame without a doubt, since everything really looks good. The environments look good and offer enough details to look great on every type of television. The same goes for the characters and enemies. None of those designs are rushed but nevertheless it couldn’t save the game.
It’s great to play with a friend.
Just like Sacred 2, Sacred 3 also offers a co-op mode and it’s a great mode! Unlike the single player, the co-op mode really is fun to play. Keen Games made sure that playing co-op would mean having fun together with your friend.
Killing the enemies and bosses with the help of a friend is fun but also ask a more strategic approach. You’ll need to communicate with your friend in order to reach the end of the level. Finding solutions together is way more satisfying than doing it on your own. In co-op you’ll really be able to help each other out since the game gives you specific powers to help the other player. Combine this with the great controls and you have a great co-op experience.
Conclusion:
We can conclude that Sacred 3 is a very different game in the franchise. Sacred fans won’t like the lack of looting and removal of the open world; and we can’t blame them. If you consider Sacred 3 as a new game instead of a new episode in the franchise, it’s a great hack & slash games but lacks the innovation and variation that was needed. Big plusses are the boss battles and co-op mode but the game itself is a bit to linear to offer a lot of fun. If you’re looking for a straightforward hack & slash game, this is the one you’ll need to pick up in stores.
