SACRED 2: Fallen Angel Preview

Remember the good old console gaming days of Gauntlet back on the Xbox? How about the PC gaming days of Diablo? Well if you remember those fondly, then you will likely be a bit keen to read about Sacred 2: Fallen Angel from CDV.

Sacred 2 is basically the same game GameZone reviewed on the PC back in December, but adapted very nicely for the control scheme of the console system. GameZone received a preview build of the title, which is slated to release on February 17.

The game takes place in Ancaria, a kingdom on the verge of war – the same kingdom that is recovering from the devastation of a former war. It all began with a substance called T-Energy. A powerful substance, it was guarded by the Seraphim, until they passed the responsibility on to High Elves. It was the use of the T-Energy that caused the war that ravaged the face of the world, and began to corrupt creatures within it. The world is on the verge of what could well be the final conflict. That’s where you come into the picture.

There are two campaigns, each tracking a different course that will affect the fate of the world. The characters are not customizable (well, you do collect new gear and can upgrade the look of your character that way), and will either take gamers down the path of Light or Shadows. The available archetypes are a seraphim, high elf, dryad, temple guardian, shadow warrior or inquisitor. Each class has strengths and weaknesses, are separated into categories such as ranged attackers, melee, or spellcasters, and are either male or female (no choice to select the gender of the class). The class you select will also determine the mount you will get. For example, the high elf class – which can follow three paths of magic – gets the wind serpent as a mount. The inquisitor, on the other hand, gets a shroud spider.

While there is an overall storyline, there are also quite a number of side quests that players can embark on in this massive world. There are hundreds of quests and the world is relatively seamless.

The controls have been mapped very nicely to the PS3 controller, with auto targeting helping with foes that enter your weapons’ area of effect. You can also slot actions to the hotkeys and potions to the directional keys, giving quick access.

Graphically the game is very similar to the PC version. The camera sits in an isometric position and this gives you a very limited field of vision. You can zoom down and get closer to the action but you really can’t see too far in front of you. But generally the graphics look very good, are bright and lush and reveal a world that is a treat to the eyes.  

It appears that the PS3 version follows the PC version closely, but that is not a bad thing. Sacred 2 is a deep RPG title that should give console adventure fans entertainment value.