Sacred 3 Reviews
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We have rounded up some more Sacred 3 reviews, and this time the verdicts for Deep Silver's attempt to revive the action-RPG franchise are more positive.
Hooked Gamers, 7.1/10.
Sacred 3 doesn't do a whole lot wrong other than having lackluster writing. However, as has always been the case with the series, the action is very standard. There's not a great deal of depth, but if you want to spend a few hours hacking and slashing your way through hordes of enemies, you could do a lot worse.
Pulp365, 6/10.
I wanted to enjoy Sacred 3 even multiple times but it wouldn't let me. When I started to feel powerful and competent, it took that away with instant-kill traps. When I felt involved in combat or started to care about the conflict, it pulled me out with inappropriate humor. When I invited a friend, it made us compete for utility of the screen rather than collaborate.
Sacred 3 will sate fans of the arcade-style hack-and-slash, but it won't win converts.
Cram Gaming, 7/10.
In a nutshell, Sacred 3 is a solid hack and slash game that offers a no nonsense approach that's easy to pick up and play for those who want to hammer away at few attack buttons and little else for several hours. There's no menus to wade through or complexity of character progression which means players who thirst for killing can do so without hindrance. In this regard the game succeeds, but at the same time does become repetitive quite quickly unless you're well in tune with levelling up your character, or willing to try the others classes to add some variety. As mentioned, if you're a fan of the previous games that afford more depth and exploration, then you're going to probably feel a little let down with what's on offer here as the game is Sacred by name, but certainly not in execution.
Mouse N Joypad, 75%.
All in all, Sacred 3 isn't a bad game. Hell, some of its traits place it several notches above its competitors, but there are too many flaws to overlook. The lack of content to keep players playing is what matters the most, but hopefully the next Sacred title will be a combination of everything that's good about this one and everything that's good with the rest of the genre. What you get here is a well designed romp that makes for a great party game, what with the short missions and all that. Sadly, I cannot recommend it to those who are hoping for a lengthy, fleshed-out hack '˜n' slash.
Shacknews, 6/10.
While Sacred 3 isn't likely to jar loose Diablo III's tight grip as king of the action/role-playing genre, it's still an enjoyable experience that will remind you of the Gauntlet games of old, but with more modern themes. While the multiplayer options are confusing, it's fun to have some friends along for the ride, even as you fight over the last remaining health orb in a massive boss battle. Hey, at least you won't have to worry about shooting the food, right?
This is Xbox, 85%.
Overall I really enjoyed Sacred 3. The action is fast and gives you enough to do either playing solo or with friends in co-op. It was nice to see the game offer local co-op which is something that is lacking in recent games and online with up to four the action can get big real quick. There is enough of a challenge throughout the game but at times the areas can feel linear and limited without really allowing you to explore the area, just offering a side path to find a mystery treasure which will only give a small amount of gold. The humour is kept to a level that prevents it from becoming too tedious or cheesy but enhances the story as you battle the forces of evil on screen.
If you like your hack n slash action to be customisable to suit your own play style along with friends who can do the same then Sacred 3 will deliver all that in spades. A good story with great presentation and Sacred 3 is a nice refresh of the series under Deep Silver and will have you coming back for more if only just to try out new characters.
Push Square, 6/10.
Sacred 3 is likely to be a huge let down for fans of the series. By ditching the open world quest structure and loot system, this sequel has been robbed of the experience that franchise evangelists fell in love with. That said, if you put aside the initial disappointment to consider what the game actually is, you'll find a decent action RPG, which offers a great co-op experience to boot. While the enjoyable combat isn't enough to overcome the linear stages and shallow systems, it will keep you engaged long enough to put a stop to Zane's plans of world domination even if you only do it once.
Finally, Rock, Paper, Shotgun has a scoreless review that calls the game "spectacularly bad".
It's spectacularly bad. Bad not like Sacred games have been bad before, where maps stopped working or the game just crashed. In this game crashing would be a welcome feature. Here the awfulness is hard-programmed into the code, wilful, deliberate. It's a series of abysmal choices strung together in a vacuous, tiresome chain of near-identical linear missions. The (combat arts) should have been its defining feature, letting you craft a unique and elaborate fighting style to afford this drivel at least the genre of (hack n slash). 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.
