Sacred Review
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Combat arts are found like treasure, and once these runes are found they can be learned and used. Extras can be sold or used to create combat combos when you talk to a combo master. These combos allow you to perform multiple moves at once. Many items and combat arts will be character specific, but there are plenty to go around regardless of your choice of character. Your weapons are cool, and so are the combat animations. You can upgrade and customize many items by visiting the local smithy and assigning magical items and their bonuses to some of your weapons and armor. Merchants stock is not set, and changes every time you talk to another merchant. There are some unique items, and special matched sets of items that can be worn in conjunction for improved bonuses.
Oh, and don't worry about accidentally killing someone. You can't attack innocent bystanders in the game, which may be unrealistic, but it is pretty convenient. Some weapons will allow you to attack the local wildlife, but that's about it. You will occasionally have companions, either temporary allies or characters you are escorting, but you will have no control over them.
A lot of gamers want to see mounts in their games, and Sacred has them. You can buy and ride a horse, which allows you to move faster. You can even allocate skill points to riding, which allows you to ride better horses. The horse will soak up damage from foes before you do, but combat while mounted is awkward, and you cannot use all of your attacks from horseback. Horses can be equipped with saddles that confer additional bonuses to them (and you) when they are used.
I imagine that when people cry out for mounts, they expect the mount to be a little more like a companion than an accessory. Sacred at least put them in the game, but the horses tend to be the equivalent of extra armor coupled with boots of speed. They do not add life or character, much less companionship, to your game.
It's hard to say whether or not you'll like Sacred. It depends on what you're looking for. The visual styling and presentation are great, and the game is very addicting. Most gamers will feel compelled to gather all the items and explore all the areas. This will bring endless hours of enjoyment. On the other hand, some people will tire of the simple kill and loot format after several hours. A true role-playing gamer may be disappointed in the limitations the game has as a RPG. I never played the Diablo games, but I have heard many analogies made between Diablo II and Sacred. I can testify that the D&D CRPGs involve a much higher degree of role-playing than Sacred, and that turned me off to Sacred initially. However, once I played for a little while, I couldn't get enough of the game. There's a lot to like, and with the bugs and issues from the original release addressed, its hard not to recommend the game.
