Sacred 2: Fallen Angel

"this is what the 360 needed"

Gameplay 8/10 - There are a handful of annoying flaws (like a broken(?) blacksmith ability) that can be overlooked. Overall, the game is very engrossing and will hold your attention for a long time. Various warp gates and temporary save beacons help ensure you don't have to walk everywhere all the time. Mounts also shorten the exploration process for those players that just want to get through the game quickly. It is a fair balance that will appeal to most types of gamers.

Graphics 9/10 - Massive lands with excellent detail. I even enjoy the caves with no purpose other than something to explore. So much detail! The changing lighting and climate conditions add to the experience. Without a high definition TV or computer monitor, much of that is lost and the text can be difficult to read.

Sound 10/10 - Can get repetitive, but there is a lot of humor. Definitely worth not muting the TV for. Love the rock/metal background music during various fight sequences.

Controls 10/10 - It can be limiting since one uses a controller, but I feel it was done the best it possibly could in comparison to the PC version. Everything is well laid out using the bumpers and triggers with the menus being easy to navigate.

Multiplayer 8/10 - They have some issues that can be very annoying/crippling. Some players may experience a laggy gamestate, meaning, while they believe their partners are standing in town they are actually being stomped by some boss and could have used the help. Very frustrating at times. Needs a patch. Still gave an overall of a 9 despite this problem because I believe it will be handled.

Replayability 10/10 - This game will live for awhile. 6 characters, 2 paths, and more than enough choices to create the character to your style. Can be made into a PvE or PvP setup. There are hundreds (yes, hundreds) of quests taking you all over the huge land. Grab a friend and get crackin'.

Final thoughts - If you miss Champions or Baldur's then this is worth it! It is a completely open world with a ton of places to visit. Just started 2 new characters for 2 different groups of friends and it's even more fun than being alone. If you enjoy the hack and slash games, this is a MUST buy. Renting would cost too much money after awhile.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/26/09

Game Release: Sacred 2: Fallen Angel (US, 05/11/09)