Fantasy Book Critic: PREVIEW: “Sacred 2: Fallen Angel”

“Sacred 2: Fallen Angel” is an action-RPG (Role Playing Game) unlike anything you’ve ever played! With a massive, hand-designed game world, hundreds of monsters and six unique character classes, “Sacred 2” will immerse you in a world of adventure and magic. Set 2,000 years prior to the self-titled first game in the Sacred series, “Fallen Angel” is a prequel to the events and quests of the earlier RPG hit, and drops players in the midst of an epic struggle for control of elemental power on the grandest of scale...

THE STORY:

T-Energy has been flowing through Ancaria since time immemorial. This mysterious power forms the beginning of all life, is the source of all magic and the origin of all thought. For eons the angelic Seraphim watched over the T-Energy and therefore over the fate of the entire world. But eventually tiring of their burden, they passed their knowledge on to the High Elves. T-Energy helped the realm of the High Elves to experience an unimaginable boost of prosperity, making it the reigning culture in Ancaria. But a force as powerful as T-Energy carries great dangers.

Not taught how to deal with this, no sooner did the Elves take control, than a heated dispute erupted among them as to how and to what purpose the T-Energy was to be used. Dispute morphed into irresolvable conflict, then rift and eventually to a civil war among the High Elves, where all participants were losers. Their realm collapsed and with it the entire power structure of Anacaria. In the turmoil all the peoples of Anacaria coveted the right, either openly or in secret, to wield the power of T-Energy and in the end, unmanaged, the T-Energy raged out of control warping creature and lands alike. Can anyone regain control over the T-Energy. And if so, will he/she strive to prevent the world from lapsing into final chaos, or deepen it?

THE GAMEPLAY:

Gameplay in “Sacred 2: Fallen Angel” is divided into two campaign paths: Light and Dark. As the game begins players choose and customize their character and choose the path they will follow. This choice determines the ultimate goal and intentions of their character, and as the game progresses through literally hundreds of quests and side quests, the paths of different characters intersect at different junctions. Choose one way and you may be tasked to defend a town and its people, while another path could result in you attacking the same town. The choice is yours and the fate of the world and your well-being are at stake...

KEY GAME FEATURES:

~A massive, seamless and dynamic world delivering hundreds of hours of freeform exploration.
~Two deep campaigns: play as the 'Light' or 'Shadow' side, complete with distinct skills, rewards and story-elements tailored to the chosen path.
~Six exceptional, playable characters, each with a distinct look, capabilities and in-game motivation.
~Modifiable combat arts: change, upgrade and link together your alter ego's combat skills to match your playing style.
~Fight effectively from the back of a number of mounts under your control; equip and upgrade your character's unlockable special mount.
~Deities offer unique combat disciplines and unlock additional quests.
~Seamless transition between single and multiplayer gaming modes via PlayStation Network.
~Captivating online modes of play challenge gamers in cooperative, PvP and PvE play.
~Extraordinary, cutting-edge graphics and Dolby 5.1 channel surround sound utilize the latest technologies for a truly immersive experience.

“Sacred 2: Fallen Angel” is currently available for the PC and will be released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on March 24, 2009. In support of the game’s pending release, Rocket XL is hosting a cool giveaway for the chance to win a copy of “Sacred 2”, an 80gb PS3, or a Grand Prize which includes a 32” 720p LCD HDTV! Giveaway ends March 23rd. Full details on the giveaway can be found HERE.