Sacred: Underworld - PC

Released last year, Ascaron’s Sacred quickly made a name for itself as a solid RPG epic. The world in which it was set, Ancaria, fired the collective imagination of gamers and quickly built up a large fanbase. It was also notable for a decent online mode, which allowed up to 16 players to roam the world on the internet, either co-operatively or competitively. The after sales service offered by Ascaron is second to none and within six months the number of refinements and responses to requests by gamers had increased to such an extent that the release of an updated version was merited. Sacred Plus was offered as the ideal introduction for people not yet familiar to the game, and was honourably made available free of charge to loyal folk who had already bought the original.

Sacred Plus came with two new gaming locales, a variety of new quests and sub-quests, more adversaries, new bosses and new weapons and armour. Not to mention the large number of tweaks and other tunings added to game’s basic engine.

Now another six months have passed and another expansion pack is hitting the shelves: Sacred Underworld. Building more impressively still on the success of the previous superpatch, Sacred Underworld adds a whopping 40% of playable game world onto what was already available. Those who have completed the Ancaria quest of the original game can, using their characters and retaining skills and items acquired in the last game, now start a new mystery in the strange Underworld.

As before, an in-depth storyline is offered, strengthened by a classic hardcore RPG experience. The Sacred games also boast an element of action-based gameplay in combat. To begin with, players are able to choose from a selection of eight playable characters, each of which hone their own set of special skills and abilities. The original games allowed you to play as a Battlemage, Wood Elf, Gladiator, Dark Elf, Seraphim and Vampiress. Now this line-up is enriched with the addition of two exciting new characters, the Dwarf and the Daemon. Your decisions will noticeably affect the way Sacred is played as far as your approach to battle is concerned. Using a selection of combat moves and magic spells, players can combine their talents for single-click attacks. There are also sections of the game where horseback combat is an option, and with thousands of weapons at your disposal, some parts of your adventure will seem more akin to a bloody hack and slash affair.

As well as more characters to play as and more lands to explore, Sacred Underworld includes new weapons, armour and items, not to mention 30 all-new enemies. Ascaron continue to spoil their fans with this solid and feature-packed update that adds even more longevity to a game of already impressive stature. more