Eldward Elric
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You can find many RPGs nowadays. Some can be played in singleplayer and some in multiplayer mode. Some have a huge, seamless world without instances and some are hand-designed and not build out of repetitive tiles. Also there're some with a real living world, with beautiful day/night cycles and realistic weather effects, where NPCs live a real life of their own. Then you can find some with a fantastic soundtrack, or others with an extreme long playtime, where even after an endless time of playing new things can be discovered. Sadly all recent RPGs only provide some of these great features. So why the heck there aren't all these features and even more together in one game?
Not yet, I can tell, because Sacred 2 is still in development. Release is scheduled for September 2008, and from all what I saw till now from the game, it is going to be the RPG-insiders' tip for 2008. Last Friday (08th of February) I met with Heiko tom Felde and Holger Flöttmann, Managing Directors from Ascaron Entertainment, who were so kind to give me a good overview of Sacred 2, and who answered a lot of questions, which raised up since I'm following all infos regarding Sacred 2 through the internet.
In Ancaria, the tremendous world of Sacred 2, you can find in over 35 km², not even considering all the dungeons, marvelous forests, beautiful swamps, fantastic deserts and many other land forms. Everywhere you can discover something new, and only roaming through the areas is a great experience. It's that way, because all in Sacred 2 is hand-designed or generated by complex landscape generators, and not build out of any repetitive tiles. The degree of detail generated by the developers is impressive, and creates a really multifarious world, where it will be still fun roaming around, even after playing the game for over 100 hours. Buildings are designed by a real architect, which way they are all well proportioned, giving the impression of a real village or town. The rest of the level design is praiseworthy as well. It doesn't happen that object A is simply copied to several other locations, rather then that a high emphasis is placed on uniqueness, so that it doesn't cross players mind, that he has a deja-vu.
Likewise Sacred 2 is going to offer a believable world. There will be beautiful day/night cycles, where shadows and light sources change dynamically driven by daytime. There will be rain, lightning, thunder, fog, sandstorms and various wind effects. This ranges from a light breeze to a real storm. Every region of Ancaria will have its own background music. Additionally music will change dynamically in special situations, giving the player the opportunity to immerse into the game. The world in Sacred 2 will be a living world. You will meet NPCs, who live a life of their own. They will pursue one of twenty possible professions, and depending on daytime you can see them doing their business, or maybe you can't see them at all, because they are sleeping in their beds. You will be able to follow NPCs conversations, or you can speak to them, whereupon they can tell you this and that useful. NPCs will respond to their environment. Guards are going to help you, if you are attacked nearby a settlement. Enemies will respond dynamically as well, so if they get to close to a settlement during a fight they will retrieve, if necessary.
From a technical perspective Sacred 2 can impress too. As known there are singleplayer and multiplayer RPGs, so-called MMORPGs. As of today no ones mind crossed the idea to combine these two ones effectively. Sacred 2 comes up with an innovative, never before seen hybrid-system, where the player can freely decide, if he likes to play all alone or together with friends. But there's more to it than that, because Sacred 2 works without instances, having a free accessible, seamless world, where you can meet with up to 8 friends whenever you like, to play in coop or PvP mode. In order to enable this, Sacred 2 uses a technology, where a server and client is started, when you run the game. Depending on the number of players and players level, the monster levels and item drops will be set dynamically. The ClodedNET, where all this takes place, will be free of charge.
"Imagine the situation, where you meet a mighty boss monster. You try to beat it, but sadly without success, basically not causing enough damage. What next? Then you notice, that one of your buddies just went online, and you asked him to assist you. Shortly after you both are fighting together against the monster."
In this vein you can play through the whole game. This way it isn't mandatory, as it's in other multiplayer games, that other players have to be online either. So if none of you buddies is online at the moment, or your're simply not in the mood to play together with someone else, then you simply can play all alone. Nevertheless you can always chat, exchange items or trade, as usual for a normal multiplayer game.
Graphics-wise Sacred 2 hasn't to hide in the shadows as well. Even though, that there won't be any special DX10 effects, the game will show beautiful animations and extremly detailed character models. Althought for the sake of clarity players will use mostly the isometric view, character and enemy models look gorgeous, even if you zoom really close. All is modeled elaborately and is furnished with high res textures. In order to complete the general impression, all comes along with a realistic physik-engine.
In Sacred 2 you have to play though 180 main- and the unbelievable number of around 650 sidequests. The mainquests will be linear leading you through the storyline, in the course of which you will travel to all important locations of Ancaria. Regardless that you can always play sidequests, whenever you like. This is even recommendable, because it's a good way to level your character. Whenever needed, you can easily go back to the mainquest using your questlog. Nevertheless you can explore Ancaria on your own initiative. There're no limits and you can go wherever you like. Just the increasing strength of the monsters will stop you from time to time.
There are six playable character classes. Seraphim, the Shadow Warrior, the Inquisitor, the Dryad, the Temple Guardian and the High Elf. Seraphim can only be played on the light side and the Inquisitor only on the dark side. For the others you can choose in the beginning of the game between light and dark side. This decision can't be reversed during the game. Depending on your choice gaming experience will change. Furthermore every character has to choose a divinity. This divinity provides you with special, supernatural combat skills, which will have an extreme long recharge time, and therefore should only be used in special situations.
Every class will have a special mount. So far the saber-toothed tiger for Seraphim and the hellhound for the Shadow Warrior are known. The special mounts will have their own attack skills, which can be used while riding them. There will be neutral mounts, as horses, which can be used by all classes. It will even be possible to equip your mounts with bridle, saddle and special armors.
What I saw from Sacred 2 so far is really impressive. If the developers attain the set goals till September, then it will be a wonderful autumn for RPG players. The only thing you have to take into consideration then, is how the heck you can get enough sleep .
Last but not least I like to thank Heiko tom Felde and Holger Flöttmann once again, who offered their valuable time to give mit an extensive first impression of Sacred 2.
