Released in 2005, Sacred is an isometric hack-n-slash action role-playing game (ARPG) that is reminiscent of Diablo II. I own Sacred Gold, a compilation of the original game plus two expansions including “Plus” and “Underworld”. This is the first game in the Sacred series.
Sacred concerns the fantasy world of Ancaria. Apparently, a great evil has been let loose upon the world. So you have to choose between six characters from six races to rid the world of this evil. These characters are:
Dark Elf
Battle Mage
Gladiator
Forest Elf
Vampiress
Seraphim
After owning this game for six years, I finally got it started. What’s kept me for so long? Every time at the loading screen, Sacred would simply freeze up. Rather than monkey around with files, I decided to play other games.
Well, after tweaking the settings in my game folder, problem solved! But I came upon a further problem: there’s no way in game to adjust the resolution, and the default resolution looks incredibly rough on my 1920x1200 monitor. So I went on a quest for game mods.
Finally, I got the game to my ideal resolution and aspect ratio. It was time well spent because Sacred looks incredibly beautiful – and detailed – with a high resolution. And it’s practical too since I can see so much more on my screen.
On Steam Deck, it was a lot easier. Just install, and it worked. The low resolution even looked better since the Steam Deck’s screen is only 7 inches.
This, of course, is both the frustration and joys of PC gaming with old titles. Yeah, it’s frustrating that Sacred doesn’t “just work” upon installation. But on the flipside, I can mod games for the best possible experience.
Now I’ve seen many comments asking for a remaster of Sacred. But if you can follow the directions on how to mod the game, it doesn’t need one. I mean, have a look for yourself with the second screenshot. Sacred is still breath-taking once you increase the resolution.
The sound is okay. I liked the effects and the vocal performances – they were well done. The soundtrack is suitably orchestral, but it’s also typical fare.
How does Sacred compare to other games in the genre? You have a huge open world that’s fun to explore, with challenging fights, and great characters. There’s a reason this game sold 2 million copies, and it’s because there’s so much to experience.
Almost any modern PC can run this game. You need am 800Mhz single core CPU, 256MB of RAM, 16MB of VRAM, and 2GB of space. It runs great on Linux via Proton. In fact, I had less problems running it on Steam Deck than on Windows.
Sacred is a PC exclusive. It has never been released on console platforms. However, a different game – also called Sacred – was developed for Java-enabled mobile phones.
There’s no micro-transactions nor DLC.
Ascaron developed Sacred. They were also known for Port Royale and Darkstar One. Ascaron also developed Sacred 2 but went insolvent soon after the making of it. Thus, they didn’t develop the follow-up games Sacred Citadel and Sacred 3.
On Steam, Sacred Gold has an 84% positive rating based on 3,264 reviews. Most people agree that this game is a classic ARPG. However, detractors note that the game doesn’t work without mucking about. That’s a huge problem.
THQ Nordic, the current publisher, could make a fix – I’ve been able to do it manually – but for whatever reason, they choose to continue selling the game on Steam without issuing a patch.
On both Steam and GOG.com, Sacred sells for $10.99. If you want the version that “just works”, go buy this on GOG.com. Otherwise, you’ll spend some time troubleshooting the Steam version. Either which way, if you have the willingness to do it, mod this game – you will be happy that you took my advice.
So do I recommend Sacred? Definitely. Diablo 4 just isn’t as good as past Diablo games. And while Path of Exile is good, they still use micro-transactions. Despite its age, Sacred gives you that big expansive world with a great story and characters.
