As I mentioned in my review for the game, Sacred 3 is bound to be a divisive game. For people who dive into it based on the title alone, it could potentially be one of the more disappointing releases of the year. It’s not a Sacred game in the traditional sense. The third numbered entry strips away the open world and shuts off the loot shower from previous entries – understandable deal-breakers for people who love to explore. After I came to terms with what the game is, and let go of what I wanted it to be, I had a lot of fun with it. If you’re planning to dive into the game, here are some tips that will make your adventuring more fun.
I spent time with each of the game’s four characters during my time with Sacred 3, but I gravitated toward Claire, the Seraphim paladin. I liked the Seraphim class in Sacred 2, and ultimately I enjoyed her balance of speed and attack power here. Each of the classes is ultimately viable, however, whether you’re playing solo or attacking evil in a group of four. Here's a quick breakdown of each one:
- Alithea is an Ancarian lancer, who uses polearms. Thanks to her choice in weaponry, she’s able to attack enemies at a reasonable distance, damaging them before she has to worry about smelling their hot breath. Characters have basic attacks, as well as unique abilities called combat arts. Alithea’s earthquake combat art is great, allowing her to unleash a quick flurry of attacks that continue to cause damage as long as her energy holds up.
- Claire, the aforementioned Seraphin paladin, has a sword. Claire’s quick on her feet, allowing her to engage enemies, slash them into ribbons, and then move on to the next target (or get away if they’re still alive). She also has a nice variety of combat arts that are based on lightning. I relied on her chain lightning and tempest combat arts, and never looked back.
- Vajra is a Khukuri archer, which means you’re going to turn enemies into living pincushions. His combat arts are focused on the cold, allowing him to freeze and slow enemies – giving him time to reposition himself when foes get too close. He starts off with a nice piercing shot attack that lets him break through shielded enemies’ defenses.
- Marak is a Safiri warrior who uses solar attacks (and a big mallet) to leave his mark on the world. He can take a lot of damage, and his slow-moving weapon dishes it out in turn. He’s probably the most straightforward of the four characters, and he’s a great pick for players who want to run toward the nearest moving thing and kill it.
The tutorial mission does a decent job of driving home the basics of combat, but there are a few things that I don’t think can be overemphasized. First, the bash move is critically important. You’ll use it to temporarily stun shielded brutes, and its charged version can be used to disarm traps from a distance. As you progress, you’ll encounter magic-using enemies that will be tremendous pains until their spells are interrupted by using – you guessed it – bash. Get in the habit of using it from the start, and then whenever you see a bad guy with a suspicious-looking icon over his head, countering it will be second nature.
There’s a roll button, and you’re going to want to use that a bunch as well. If you’re like me, it’ll quickly become your default way of moving through the world, simply because it looks so goofy. It’s also useful. It’s an effective way to get past environmental hazards quickly, and it should be your go-to maneuver when you’re in the thick of combat. Until you beef up your weapons, brutes aren’t necessarily going to go down the first time you attack them. When they’re upright again, get ready to roll out of the way and prepare to bash them again. Or, when you finish off an enemy, use the roll to quickly get into position for your next attack. (More on that on the next page.)