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Review: DarkStar One
If you're a fan of space combat sims like Elite and Colony Wars, I need to talk with you about DarkStar One. But I need to whittle down the crowd a bit first, so hang tight. DarkStar One is a PC game from 2006 that's been ported as-is to the Xbox 360, with only an improved resolution to show for the jump. The dialog sounds like the worst community theater from every country was gathered to read a half-finished Babylon 5 script aloud, and everyone there was asked to switch accents with the person closest to them. The cinematics look like deleted scenes from a bootleg DVD of ReBoot. There are frequent graphical glitches, and it completely froze up on me no fewer than twice at wholly inconvenient moments. There are local furniture commercials with better special effects. ... Okay, are you still there? Because if you've hung on with me this long -- if you've read this far and haven't moved on to a different post -- I can pretty much guarantee you're going to love DarkStar One.
Sacred 2 hacking, slashing its way to May 12 release
Publisher CDV has announced that Sacred 2 will release on May 12 for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. For those who haven't been following the title (already available on PC), it's a traditional fantasy dungeon crawler that's big on grinding and extensive stat management. You know, elves, mages, mounts, spells, that kind of thing. The game also features online co-op for up to four players, which is definitely welcome. Until Blizzard decides to announce a console version of Diablo III, we suppose it will have to do.Sacred 2 will be available in both vanilla and Collector's Edition varieties.
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel CE is all about the mini-figure
Ascaron and Deep Silver just announced that a Sacred 2: Fallen Angel Collector's Edition will be releasing to both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms in Q2 2009.The yet-to-be-priced Sacred 2 CE will come with a standard assortment of goodies, including a soundtrack, art book and poster map. The highlight ... is the Seraphim miniature, thanks to its exquisite workmanship, accurate portrayal of the human form and the curvaceous suit of armor.Sacred 2 Collector's Edition Contents Sacred 2 Game Disc Art Book Seraphim Miniature Double-sided 50x50 cm Poster Map of Ancaria Soundtrack CD
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel pushed into Q2 2009
Fat loot aficionados won't be happy to hear that the console debut of Sacred 2: Fallen Angel has been pushed into Q2 2009. Originally, the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game were slated to release alongside the PC version, but delays forced developer Ascaron to focus on one platform. Sure, we're upset that our plundering and level grinding will be put on hold, but considering the bumps in the road Sacred 2 hit when it released on PC last November, we wouldn't mind a few extra months of development. What bumps, you ask? Things like game crashes, flip-book style framerates and wacky collision detection that sent players hurling through terrain, into the empty world below. Small stuff, really.
Plenty of horsing around in latest Sacred 2 screens
Fresh from the developer oven and cooled just enough for immediate consumption are five new Sacred 2: Fallen Angel screenshots from the Xbox 360 version. There isn't much terribly new to be seen in the screens, but they do focus on both the Temple Guardian and Seraphim characters. What we find most interesting is the Star Wars Wheel Bike inspired Monowheel and the horse screenshot, mainly because we are fans of most all equine. Enjoy the screens. Gallery: Sacred 2: Fallen Angel
Video: Sacred 2, CGI and an old dude
Here's some CGI trailer goodness, brought to you by developer Ascaron and their upcoming action role playing fantasy Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. Embedded above is the game's introductory video which is 100% CGI and 100% back story informative. There's also skeleton warrior mutilation, a giant rock monster, a metal dog-looking character that shoots laser from its arm and a chick that rides a giant tiger. Rawr?
Sacred 2 hits North America Feb 17, 2009, Atari distributes
After the annoucement that Sacred 2: Fallen Angel has been delayed into 2009, Atari has announced a multi-year distribution deal with cdv, the European publisher of the game. Atari will bring Sacred 2 to the North American market, along with future titles from the publisher. Sacred 2 will be hitting North American soil on February 17, 2009. So, for everyone out there awaiting a decent multiplayer dungeon crawl, mark your calendars, and try not to get confused by the new Atari logo on the box. Everyone else, move along.
360 version of Sacred 2 pushed to Q1 2009
You know, a few months ago, we might have been sad to report that the dungeon crawling action of Sacred 2: Fallen Angel has been pushed back to the first quarter of 2009, but seriously, have you seen all the releases dropping this holiday? Yeah, so have we. Just trying to afford a few of these games is already hard enough. We don't need Ascaron's impressive looking action RPG thrown on top of everything else. Then again, next year brings us heavy hitters like Resident Evil 5 and Halo Wars. Our wallets may never be safe.[Thanks, Ryan]
New Sacred 2 trailer shows off 4 player co-op
It's been a while since we last heard about Sacred 2, but now that the Games Convention is underway in Leipzig, it's the perfect time for German developer Ascaron to roll out a brand new trailer. Lest you've missed our previous coverage of the game, Sacred 2 is a dungeon crawling RPG in the vein of Baldur's Gate and Diablo. Oh, and it's real purdy too. The trailer is a bit schizophrenic, what with the crazy fast motion and the like, but sharp-eyed observers will see detailed environments and characters, including a female warrior that appears to be wearing high heels. The trailer also promises over 500 quests and open world to explore. Oh, and genre fans should take note: four player co-op. Sacred 2 will be hitting the Xbox 360 this November.
Dungeon crawler goodness: New Sacred 2 footage
Okay, so maybe we're not getting a 360 version of Diablo 3 (or maybe we are), but that doesn't mean we can't get our dungeon crawling fix. Of course, there is Too Human coming in August. Too Human is sci-fi though. What about strict fantasy fans? For them, we have Sacred 2. In development for quite some time now -- we first saw it at GDC 07 -- Sacred 2 looks to give fans of dungeon crawling something to smile about. We were impressed with the game when we saw it at this year's GDC, and these videos are looking even better. While the amount of gameplay seen in these two videos is pretty small, what's there looks very pretty. Oh, and did we mention that Sacred 2 will have 4-player online co-op? Yeah, well it will.
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel announced for PS3
Click for high-resolution image. German RPG developer Ascaron Entertainment, has announced their upcoming action RPG, Sacred 2: Fallen Angel will be hitting the PS3 this fall. "Role-playing game enthusiasts have always been strongly represented on the PLAYSTATION® platforms, and we are delighted to offer a version of Sacred 2: Fallen Angel for the PlayStation® 3," said Heiko tom Felde, Managing Director of Ascaron Entertainment GmbH. "We've been working on this version for more than a year, and can now proudly reveal it and its new features, to an entirely new audience."Previously announced for PC and Xbox 360, the PS3 version of Sacred 2 will featured "enhanced graphics," drop-in co-op play and other online multiplayer modes. Through the drop-in co-op play, players can simply pick up an extra controller and press Start to jump in. According to the press release, "the controls and interface have been developed from scratch for the PLAYSTATION 3 to ensure fluid and intuitive game play optimized for the platform throughout." The first images of the PS3 version can be found in our gallery.%Gallery-26210%
X3F TV: Sacred 2 hands-on
It's time for the second installment of X3F TV everyone. For this episode, we have hands-on impressions of Sacred 2 from GDC08. Longtime readers may remember that we saw the game at GDC07 last year. We can honestly say that the fantasy hack-and-slash has come a long way during the last year. But why waste words when a video can tell you so much more? Enjoy our video hands-on and tell us what you think. Subscribers to the Xbox 360 Fancast will also receive the video via their aggregator of choice and the M4V file can be downloaded directly as well, so feel free to watch it on your favorite personal media player (in a much higher resolution).[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes.[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in Zune Marketplace.[RSS] Add the Xbox 360 Fanboy Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[M4V] Download the M4V directly.
A closer look at Sacred 2
Eurogamer recently got a chance to sit down and play the latest build of Sacred 2 from Ascaron Entertainment. It seems the game has made some strides since we got some hands-on time with it earlier this year. While we've covered most of the game's features before (huge game world, heavy customization, mounts, etc.) Eurogamer comes away with a few new details. One feature we particularly like is the magic system. As players level up their spells, they are given several customization options, rather than getting pre-determined upgrades. As an example, Eurogamer looks at a basic fireball spell. When leveling up your fireball, you might choose to simply upgrade the spell in its current form, or you might choose to have it cast three fireballs instead, or even turn it into a homing fireball. With systems like this in place, even two characters of the same class can play in dramatically different ways. If there is one thing hack-and-slash action games need, it's variety. Hit the "read" link for the full preview.
Video: Sacred 2 trailer and first look
After getting some play time with Ascaron's Sacred 2 last week at GDC, we also got our hands on two videos of the game. The first one, embedded above, is the official trailer for Sacred 2, featuring some CG cutscenes and some gameplay towards the end. The style should be familiar to fans of hack n' slash games like Diablo and Baldur's Gate. The second video is a first look preview that showcases some of the game's features. Sacred 2 features a seamless world (with no loading screens), 100 different suits of armor (with interchangeable pieces), and 40 weapon types. Watch the first look after the break.
GDC 07: Sacred 2 hands on preview
The last day of GDC tends to be the slowest, so we understandably pleased to get a chance to play Sacred 2: Fallen Angel from Ascaron Entertainment. Sacred 2 is an action RPG title in development for both the PC and Xbox 360. The game features co-operative gameplay for up to four players in an open world environment. The game plays more or less like most action RPGs, with the action seen from a distant third person perspective. Fans of games like Baldur's Gate and Diablo will have a pretty good idea of what to expect. We spoke with Ascaron's Heiko tom Felde to learn about what sets Sacred 2 apart.
