Sacred 2 - Hands On Preview @ IGN

IGN has posted their impressions of an early look at a multiplayer model of Sacred 2:Fallen Angel, Ascaron's sequel to their popular action rpg, Sacred :

 Drop everything and pay attention: in Sacred 2: Fallen Angel you can ride giant tigers...

...So, without further ado, let's talk about not riding giant tigers - because you can only do that in the single-player game, which we weren't allowed to have a go at.

Yes, during our brief hands-on with the game, we didn't get to straddle any big cats. We did, however, sample the game's four-player battle mode, offering a taste of how the combat works in Sacred 2. In multiplayer, each player begins by choosing one of four different characters - Dryad, Shadow Warrior, High Elf and Seraphim. We tried playing as all four and, to be honest, the only significant differences appeared to be cosmetic. For instance, the Shadow Warrior is a brutish bloke with heavy armour while the Dryad is a female warrior dressed a bit like a Native American...

...Anyway, having picked characters, all four players are transported to a randomly selected battle area. We played across both a lush green forest area and desert setting, replete with canyons and dried-up river beds. Once there, players have five minutes to kill as many enemies as possible. You see, the aim of battle mode is to build up your character's strength - by bashing monsters - before heading to a gladiator-style arena and taking on your fellow players in a fight to the death. If you've killed lots of foes, you can improve your abilities (including a magic fireball) and collect better weapons, which all help in the PvP scrap...

...In all frankness, we've played more thrilling things in our time and would have much preferred the opportunity to tackle Sacred 2's single-player mode - if only to ride that giant tiger. However, Sacred 2 could still shape up to be an interesting addition to [the] glut of RPGs available on PC and we're eager for some extended hands-on time with the main adventure.