Sacred 2: Fallen Angel Review--
With all the level grinding that's gone on since Diablo got everyone hooked in the '90s, you'd think that people might have gotten tired by now of slaying, earning, and collecting greater and greater piles of stuff. But, there's still something addictive about that process of gradually building up a character, and, while it's far from perfect, Sacred 2: Fallen Angel has what it takes to make you fall off the wagon again.
The Evils of T-Energy
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel ReviewSacred 2 takes place in the world of Ancaria, a lush and verdant place that's been corrupted by the use of a mysterious blue goop called T-Energy. The stuff has leaked out all over the place, spoiling the land, and spawning an endless stream of evil critters and apparitions. The forests, plains, and mountains are littered with giant insects, chattering kobolds, undead skeletons, and more, all in overwhelming numbers that a single person couldn't possibly hope to overcome.
But that's just what you'll try to do through the game's mostly forgettable main quest that, for most gamers, will become an afterthought once they're presented with a couple-dozen side objectives to complete. Quests litter the giant in-game map and will have you zigzagging from place to place, finding someone's teddy bear lost deep in a cave here before rescuing another person's husband over there, and on and on. Indicators on the main- and mini-maps make it easy to plot your routes, and while a number of warp gates makes it a little quicker to get around, you'll find yourself doing an awful lot of walking from place to place.
Until you get a mount, that is. There are six base characters to start from here, each with its own means of advanced transport to be unlocked (ranging from tigers to fancy unicycles), and naturally each with its own unique look and abilities. There's a warrior mage class, a cyborg defender, an Inquisition-worthy dark warlock, and few others that hardly fit into the standard fighter/ranger/spell caster templates you might expect, but cover all the bases quite well. There's no real customization up front as you start the game; that comes as you gain experience, earn a few levels, and start spreading some attribute points around.

Another Fix for Grinding Addicts
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel doesn't really do anything new or particularly better than any other level grinding RPG out there, but it does it all quite well and offers a massive world that will take ages to explore fully. If you're the type who needs a strong story and compelling characters to get sucked in, it's safe to say this isn't your game. But, if you usually go running in the opposite direction of the main quest in order to make your own adventure, you'll find plenty of that here.