Sacred 2: Fallen Angel first launched back in 2008
— remember those days? We had PlayStation 3s and Xbox 360s stacked beside the TV, game discs lined up on shelves, and “subscription services” weren’t yet eating the industry alive. The world felt simpler then — maybe even kinder — and Sacred 2 fit that time perfectly.
It was a classic Diablo-style action RPG, viewed from an isometric perspective and built around frantic, button-mashing combat. You’d spend as much time hammering the potion button as the attack one, trying to survive wave after wave of enemies. Nearly every quest boiled down to “kill X enemies” or “collect Y items,” and you’d do a lot of both — grinding, leveling, and slowly unlocking tougher challenges as you ventured deeper into its enormous world.
And enormous it was. Sacred 2 was a true behemoth — a massive, unapologetic grind that somehow felt endlessly cathartic. You could fire it up, smash some monsters, grab shiny new loot, and feel the day’s stress melt away. Its vastness gave it a lasting appeal; even today, it still feels huge. You could step away for weeks, come back, and pick up right where you left off.
That simplicity was its charm. Sacred 2 wasn’t trying to tell a grand story — it just wanted to give you a sprawling playground full of monsters, loot, and humor. The quirky characters and light tone made it feel like a Dungeons & Dragons campaign run by a DM who really, really liked combat. Without the gothic heaviness of Diablo, it was the perfect game for when you wanted something lighter but still satisfying.
I loved Sacred 2 so much that I tried buying it again on Steam years later (my PS3 long retired), only to discover it wouldn’t run properly. So when I heard about the remaster, I was thrilled.
Unfortunately — or maybe fittingly — the remaster keeps all the original’s quirks. The bugs are back: disappearing NPCs, floating characters, broken ranged attacks, flying enemies that become immortal until you reload, and quest icons that vanish and reappear at random. On the bright side, the game now runs smoothly and rarely crashes, and most bugs are more funny than frustrating. Precision was never Sacred 2’s strong suit, and it still isn’t.
Visually, the remaster sharpens things up. Character models are still blocky, but everything’s clearer. The biggest improvement is the new camera option: you can now zoom in for a behind-the-back view. The old PS3 version locked you to an isometric angle, which made close-up play impractical. The new perspective adds immersion, though tall scenery can block your view — luckily, you can always zoom back out.
The developers also tout “refined combat and UI.” I can’t remember the original’s details well enough to compare, but the remaster feels smooth and responsive. There’s no multiplayer this time, which is a shame for such a loot-heavy RPG, but I played solo back in the day — and that nostalgia hits just fine.
In the end, Sacred 2 Remastered isn’t going to win new converts. It’s a simple, grindy, button-mashing RPG with a throwaway story — and that’s exactly the point. If you enjoy that old-school loop of fighting, looting, and leveling, you’ll easily lose dozens of hours here. Fans of Diablo-likes or charmingly rough “Eurojank” titles like Risen, Gothic, or ELEX will find plenty to enjoy.
For those of us who were there the first time around, though, it’s a nostalgic return to simpler gaming days — warts, bugs, and all.