Sacred 2 is one of those games that's often praised, despite being extremely mediocre in it's own genre. In fairness, it is not a *bad* games by any means, but it is nothing more then a functional Hack-n-Slash. The biggest problem being the fact that, even for a game of this type, the actual combat isn't particularly good. The animations are average at best (and more often then not subpar). Attacks feel floaty and lack any weight or impact. This goes for both your character and the enemies being hit. This, combined with how basic, bland and limited the combat system is creates a recipe for monotony. Compared even to Diablo 1, the combat is distinctly unsatisfying, which isn't good considering that's all Sacred 2 really brings to the table beyond a massive, but completely generic, fantasy world. Sacred 2 came out when there was something of a drought in decent games of this type, and that's the only reason I can imagine for some of the praise that's heaped on it. At the thing it does best, at it's best, it's average. At everything else, world building, story, character interaction, voice acting, it's well *below* the standards of the genre, and those standards are really, really low, being a hack-n-slash. Lastly, the loot. There is loot. There is much loot with cool stats, but again... the bland visuals, dull combat and weak spell effects take much of the joy out of it, beyond the raw damage and stat numbers attached to each piece.
Some games are punished for not being Spectacular, instead of rewarded for being Good. Some games are maligned for having the same flaws as larger, triple A titles without receiving the slack those same games receive. Brutal Legend is one such game. The following is less of a blow by blow review of Brutal Legend, but rather a response to some of the most frequent criticisms often unfairly heaped on the game. 1. Brutal Legend is the sort of game that tries to do a little of everything, and does nothing exceptionally well except for the general atmosphere and story of the setting itself. 2. Brutal Legend doesn't actually FAIL at any of those things. Is the Combat excellent? No, but it's good. Is the driving great? No, but it's good. Even the pseudo-real-time strategy sections are perfectly functional and, dare I say it, entertaining. 3. Brutal Legend, for whatever flaws it might have, delivers a truly unique setting, a world crafted with a great deal of love and attention to detail. Simply put, there is nothing like Brutal Legend and most likely never will be again. It's a living, breathing love letter to Metal fans. It's just that, for whatever reason, it's one of those games that mercilessly crucified for every conceivable flaw when other games, with many of those same issues, are given a free pass.
Jade Empire is one of those games who's reputation is harmed by an overly rabid fanbase. Hardcore bioware loyalist who set expectations far too high. Graphically, the game looked beautiful on the Xbox when it first launched and still looks decent today. The fighting system, while fun, is extremely simplistic, bordering on being shallow. Jade Empires greatest's strengths are it's story and setting, and both suffer for the same reason. The game is entirely too short for the story that Bioware was trying to tell. The last acts of the story are extremely rushed, and while it would be an exaggeration to say Jade was *unfinished* it definitely feels like the final third of the story was simply cut out, removed. That's really the core of all the games issues. It feels like the foundation for something greater that never came to be. The combat system is the outer shell of what could have been developed into something truly engaging. The storyline feels like the first two acts of a four or five act tale. The actual game world lacks any true feeling of expansiveness and exploration. You state in a village, move on to a town and end in a city. From the time you start your adventure, to the moment it ends, it feels more like a stroll to the corner store then an epic journey across an exotic land.
