You can blame Diablo 2. Released in 2000, Blizzard's seminal hack'n'slash roleplaying game was of such high quality that it scared off most competitors. Only 2005's low-key PC title Titan Quest and last year's Sacred 2 have come close to mimicking its addictive charms. And that's on the PC.
Console owners have had even less chance to play, so the release of Sacred 2 on the 360/PS3 is good news. The action is viewed mainly from above, with your character battling through a cliched – yet pretty – fantasy world. Quests involve killing, fetching and escorting and the rewards allow you to upgrade your character's stats and gear. Simple, yes, but addictively effective. Online play works well too, with four players able to play together.
But there is a lack of polish; the tutorial is ineffective, and inventory management – crucial in a game like this – is woefully inadequate. But despite this, the lure of exploring a huge world with friends is hard to ignore.
