Sacrifice

• publisher: htttp://www.interplay.com/
• developer: https://www.shiny.com/

Until recently, game developers have been somewhat limited in the types of games that they could put out. Limited, not by their creative imaginations, but rather by the computers and hardware of the general public. The common person's puny Pentium system rarely had enough power to run the beautiful games originally created on the Silicon Graphics Workstations. Unfortunately, because of this, the developers could not always make a game what they really wanted to it to be.

[images]

But the times, they are a-changing. With the development of the 1GHz processor coming and becoming available to the public and the newest generations of 3D cards coming out (such as the Voodoo 5), the home computer can now handle almost anything those developers can think up.

This seems to be the basis behind Shiny Entertainment's new 3D multiplayer RTS game, Sacrifice. In this game, the gamer will control a powerful wizard vying to control the world. Of course you won't be playing with only lighting and spells; these wizards will also be able to control huge armies of creates and various powers of nature.

The game will feature multiple, crystal clear landscapes, all of which are affected by the battle. Your wizard can battle up to 4 other wizards in various landscapes ruled by five gods. These landscapes are vast, floating islands, whose composition and architecture are defined by the gods themselves. The wizards can cast spells to summon creatures to fight for them or simply opt to destroy their opponents and their creatures using attack magic in the form of over 50 different spells. You can even cast spells that harness the elements to alter the landscape or the weather system, plunging your opponents into a newly created canyon, or blasting them with a bolt of highly charged lightning. The only rule is that if your Altar (home base) is destroyed, then your game is over.

[images]

One of the most anticipated features of Sacrifice is its use of the creatures within the game. There are several different categories of creatures ranging from Demons, and other evil rascals, to hulking brutes and giant Dragons that can launch themselves into the air. Many of the creatures have the ability to use magic, and can be formed into large groups and sent to attack. The developers promise that Sacrifice will feature intense battle experiences while maintaining resource management and technology research. These types of battles will be a vital part of both single and multiplayer modes.

Unlike other real time strategy games Sacrifice does not emphasize complicated resource management and technology trees. Although resource management does exist in Sacrifice it is designed to be simple and consume very little time. Sacrifice places the emphasis squarely on combat and it is through combat that players gain additional resources and gain access to new creatures and spells.

Complementing this emphasis on combat is the technology behind Sacrifice. Sacrifice allows players to experience a real sense of scale as it places them down on the battlefield to witness the destruction of massive towers and the birth of titanic creatures. All of these factors combine to provide the player with a real sense of immersion allowing them to concentrate on combat, providing a faster and more rewarding game experience.

[images]
By taking a look at these fantastic (I mean really awesome) screenshots, you can tell that Sacrifice is going to be a jaw-dropping good game in the graphics department. But one has to wonder if Sacrifice will face the same demise as games like Draken which also had superb graphics (and a hot babe), but never really achieved the success it was supposed to.