We've been covering Sacred 2 for quite some time on here now, first the PC versions, and now the consoles. With the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 version coming early this spring, the folks at CDV have put together something we wish EVERY company would do to help define the cooperative experience.
CDV has laid out every single multiplayer menu option and mode available out of the box for Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. Some highlights include stat tracking, seamless transition from single player to co-op and the ability to copy your characters to a USB stick to bring them to a friends house!
Read on for the full details. After your done be sure to check out our interview!
How Multiplayer Will Work on the Playstation 3
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel offers competitive and cooperative multiplayer on the PlayStation 3, and as such, we wanted to give you an overview of how it will work. So here goes...
The Main Menu -
The easiest way to start a game of Sacred 2 on your PlayStation 3 is to select the Continue option in the main menu. This will start a private game with the last character you played. However, you can easily invite friends or open your private game to the public whenever you like later on. Indeed, Sacred 2's online flexibility makes joining an online game seamless and without interruption.
Essentially, you do not have to decide immediately whether or not you want to play online; just choose a join policy (Public, Friend Only, or Private/Invitation Only). Regardless, you will be able to begin play immediately. If and when other users join your game, they will join you where you are in the game and the game itself will adjust itself to ensure a challenge for the now-larger party of adventurers.
If your PlayStation 3 is online, Sacred 2 will automatically log in so stats can be tracked and so you can make your game available for other players (if you so wish).
Design Principles
Sacred 2 does not discern between 'single player' and 'multiplayer' modes; actually, Single Player is seen as a 'special' type of multiplayer game:
- If you start a game in Single Player mode, you can always allow other players to enter the game. This also works within the Story campaign.
- Players can join your campaign or free play whenever they like, and can likewise leave whenever they like. Enemy spawning and loot always adjusts according to the number of current players.
- If a new game is started, the console acts as server and client at the same time. No external server is necessary.
The Cooperative Play Mode (Native Multiplayer)
In Cooperative Play, the following modes are supported:
Campaign
The players can follow the game's storyline cooperatively. All quests (main and side) are available.
Free Mode
A cooperative mode that allows unlimited gameplay without having to follow a storyline (only side quests will be active). This is interesting for users who want to have access to the entire game world without the need of unlocking regions or bosses through the storyline.
Note: Cooperative Play can be mixed with External Multiplayer mode; see the next section for details.
External Multiplayer Mode
If you start a game while connected to the Internet via the PlayStation Network, your game is automatically created as an online game. For Campaign and Free Mode, you define the joining policy (Public, Friends Only, or Invitation Only). The joining policy and number of players allowed can be changed while playing.
Campaign and Free Mode
(See above)
Multiplayer PvE Arena
Fight in Cooperation Mode against several waves of specific groups of enemies in an arena setting to gain a higher reputation in the Arena Leaderboard. (This Mode might not be included in the release version; if it is not, it should be added as a feature patch shortly after release.)
Multiplayer PvP Arena
Battle against another player in an arena setting to to gain a higher reputation in the on the PvP Leaderboards. (This Mode might not be included in the release version; if it is not, it should be added as a feature patch shortly after release.)
Characters
- Your character can be used in all offline and online modes. Characters are stored on the hard disk and can only be used by the player who created the character.
- You can copy your character to a USB memory stick or USB drive. This way, the character can be played anywhere; simply take the memory stick with you to, say, a friend's house and you can play your character there.
- Created characters can be used in all game modes. For example, you can start a Story campaign, then join a Free Roaming Multiplayer game, then return to continue the Story afterwards.
- All advances a character makes in any game mode will be stored in the character's save game file.
- No closed network is required as characters are stored with a powerful encryption. Also, online save games are stored using online storage to avoid save game duplication or cheating.
- A character can join the story of a session creator, but will always keep their own story which can be continued if a game is created with this character.