14 DAY TRIAL // One of the designers who worked on the recently released arcade hack-and-slash title Sacred 3 stated that the different direction that the sequel took from its more complex predecessors was dictated by publisher Deep Silver's marketing department.
Former Keen Games Junior Game Designer Sascha Wagentrotz posted a message on the Steam Community page for Sacred 3, apologizing to fans of the Sacred series disappointed that they didn't get the game they wanted to have.
"I'm sorry for the die-hard sacred fans, that didn't get the game they wanted to have. The marketing department of Deep Silver was the only one with enough power to change the direction of the franchise," Wagentrotz stated.
He posted the free Steam key that he got for working on the game as a symbolic gesture to disappointed fans, revealing that the story and dialogues were outsourced, and that player actions were limited to accommodate couch co-op action, at the request of "the most influential stakeholder of the game."
Sacred 3 was released on August 1 in Europe, and August 5 in North America, for the Windows PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms, and has received mixed reviews at best, with many criticizing the fact that it is a big letdown not only for the fact that it shares little with the Sacred series, but also for being a mediocre hack-and-slash action game as well.
If you're interested in finding out more about the game, you can read our review of Sacred 3.