Sacred Citadel Xbox 360
Metascore
64 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 18 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 18
  3. Negative: 1 out of 18
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  1. Gaming Age
    May 6, 2013
    83
    It's a good solo game, but I strongly suggest plaything with friends for a richer experience.
  2. Game Revolution
    Apr 19, 2013
    80
    If you're in the mood for a solid 2D brawler that will keep you and your friends entertained for hours on end, I strongly recommend you give this game a look. Sacred Citadel takes the genre in an exciting direction forward, proving that older genres still have a place in the industry. Seriously, check this one out. You won't be disappointed.
  3. Game Over Online
    Apr 18, 2013
    80
    Sacred Citadel offers up a lot of fun for beat-em-up fans, with a surprisingly high amount of depth in its gameplay making replaying stages with each character type something you’ll come to enjoy instead of dread like it many other beat-em-ups.
  4. GameFocus
    May 13, 2013
    70
    Fans may struggle with the genre shift, but Sacred Citadel is exactly what it set out to be: A pick-up-and-play side-scroller where button-mashing trumps anything resembling narrative depth.
  5. NowGamer
    Apr 30, 2013
    70
    It's feisty, fun and co-op friendly, so as pick-and-play brawlers go, there's little to complain about with Sacred Citadel. Make the trek on your own, however, and it's a slightly different story owing to a rinse-and-repeat sameness that's harder to deny when it's just you eyeballing the same old swarms of enemies over and over again.
  6. GamesRadar
    Apr 23, 2013
    70
    Sacred Citadel’s obvious finale will leave you wondering why it shipped with a half-baked story. Thankfully, the enjoyable combat steals the spotlight, though it doesn’t come away unblemished.
  7. InsideGamer.nl
    May 5, 2013
    68
    Sacred Citadel is a sound beat 'm up with RPG elements. The game looks a lot like Castle Crashers but offers just a little bit more moves and variation with different playable classes. It's just a shame that your character will get overpowered later on, and the game loses all of its challenge.
  8. Impulsegamer
    Apr 28, 2013
    65
    Graphically it's a good looking title and the gameplay is sturdy, although does become repetitive. To fully immerse yourself into this experience, you really need to play with others.
  9. Official Xbox Magazine
    Apr 26, 2013
    65
    The visuals and consciously retro soundtrack show a sense of style, but Sacred Citadel lacks the heart that defines the greatest brawlers. Use it to scratch an itch if you must, but if you’re new to action-RPGs, XBLA games like Castle Crashers and Guardian Heroes will prove far more rewarding.
  10. MondoXbox
    Apr 24, 2013
    65
    A classical beat-em up to enjoy some time alone or with friends. Too bad for the weak and inadequately developed story, something that could have been the true value of the game.
  11. Post Arcade (National Post)
    Apr 22, 2013
    65
    I can’t help but think, though, that Sacred Citadel would have failed to maintain my interest had it not managed to induce such strong Golden Axe nostalgia.
  12. 3DJuegos
    Apr 22, 2013
    64
    An enjoyable but, at the same time, short and a bit repetitive brawler experience with a solid co-op feature.
  13. IGN
    Apr 30, 2013
    59
    A dispirited attempt at marrying the best of old-school brawlers like Streets of Rage with the obsession-inducing trappings of an action-RPG, Sacred Citadel had the potential to be so much more than it is.
  14. Canadian Online Gamers
    Apr 30, 2013
    58
    Sacred Citadel is a throwback to the glory days of arcades and side scrolling brawlers, but sadly doesn’t really capture the magic of genre classics. It’s technically competent, but suffers from repetition and a general lack of diversity and uniqueness.
  15. GamingTrend
    May 16, 2013
    57
    The folks who worked on it were certainly heading in the right direction – Sacred Citadel just doesn’t have enough polish or pull to really keep you coming back for more – an experience I’d rather had not given my bag of quarters up for.
  16. SpazioGames
    Apr 22, 2013
    55
    Too few differences between classes and a low difficulty level, plus day one DLC, make this game really too expensive for its offer.
  17. 4Players.de
    Apr 24, 2013
    50
    The good: The weak storytelling aside, Sacred Citadel doesn’t do anything wrong and ticks off every box in the fantasy-beat’em up manual that was written by Segas Golden Axe. Then again, it doesn’t do anything particularly right, either.
  18. GameOver.gr
    May 13, 2013
    40
    A simple brawler with very little to do and a quite low fun factor that serves as a "prequel" to the upcoming Sacred 3.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.2 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. bushkill
    7
    Sacred Citadel:

    Upon first discovery of this game my enthusiasm ran high. A new, side-scrolling hack and slash RPG with loot elements? F    resh, crisp looking graphics with a customizable character? It's a Sacred Game and Deep Silver has a hand in it?? yes. I was excited.
    As a pretty big fan of side scrolling brawlers going as far back as; Streets of Rage (2 especially), Battletoads, Golden Axe, etc.. and the Sacred series in general.. the merge sounded like... pure. journalistic. dynamite. Side Scrolling Sacred I thought.
    And if I remember correctly Deep Silver was also involved with Risen which was a great Gothic "sequel" so it's all on point!

    Well I was mistaken. Sorry but it just ain't worth the money for the Microsoft Points.

    Graphics: Cartoony graphics are great and all. But for me they just are not cutting it with Sacred Citadel. I would have loved to see realistic graphics over this menagerie of broad strokes, smooth edged, just downright bland graphical style lacking much of anything for the eye to lock on to. Sacred Citadel does have the look of a pretty painting at times however.

    Streets of Rage was cartoonish. Yet it was drawn with a certain amount of realism. The characters in Streets of Rage, all the way back then, also felt like they had... weight. Yes, weight. In Sacred Citadel it feels as though when your character runs, they are floating on the game world but not standing in it. Dust clouds were added at your feet with some scarce footsteps but it ain't enough.
    Except for when out of combat where the game goes just straight up 2D and you jump chasms or up cliff faces, boxes, and the like. Things handle fine there.

    Combat: Mash X,Y and occasionally B. Things light on fire and freeze, or turn green. All pretty effects but just really being splashed around, busying up the screen. Though that isn't necessarily all bad. Some decently cool looking weapons for your char and the big enemies really are what's good.

    Oh and the loot? Well yes, as enemies are killed they drop new swords, axes, etc. to slay foes.
    Meh. It's a bunch of crap where the armor doesn't even change the appearance of the character? Just some numbers that i figure you can grind for to raise. Could have been left out altogether. Same as the crystals which have a time limit; further adding to needless micro management. However the idea of filling my defense and magic char stats as my Mage levels up, growing in power, is satisfying.

    The story, whatever it is, was implemented in such a style that it was placed there to be skipped. All I can figure is sometimes it's there to stop the flow of game, making the game take slightly longer to beat, and being a good "tap A" workout routine.

    Sound: Some old school gamer sounding riffs for chopping to, and some transient laid back melody to shop to in town. Sound effects are standard. Sound acting that is very easily skippable. It's a perfect blend of mediocrity. OK title screen tune as well.

    Multiplayer: Yes it's there and should be mandatory with any game of the genre!! I'm glad the multiplayer is here, really I am, but if they put this game out without multiplayer I wouldn't touch it.
    Bastion...smh. Torchlight... smh. Deathspank?! ....local co-op crap.

    Finally then, with the underlying fact of the 1200 microsoft point price tag and the horrible xbox feature that without an internet connection all I can play is the demo, I'd say..
    Save that scratch$$!!™
    Unless maybe you got 2 other people willing to buy the game as well and can synchronize times to play through together....

    It just ain't worth the points...    … Full Review »
  2. lpgabriel
    8
    Sacred Citadel is a pretty decent beat 'em up, and one of the best of its genre in XBLA.

    Graphics and animations are well crafted and cool     to watch.

    Story is silly but still funny, although it seems to have little to do with the other Sacred games.

    Gameplay is pretty solid, there are plenty of combos to unlock during the game, all of them mixing the X and Y buttons, these make up for the basic 3-hit combo that the players are forced to use early in the game, making things less repetitive and more dynamic. Also, the evade/roll is one of the most useful moves in the game, especially during boss fights.

    The loot system is great too, letting you choose which weapon to replace on the fly, using the bumper buttons, helps keeping the fast pace of the game.

    There's an item shop, which helps those players who let their co-op partners pick up all the good items first (believe me, this happens quite a lot, especially if you're playing with strangers).

    Overall, this game is a great addition to the XBLA library, specially the beat 'em up one, which have failed to provide good games since the 2010's awesome Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
    If you are a fan of beat 'em ups, rpg elements and looting like Castle Crashers, go buy this one!!    … Full Review »
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