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Sacrifice

EMAIL PRINT pc

9.4 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 31 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 23 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Interplay

Developer: Shiny

Genre(s): Real-Time Strategy, Action

Players: 4

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: November 16, 2000

Summary

Sacrifice provides a truly fresh approach in the 3-D RTS genre, allowing players to act as both commander and combatant over huge, real-time, generated landscapes in single or multiplayer modes. Wizards will not be disappointed as Sacrifice serves up over 50 spells and creatures. [Interplay]

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What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)

If William Blake made a videogame, it would be this. If that isn't a recommendation, nothing is.

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100

Yahoo! Games

Shiny has taken an interesting concept and come up with a polished implementation which combines superior gameplay and sheer style.

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100

GamePro

Sacrifice weaves together an intricate story, addictive gameplay, and drop-dead gorgeous graphics.

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100

Four Fat Chicks

You find a spectacularly violent and wonderfully thrilling adventure composed of epic, earth-shattering battles between deities' champions, fought in a dreamlike landscape as weird and varied as it is beautiful.

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100

Computer Games Magazine

Gorgeous, polished, groundbreaking, and a lot of other impressive-sounding adjectives, but it's also chaotic and lacking in the precise micro-management and complex planning that endears many people to the genre.

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Gamer's Pulse

No matter how smooth, pretty or great sounding a game is, if it ain't got that swing it ain't got a thing. Sacrifice has swing, oh lordy, it has swing.

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Antagonist

Simply put, this is the best and most innovative strategy game ever created. Period.

GamerWeb PC

The sheer size of the single player game is worth the purchase price alone, as is the multiplayer. Perhaps a lesser company would have sold the two separately -- since they're equally marketable and attractive.

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Electric Playground

Sure to be copied by many games to come, Sacrifice’s easy interface and complex play mechanics prove that Shiny’s creativity and desire to push the limits of gaming have produced another solid title that lives up to the hype.

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IGN

A hugely robust game overflowing with character and creativity. Sacrifice shines like a freaky star in a field of overused ideas and clones. Go get it.

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Game Over Online

Simply a brilliant game. Sacrifice seems to be a relatively flawless experience, perhaps because there's nothing like it out there, but also because this game exhumes quality.

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GameSpy

But the manner in which all the little pieces were brought together to create a whole that is truly greater than its parts is a tribute to the design skills of the team at Shiny.

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ActionTrip

I loved every minute of it.

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Game Revolution

Clever, innovative, deliciously creative, and just about the prettiest thing I've ever seen. The graphics are simply astounding and remarkably scalable to work on older systems... If it wore a bikini, I'd put a poster of it in my garage.

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PC Gamer

The best fully 3D real-time strategy yet. [Feb 2001, p.58]

Happy Puppy

The AI is sharp, and even if it wasn't, you'd have to admire the tight multiplayer coding and thrilling multiplayer games offered on Sacrifice's free server.

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GMR Magazine

Action/strategy hybrid defies the conventions of all the genres it touches, while making for a fantastically original multiplayer experience. [Feb 2003, p.94]

TotalGames.net

For those that have completed the game the credits are one of the funniest things I have ever seen in a game. The credits run on for quite a while and almost make having completed the game an afterthought.

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CNET Gamecenter

From its open-ended campaign and mind-searing graphics to its wide variety of multiplayer options, Sacrifice is one of those few games that manage to do just about everything right.

Adrenaline Vault

Despite a few minor control problems that crop up during battles, Sacrifice emerges unscathed with graphics, sound, gameplay and artificial intelligence that are all of extremely high caliber.

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Armchair Empire

It looks amazing. But this game isn’t just a pretty face, the deep gameplay and replay value catapult this title head and shoulders above the crowd.

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Daily Radar

The few weaknesses come from repetitive gameplay in the single-player game, simplistic tactics that often boil down to "get 'em," and steep system requirements.

FiringSquad

Even a four-player free-for-all is an intense scramble - as action-packed as any RTS gets, with players being forced into an aggressive stance that leads to a panoply of crazy and fun situations.

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GameSpot

It can take you awhile to learn the game, and some of the elements of the combat may occasionally prove unwieldy, but most everything else about Sacrifice is so inventive that you should be able to turn a blind eye to its shortcomings and enjoy the game for its many outstanding qualities.

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Da Gameboyz

If your system has the horsepower, this game allows you to experience the current limits in 3D gaming technology.

Gaming Age

The most original game of the year, and also one of the best.

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Evil Avatar

The most enjoyment to be had playing Sacrifice probably takes place if you come at the game with zero expectations.

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GamePower

This extremely challenging game cries out for documentation, of which there is virtually none. And the nonsensical, sometimes juvenile back-story and completely incomprehensible and disconnected scenarios spoil what could have been a more superb title.

All Game Guide

Shiny Entertainment's particular humor comes through most of the time, while the strategically satisfying scope creates a sense of anticipation on where titles such as this can possibly go in the future.

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Spank!

It's not a title with an immediate pull, you'll have to work at it to get something back, but it does present a breath of originality that we've been looking for some time.

Eurogamer

The camera view is frustrating, the controls are frustrating, the AI is frustrating, the resource system is frustrating, the missions are frustrating, and above all the fact that this game isn't half as good as we were all hoping it would be is very, very frustrating.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 9.4 (out of 10) based on 23 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

James P. gave it a10:
An Incredible game. The graphics are still increadible, the gameplay is addictive, there has not been a game made to date that matches the sheer depth of this game. 650MB is all it took Shiney to create something totally increadible. This game is one of the long lost treasures of gaming, I encourage anyone to try it and everyone to buy it. This game should have been developed now, 2009, not in 2000. People weren't ready for this thing in 2000 it did too much and said too much and played too well. This is one of the most innovative user friendly and addicting game I've ever known. It's on steam for $12, 9EUR or £6, please buy it.

Janos V. gave it a9:
This game is absolutely fantastic. The single player campaign great but you can also enjoy a skirmish by choosing local game in the multi-player menu.

Attila B gave it a10:
Possibly the best rts I have ever played. For its age this game is still awesome. Camera view is perfect. The controls are perfect the AI is perfect, the resource system is perfect, the missions are F***ing awesome and the story is engaging. I must have replayed and beat this game over 15 over in the past 5 years.

Darkfall W. gave it a10:
A True Classic. They don't make games like this anymore, and it's a true shame. This game is challenging and addictive, worth at least five playthroughs in single player mode and providing skirmish type maps in multi-player mode. Unfortunately the Internet Server is down for good, but you can still match up against the computer and enjoy a good skirmish in Multi-Player mode. For only eight dollars on steam you have got to give this game a try.

Bpy6 gave it a10:
A true classic from golden era of gaming. Challenging, epic, entertaining, innovative, I doubt we'll ever get such original games from today when casual gaming rules the industry. And more to that, Protagonist has voice of Roy Campbell from MGS, which makes if rather fun to play sometimes.

Nick R. gave it a10:
This game pioneered the 3D RTS landscape and paved the way for games such as Gloom, Natural Selection, and Savage.

[Anonymous] gave it a10:
The last truly innovative game I have played. An all-time favorite with great production values and gameplay.

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Sacrifice

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What The Critics Said

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