Sacred Citadel, developed by Southend Interactive and published by Deep Silver, is a side-scrolling beat 'em up game set in the world of the Sacred series. While it tries to capture the essence of classic beat 'em up games like Golden Axe and Streets of Rage, it ultimately falls short in terms of gameplay and depth.
One of the major issues with Sacred Citadel is its lackluster combat system. The controls are clunky and unresponsive, making it difficult to pull off combos or execute precise movements. The repetitive button-mashing quickly becomes tiresome and lacks the satisfying impact that you would expect from a beat 'em up game.
Another aspect that hampers the gameplay is the lack of enemy variety. Throughout the game, you'll encounter the same types of enemies over and over again, which makes the combat feel monotonous and uninspired. There are a few boss battles thrown in, but even those fail to provide any real challenge or excitement.
Furthermore, Sacred Citadel lacks depth in terms of character progression and customization. While you can choose from a handful of different characters, each with their own unique abilities and weapons, there is little room for growth or customization beyond that. The abilities and weapons feel shallow and underdeveloped, leaving the player craving for more depth in their character's development.
Visually, Sacred Citadel is colorful and stylized, but the art style feels generic and lacks the attention to detail that would make it stand out. The environments lack variety and the character models lack the level of detail and polish that you would expect from a modern beat 'em up game.
In terms of multiplayer, Sacred Citadel does offer the option to play cooperatively with up to three other players, which can add some chaotic fun to the otherwise bland gameplay. However, the lack of online multiplayer limits the accessibility and longevity of the multiplayer experience.
Overall, Sacred Citadel is a lackluster beat 'em up game that fails to capture the spirit and excitement of the genre. With clunky controls, repetitive combat, and a lack of depth, it falls short in nearly every aspect. While it may appeal to die-hard fans of the genre who are desperate for a beat 'em up fix, most players will find themselves quickly bored and disappointed. If you're looking for a satisfying beat 'em up experience, it's best to look elsewhere.
