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Sacrifice

Sacrifice Game Cover
87%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, monetization
93% User Score Based on 480 reviews
Critic Score 60%Based on 1 reviews

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PCMac OSWindows
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Sacrifice Game Cover

About

Sacrifice is a single player and multiplayer real-time strategy game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Shiny Entertainment and was released on August 19, 2009. It received neutral reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

Sacrifice is a fantasy real-time strategy game with both single-player and multiplayer modes for up to four players. The game features an intriguing story with five distinct paths, an all-star voice cast, and stunning visuals. With its high replayability and humor, Sacrifice offers a unique and engaging experience for players.

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Sacrifice screenshot
Sacrifice screenshot
Sacrifice screenshot
Sacrifice screenshot
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Sacrifice screenshot
Sacrifice screenshot
Sacrifice screenshot
Sacrifice screenshot
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93%
Audience ScoreBased on 480 reviews
story64 positive mentions
monetization3 negative mentions
  • Unique gameplay that combines RTS and third-person action elements, allowing players to summon creatures and cast spells directly in battle.
  • Rich and engaging storyline with multiple paths and endings based on the player's choices of gods, providing high replayability.
  • Outstanding voice acting and memorable characters, including performances by well-known actors like Tim Curry and Jennifer Hale.
  • The game can be difficult to get running on modern systems, with many players experiencing crashes and compatibility issues.
  • Graphics are dated, which may deter new players who are accustomed to modern visuals.
  • The camera controls can be clunky, making it challenging to manage units effectively during chaotic battles.
  • story
    188 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Sacrifice" is widely praised for its rich, engaging narrative and innovative multi-linear structure, allowing players to choose from five gods, each offering unique missions and spells that significantly impact the gameplay and story progression. The voice acting is noted as exceptional, enhancing the overall experience, while the dark and whimsical plot features numerous twists and branching paths, providing high replayability. Despite some gameplay flaws, the compelling storyline and character depth make it a standout title in the real-time strategy genre.

    • “The plot of the game is dark, engaging, and narrated with not-exaggerated flair.”
    • “The game has a lot of flaws, but it's a good game; it definitely kept my interest and I wanted to see where the story went and how it ended. It has a lot of replay value because you get a different spell with each different god you serve during each level.”
    • “The storyline is memorable and influenced entirely by who you choose to side with, or against.”
    • “Depending on your choices, the story might unfold in many different ways, though always heading toward the same end.”
    • “Just take the fact that this is a story about a pantheon of self-absorbed and sometimes utterly callous gods using the souls of their followers as a resource to wage war against each other.”
    • “As the story goes on, the ones you didn’t choose to side with will stop offering you missions, making your choices a bit more impactful, but really the game is offering one campaign for each god, and if you want to see them all you might as well stick with one at a time.”
  • gameplay
    98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Sacrifice" is widely praised for its unique blend of real-time strategy, role-playing, and action elements, offering innovative mechanics such as unit summoning and terraforming that remain engaging even years after its release. While the graphics may feel dated, the game's charm, deep story, and dynamic gameplay mechanics compensate for this, creating a memorable experience that encourages player choice and strategy. However, some players note issues with balance and difficulty, particularly regarding resource management and mission progression.

    • “No strategy game has come close to this in terms of story, gameplay, and innovation.”
    • “The gameplay itself is innovative and quite unique both for its time and still today, and it's quite fun to basically build your own faction as you can mix and match units and spells from the different gods depending on the choices you make in the story.”
    • “Unique and engaging mechanics as well as a fun tree of creatures/skills to explore under each of the 5 different gods.”
    • “The gameplay does have its problems, however, mainly in how snowbally each mission is; once you get over the initial hurdle and gather some souls, it's usually just a downhill roll from there.”
    • “Probably most people like it for all the very nice things: music, voice acting, story, overall originality... but looking under all the shiny things, you can get uninterested rather soon considering the dated graphics, the chaotic combat that really is not too great, and the many mechanics and features that seem to have little strategic value or even significant impact on the battlefield.”
    • “I will not doubt this was a unique and milestone game at one point, but measured by today's standards, it just can't cope (gameplay/controls-wise; I do not judge it for its graphics).”
  • graphics
    98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated, reflecting its 2000 release, yet many players emphasize that the unique art style and engaging gameplay compensate for this shortcoming. While some find the visuals charmingly nostalgic, others wish for a modern remake to enhance the graphical fidelity. Overall, the consensus is that despite the outdated graphics, the game's mechanics and artistic design create a memorable experience that stands the test of time.

    • “While the game's graphical fidelity may not impress players today as much as it did back in the year 2000, the deliberately weird and otherworldly visual design gives Sacrifice an utterly unique and timeless look, with strange creatures flapping and skittering across alien landscapes as they engage in mortal combat to please the gods.”
    • “The graphics look quite good for its time (2000!), especially thanks to the character designs, but Sacrifice was also one of the first games to use anti-aliasing, terrain change, and other advanced technologies, which actually makes it feel more like a 2004-2006 game, which is quite an extraordinary achievement.”
    • “The grotesque monsters, the meaty ground, the strange plants and structures, the whole aesthetic of the game comes together so well.”
    • “The graphics are unfortunately very dated, but that's about it.”
    • “The graphics are dated now; people might be turned off by it.”
    • “The graphics will seem dated, but it was bleeding edge when it came out.”
  • replayability
    37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game boasts exceptional replayability, driven by a rich story, flexible play-styles, and diverse choices that affect gameplay, such as different gods to serve and unique spells to acquire. With a total of 45 missions across various deities and engaging multiplayer options, players can explore numerous strategies and outcomes, ensuring a fresh experience with each playthrough. Despite some flaws, the combination of compelling narrative and varied gameplay mechanics keeps players returning for more.

    • “The story is rich, the play styles are flexible, the voice acting feels realistic to each personality, strategy actually matters, and the replayability is continuous.”
    • “If you are a fan of real-time strategy, fantastic voice acting, an amazing story, and plenty of replay value with different choices that provide a variety of spells and creatures to summon as well as different god endings, you need to get this game.”
    • “One of my favorite games of all time, tons of replay value in combining new unit/ability sets and a unique feel for the tug of war style RTS that everyone already knows.”
    • “The game has a lot of flaws, but it's a good game. It definitely kept my interest and I wanted to see where the story went and how it ended. It has a lot of replay value because you get a different spell with each different god you serve during each level, so it's got a lot of replayability.”
    • “The graphics are dated and the story is kind of weird since you can hop gods and go from working for death to life in an instant, but for this same reason, it really has a good replay value since you can do hundreds of paths.”
    • “Whatever units and spells you acquire vastly depends on the deities you choose as the story progresses, thus making the game replayable due to the large amount of combinations that can be created.”
  • music
    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised as one of its standout features, with many reviewers calling it a "majestic" and "memorable" soundtrack that effectively sets the mood for both atmospheric moments and intense combat. Despite some criticisms regarding the game's outdated graphics and chaotic gameplay, the quality of the music and voice acting, featuring notable talents like Tim Curry, remains a significant highlight that enhances the overall experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a timeless element that continues to resonate with players long after its release.

    • “One of the best soundtracks in gaming history.”
    • “The music is just awesome, so great at mood setting.”
    • “The soundtrack is memorable and no game element seems odd or out of place, as bizarre and surreal as the game world is.”
    • “In terms of atmospheric sounds and music, it does enough to get by, but it could be better.”
    • “With voice acting of Tim Curry and music by Kevin Manthei, one would think the game would excel.”
    • “The game has a great series of unit sounds, and you can change background music by replacing your own music files in the game's folder.”
  • humor
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of cynicism and whimsical charm, featuring quirky spells and characters that evoke laughter despite the dated graphics. Players appreciate the clever writing and voice acting, which enhance the comedic elements, making the gameplay experience both entertaining and engaging. Overall, the humor is seamlessly integrated into the game's narrative and mechanics, reminiscent of classic titles like Earthworm Jim.

    • “This is one of those games that oozes with old school charm and humor.”
    • “There are funny spells like the bovine, which your wizard summons a large cow from the earth, launches it into the sky, and like a dive boarder, the cow plunges toward your targeted enemy making it a one shot kill.”
    • “The humor interlaces with the rest of the game beautifully instead of being forced like in so many other games.”
  • atmosphere
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive and surreal qualities, effectively drawing players into its twisted world filled with unique characters and creatures. While the atmospheric sounds and music could be improved, the overall experience is enhanced by a brilliant soundtrack that complements both exploration and combat. Despite some gameplay flaws, the rich atmosphere makes it a standout title worth experiencing.

    • “It's a wild and wonderful ride, with an atmosphere that pulls you in almost from the first moment.”
    • “These twisted personalities are reflected in the realms and people they rule, and atmospherically, it is wonderful to explore.”
    • “All the creatures are twisted horror versions of mythical monsters, some palette-swapped of other creatures, but I’ll let that slide because the atmosphere is the tops.”
    • “Oh, the game has its flaws too; later battles tend to run on too much, and there's not enough room for error, but it's such a surreal atmosphere, it's a must play!”
  • stability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game varies significantly among users; while some report severe bugs and unplayable mission paths on the Steam version, others experience smooth performance without lag, FPS drops, or crashes on Windows 7/10/11. Additionally, there are compatibility issues with Steam's dashboard that exacerbate the game's glitches.

    • “It runs great on Windows 7, 10, and 11.”
    • “The game maintains a steady frame rate, even during intense action scenes.”
    • “I've experienced no crashes or bugs, making for a smooth gaming experience.”
    • “While the Steam version is quite buggy, to the point where some mission paths are simply unplayable, there hasn't been a game like Sacrifice either before or since.”
    • “What's more, Steam's dashboard does not get along with Sacrifice, causing all manner of bugs and glitches whenever I bring it up.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is notably lacking, as it was not designed to run efficiently on modern computers, leading to performance issues that only high-end setups from its release era could handle. This has contributed to a limited player base and significant financial losses for the developing company, despite the game's enduring acclaim.

    • “The performance and functionality of the game are impressive, showcasing the potential of what it could achieve with further optimization.”
    • “It was quite a performance-dependent game, and only top PC setups of its time could run it properly, making it the 'Crysis' of its era.”
    • “Despite its optimization challenges, I consider this one of the best games ever made to this day.”
    • “Keep in mind it hasn't been optimized in any way for current computers.”
    • “It probably was due to many factors, but one of the main ones would be that it was quite a performance-dependent game, and only top PC setups of its time could run it properly, making it sort of the Crysis of its time. Thus, the actual market for the game was quite tiny, and Shiny (the company that developed Sacrifice) ended up in huge losses and never recovered. It's personally kind of ironic, since I consider this one of the best games ever made to this day.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Many users feel that modern games prioritize profit over player experience, often labeling them as corporate cash grabs focused on maximizing revenue.

    • “Nowadays, games are just corporate cash grabs and money machines.”
    • “The monetization model feels exploitative, pushing players to spend more than they should.”
    • “It's frustrating to see essential content locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game fully.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and slow, often describing it as boring and even suitable for inducing sleep.

    • “Tedious, slow, great for falling asleep.”
    • “This game is just tedious and boring.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The character development in the game is praised for its strong writing, impressive character designs, and high-quality voice acting, contributing to an overall engaging experience that feels advanced for its time.

    • “The music is great, the character designs are great, the writing is great, and the voice acting is great.”
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Frequently Asked Questions

Sacrifice is a real-time strategy game with fantasy theme.

Sacrifice is available on PC, Mac OS and Windows.

Sacrifice was released on August 19, 2009.

Sacrifice was developed by Shiny Entertainment.

Sacrifice has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Sacrifice is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Warlords Battlecry III, Original War, Original War, Total Annihilation, Rise of Nations and others.