Sacred 2: Fallen Angel (Xbox 360)

German developer Ascaron Entertainment brings gamers more open-ended role-playing action in this sequel to the 2004 release Sacred. Sacred 2: Fallen Angel moves the gameplay perspective to true 3D, rather than the Diablo-esque isometric viewpoint of the original, but players have the same freedom to choose from six playable characters and wander the landscape as they please, undertaking quests and cleansing dungeons of enemies and beasts. Gamers can also gather a wide assortment of unique items, travel and battle on the backs of mounts such as horses, tigers, and hellhounds, and level-up their character's attributes and fighting styles. Players can choose to battle on the "Light" side or the "Shadow" side, with both choices resulting in a unique set of skills, rewards, and story elements. Sacred 2 also features five different multiplayer modes, including co-op, PvP, and PvE options, and drop-in gameplay allows for seamless transitions between single- and multiplayer modes on Xbox Live. Christopher Brown.