Releasing a “Hack and Slash” game is like scaling a mountain during an avalanche, but Ascaron is willing to do it anyway.

Blizzard’s Diablo series is so dominant in the “Hack and Slash” genre that almost every other game in the series is referred to as a “Diablo-clone,” even though it’s been almost a decade since the release of the last Diablo game and the third game in the series is due out in the next year or so—with Blizzard releases, you never know.

The original Sacred was the best “Diablo-clone” to come out since Diablo II, and Sacred 2: Fallen Angel is better than its predecessor in every way.

In some ways, the game improves on many of the features Diablo II is so revered for.

Sacred 2 improved upon the class development structure of Diablo II. The six character types are easily customized into a wide range of unique styles. Additionally, the character customization starts at the beginning of the game instead of the customary “grind to level 30 and then distribute skill points” system that most character builds in Diablo II required.

The character types are well developed and encourage the player to try all six in multiple builds, just like in Diablo.

The game world is a bit different from Diablo, which encouraged heavy replay of the same few areas and 30 quests which could be cleared out in a matter of hours by an experienced player.

The world of Sacred 2 is huge comparatively.

The game’s nearly six hundred quests and multiple difficulty levels give the player hundreds of hours of game play. It’s a nice alternative to defeating the same boss ten times over in a single gaming session.

In an unexpected twist, the player interface on the X-Box 360 and Playstation 3 versions is controlled like the 2-D Legend of Zelda games—just with fewer puzzles. The console interface is actually a lot more fun to play and feels completely natural for the game play style. Sacred 2 plays better with a game pad instead of the traditional keyboard/mouse combo.

However, the game still misses out on the key component that made Diablo II so special. Diablo II’s “closed” online play made it practically impossible to cheat — without taking down servers and risking getting your account banned—that gave the in-game equipment a sense of value and accomplishment. Because Sacred 2 lacks a “closed” online play mode, a player’s sense of accomplishment in the online community is diminished by other players duplicating rare items and hacking their characters.

Additionally, the console versions of the game have a few minor graphical glitches that are disorienting for the first few minutes of play. Fortunately, the glitches don’t disrupt the game play and are easily overlooked.

Despite its flaws, Sacred 2 is a blast to play for fans of the “Hack and Slash” genre and is an excellent place to spend your time while waiting for the third Diablo installment.