Sacred Citadel

Sacred Citadel is a 2013 side-scrolling beat 'em up developed by Southend Interactive and published by Deep Silver for Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. A spin-off set in the fantasy world of the Sacred action-RPG series, it departs sharply from that franchise's isometric, loot-driven gameplay in favour of a classic, arcade-style cooperative brawler in the tradition of Golden Axe and Streets of Rage. Up to three players choose among character classes, such as the warrior, ranger, mage and shaman, and battle side by side through colourful, hand-drawn levels filled with enemies, bosses and the grimy, corrupted forces of the Ashen Empire. The game layers light RPG elements onto the brawling, with experience, leveling, gear and combo-driven 'rage' attacks adding depth to the hack-and-slash action. Designed for accessible drop-in co-op fun, it leaned on a stylised art direction distinct from the mainline Sacred games. Critical reception was mixed; reviewers enjoyed the cooperative brawling, art style and humour but found the combat repetitive and the experience slight over its length. Released ahead of Sacred 3 as a complementary title, Sacred Citadel serves as a breezy, co-op-focused detour for the franchise, of interest to fans of old-school side-scrolling beat 'em ups. It served as a lighthearted companion piece to the larger Sacred 3, released the following year.