Sacred 3 announced for summer 2014

Action RPG series Sacred's third installment will hit PCs this summer, according to a recent announcement from publisher Deep Silver.

from publisher Deep Silver. A suitably cinematic trailer has also surfaced, giving us a glimpse of the hero characters we'll be seeing in the new game. There's also a crumbly bridge, magic wings, and a slobbering armored troll-monster.

Details are scarce at the moment, but developer Keen Games appears to be embracing what so many of us find compelling about action RPGs, in that sometimes we just want to team up with a few friends and hit things. Calling itself an "arcade hack 'n slash built for co-op experiences," Sacred 3 carries the following back story, according to its official Steam page:

"Set in the war for Ancaria, you will choose your heroes and fight together against the rise of evil," the description reads. "Play character classes such as the Safiri, Seraphim, Ancarian, Khukuhri as well as the new Malakhim. While upgrading your weapons and armor, you will face hordes of grimmocs, brute beasts, legions of mercenaries and undead wizards."

Since meaningful co-op play exists as a fun—and some would say integral—part of so many action RPGs lately, it's a good sign that Sacred 3 is highlighting this feature. And here I'm thinking of games that combine these features in a compelling way, such as Path of Exile, Diablo 3, and Torchlight 2. But the more solitary adventurer in Sacred 3 should have no fear, as its Steam page lists it as a single-player, offline game as well. The announcement traileris below.