Once again, you find yourself awakening in a rundown mental hospital, alone and with no memory of how you came to be there. Very quickly you learn that not only are you in danger, but the whole world is as well. Due to a magical ritual that went horribly wrong, the demons of the seven deadly sins have been released in Sacra Terra and you must find a way to send them back to the beyond before they are released into the world at large.
Once again, you find yourself awakening in a rundown mental hospital, alone and with no memory of how you came to be there. Very quickly you learn that not only are you in danger, but the whole world is as well. Due to a magical ritual that went horribly wrong, the demons of the seven deadly sins have been released in Sacra Terra and you must find a way to send them back to the beyond before they are released into the world at large.
During your adventure in Sacra Terra: Angelic Night you will meet the demons that represent the seven deadly sins and defeat them through various means. On your journey you will be aided by the ghost/spirit of a young woman known only as Angel. She will guide you to clues so you can decipher what truly happened at the hospital and how it can be undone.
Along the way you will be searching hidden object scenes for numerous items and solving a variety of puzzles. Many of the puzzles are ones you’ve seen before but several of them are presented with a slight twist. The puzzles aren’t too difficult, but if you become stuck they can be skipped. There are also numerous inventory based puzzles as well.
You will be searching through numerous hidden objects scenes, and hopefully you have good eyes. Many items are small and well hidden. Luckily, the graphics are clear and, while the items are small, the scenes are well lit. If you still cannot find an item you can use the hint button. The hint button also works outside the hidden object scenes. Another helpful feature is a built-in map that shows all the active spots in the game. Unfortunately it does not allow for quick travel, which would have been a nice feature considering how much you are walking back and forth through multiple rooms.
Sacra Terra is, simply put, a beautiful game. The artwork is incredibly detailed, and creates an amazingly haunting atmosphere. You don’t spend much time in the rundown mental asylum portion of the hospital, quickly moving on to much more pleasant scenery. On your adventure you will visit a replica of Notre Dame Cathedral, the catacombs beneath the hospital, a graveyard, a charming cottage and numerous other scenes. If you click around the scenes you will get various comments about items in the room. This is a wonderful feature that really breathes life into the world and is reminiscent of early adventure games, where you could look at everything and get a description.
There is no voice acting in the game, and while it would have been a nice addition, it does not detract from the game. As you are the only person besides Angel (and the demons who don’t speak) there isn’t a lot of dialogue. Most of the story comes from reading the notes that are scattered about and referring to your journal. If you don’t pay attention to these items the story can become a bit disjointed.
The Collector’s Edition of Sacra Terra includes approximately an hour of bonus gameplay that ties into the main story. There is also a built in strategy guide, wallpapers and concept art. There are also 42 morphing objects to be found throughout the game.
Sacra Terra: Angelic Night is a challenging and intriguing game and I would definitely recommend giving it a try.
