The hack 'n' slash role-playing game has long been a staple for PC owners, with titles like "Diablo" holding a special place in many gamers' hearts. But console owners have, for the most part, been left out in the cold when it comes to action-RPGs.

Well the wait is finally over. In "Sacred 2: Fallen Angel," developer Ascaron Entertainment has delivered a deep, open-ended RPG to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Originally released on PC last year, "Sacred 2" features six character classes with two campaigns, a massive gameworld and a ton of quests to complete. But most importantly, "Sacred 2" features an easy-to-use combat system that makes slaughtering hordes of bad guys a breeze.

Condensing all of the combat options afforded by a mouse and keyboard into a standard controller configuration has been a stumbling block for many developers, but Ascaron nailed it with "Sacred 2." All of your character's attacks, weapons, spells and combos are mapped to the face buttons. Holding down each trigger unlocks an additional tier of four attack spots, meaning you can have up to 12 different options at your disposal at any time. And switching between the different attacks is smooth, making it easy to transition from a ranged weapon to a sword in the heat of battle.

Speaking of battle, you'll do plenty of it in "Sacred 2." In addition to encountering bad guys and beasts while on quests, you'll also run into random foes while scouring the vast world of Ancaria. Fallen opponents leave behind gold and items for you to collect, and the experience you gain from dispatching foes can be used to tweak your character's skill set to your liking. The main storylines are a tad  convoluted, but many of the abundant side missions are rather humorous, though they often boil down to "kill X number of bad guys" or simple fetch quests.

With waves of enemies lurking around seemingly every turn, this is the type of game that begs for multiplayer and "Sacred 2" obliges. The game features a variety of multiplayer options, both locally with two players or with up to four players via Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network. You can battle through the host's campaign in co-op, engage in some PvP matches or just run around and wreak havoc. This is one of the more enjoyable multiplayer experiences I've had recently.

While a solid overall package, "Sacred 2" is not without flaws. The companion AI gave me fits during quests that required a NPC to accompany me to a certain location. They insisted on running headlong into battle when discretion would have been the better part of valor. And once these NPCs get themselves killed, there is no way to complete their associated quests. I also encountered a couple of instances of the game freezing, but those were rare.

If you're an Xbox 360 or PS3 owner looking for a solid action RPG, look no further than "Sacred 2: Fallen Angel." With a huge fantasy world to explore and hundreds of quests, there's an absurd amount of gameplay to be had here. Toss in four-player co-op and PvP matches and you've got enough to keep you hacking and slashing for months to come.

"Sacred 2: Fallen Angel

Developer: Ascaron Entertainment

Publisher: cdv Software Entertainment

Available for: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 ($59.99)

Rating: M for mature

Score: 7.8/10

The hack 'n' slash role-playing game has long been a staple for PC owners, with titles like "Diablo" holding a special place in many gamers' hearts. But console owners have, for the most part, been left out in the cold when it comes to action-RPGs.

Well the wait is finally over. In "Sacred 2: Fallen Angel," developer Ascaron Entertainment has delivered a deep, open-ended RPG to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Originally released on PC last year, "Sacred 2" features six character classes with two campaigns, a massive gameworld and a ton of quests to complete. But most importantly, "Sacred 2" features an easy-to-use combat system that makes slaughtering hordes of bad guys a breeze.

Condensing all of the combat options afforded by a mouse and keyboard into a standard controller configuration has been a stumbling block for many developers, but Ascaron nailed it with "Sacred 2." All of your character's attacks, weapons, spells and combos are mapped to the face buttons. Holding down each trigger unlocks an additional tier of four attack spots, meaning you can have up to 12 different options at your disposal at any time. And switching between the different attacks is smooth, making it easy to transition from a ranged weapon to a sword in the heat of battle.

Speaking of battle, you'll do plenty of it in "Sacred 2." In addition to encountering bad guys and beasts while on quests, you'll also run into random foes while scouring the vast world of Ancaria. Fallen opponents leave behind gold and items for you to collect, and the experience you gain from dispatching foes can be used to tweak your character's skill set to your liking. The main storylines are a tad  convoluted, but many of the abundant side missions are rather humorous, though they often boil down to "kill X number of bad guys" or simple fetch quests.

With waves of enemies lurking around seemingly every turn, this is the type of game that begs for multiplayer and "Sacred 2" obliges. The game features a variety of multiplayer options, both locally with two players or with up to four players via Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network. You can battle through the host's campaign in co-op, engage in some PvP matches or just run around and wreak havoc. This is one of the more enjoyable multiplayer experiences I've had recently.

While a solid overall package, "Sacred 2" is not without flaws. The companion AI gave me fits during quests that required a NPC to accompany me to a certain location. They insisted on running headlong into battle when discretion would have been the better part of valor. And once these NPCs get themselves killed, there is no way to complete their associated quests. I also encountered a couple of instances of the game freezing, but those were rare.

If you're an Xbox 360 or PS3 owner looking for a solid action RPG, look no further than "Sacred 2: Fallen Angel." With a huge fantasy world to explore and hundreds of quests, there's an absurd amount of gameplay to be had here. Toss in four-player co-op and PvP matches and you've got enough to keep you hacking and slashing for months to come.

"Sacred 2: Fallen Angel

Developer: Ascaron Entertainment

Publisher: cdv Software Entertainment

Available for: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 ($59.99)

Rating: M for mature

Score: 7.8/10