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 By Brad Cook Anyone who’s a fan of fantasy role-playing games knows that, while warriors are macho strong guys, wizards can be just as tough. No one wants to cross paths with a nasty, high-level wizard nursing a grudge. |
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 Stunning visuals and all-out action should keep you glued to your Mac. |
Unless, of course, you happen to be a nasty, high-level wizard yourself, in which case you’re probably playing a game called Sacrifice. From game publisher MacPlay, this mystical battle royale is available for both Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X, and will light up your Mac with amazing wizard-versus-wizard confrontations and conflagrations.
Two Games in One
According to producer Mark Teal of Shiny Entertainment (the company that developed Sacrifice), the game is actually a blend of two game types (classifications known as genres) — role-playing (RPG) and real-time strategy (RTS).
Graphics so detailed you’ll shiver from the cold.
“We looked at the most popular RTS titles and then designed a game that removed most of the components that we felt hindered the playing experience, in a sense,” says Teal. “In effect, we wanted an RTS game with non-stop action.”
Sacrifice can be played in two different modes, multi-player and single-player. Multi-player allows you to duke it out with other wizards via the free online multi-player gaming service GameRanger. The single-player game offers a campaign in which you must appease or infuriate each of the gods of Sacrifice in order to gain power. Make your way through nine missions in each of the worlds of five gods: Charnel, god of death; James, god of earth; Persephone, goddess of peace; Pyro, god of fire; and Stratos, god of weather.
A wide-angle perspective on a hot day
in the underworld.
in the underworld.
Depending on which god you swear allegiance to, you will have access to different kinds of spells, such as the healing spell rainbow (Persephone) or the nasty attack spell chain lightning (Stratos).
Who are the Gods of Sacrifice?
Join the Battle
Whether you play solo or online, there are two ways to attack your opponents. One method is to use the aforementioned spells, which become more powerful as you win battles and obtain higher levels of abilities.
The other way is to summon monsters that will fight at your side. To do so, you’ll need to expend some of your life force (known as “mana” in the game), as well as offer the gods the souls of other creatures killed in battle.
Actually playing the game is the best way to understand the most effective strategies of winning — and we have some cool tips and tricks (as well as cheat codes) for you to try out!
An Exhilarating Experience
Like another high-profile MacPlay title, Giants: Citizen Kabuto, Sacrifice
also takes full advantage of the advanced features and benefits of Mac OS X,
including amazing OpenGL 3D performance. MacPlay’s technical director, Mark
Dochtermann, says Apple’s next-generation operation system was crucial to
the company’s ability to bring the game to the Mac.
According to Dochterman, “Sacrifice utilizes the latest gaming technologies on the Mac to deliver a visually spellbinding game.”
To fully experience the visual intensity of Sacrifice, MacPlay president Mark Cottam recommends that you use an NVIDIA GeForce video card, which comes standard with all Power Mac G4 desktops.
Cast a Spell
Are you ready to prove that wizards can be just as tough as those mindless warriors? Are you prepared to engage in fierce battles that will require not only your ability to destroy your opponents but also your ability to plan battle strategies?
Then look for Sacrifice at the online Apple Store or at an Apple retail store near you, or we may have to send a couple of our tenth-level wizards over to offer some “friendly encouragement.”
Sacrifice has been rated “M” for Mature by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB).
 As you play (and hopefully succeed at) each of the game’s 45 missions, you
may satisfy the god who sent you on the mission, but upset others in the
process. Be careful to keep track which gods you may be in danger of falling
out of favor with.
Once you finish the campaign, you’ll be able to use your wizard in multi-player games, complete with a custom spell book that you put together over the course of the nine missions. This is a great way to develop a wizard who suits your individual style.   
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