If that doesn't fix the issue, try out the patch. Odds are, the solution is to change your resolution. 64-bit is backwards compatible (Program Files x86, etc.). Just a message from the design team that they don't think it can run. Sacred outright refuses to run on 64-bit systems. Old games are particularly prone to these compatibility issues.

It had to be running on 1280x768 or lower resolution or it would crash, and the avi files hated my computer, so I needed a '-noavi' flag to run it. I recall Risk II (best game I ever got from a cereal box) being really finnicky when I installed on windows 7. Seems like a frequent issue with this game running on newer graphics drivers.