Dread Templar

Amazing atmosphere and very good action! It resembles Painkiller and Quake, very cool! I recommend it!

I had this game for about a year before ever really getting to it. I bought it, installed it (on Ubuntu Linux via Wine which it runs buttery smooth on) and then never got to it. Then....I actually started playing it. This is what quake 2 should have been...but way more bad ass. I don't like the save system (checkpoints) but they are prevalent so it's not that big of a deal. Controls are smooth and just work. There are enough controls to do everything needed but not overwhelm all the action. If you like the shooters, this one is excellent. These devs knew what they were doing! Just buy it.

I must admit, Dread Templar is pretty generic at the start. You wake up in a cave, only have your Akimbo Pistols and Dual Katanas and fight some Undead enemies. It builds up a little, but in my opinion, it takes up until the second half of game, before Dread Templar really becomes it's own thing. But when it does, it really does. You get a good variety of enemies, the locations get nice (especially the desert level), you have a good variety of weapons (Akimbo Pistols, Akimbo Mac10s, two shotguns, a bow, two types of explosives and a demonic revolver) and the music gets really good. I also like the enemy design a lot. Most of the demons really look like demons and not just like humans with wrinkled skin or black eyes. You have floating sacks of flesh, insect like bodies with human torsos sewn onto them, large ice insects or floating skull like creatures. Humanoid enemies still exist, but it is a good variant. What is a bit weird though is, that the game seems to have copied several ideas from other games. The character already looks like a wannabe Dante, the pistols lool like Ebony and Ivory, one of the enemies looks very, very similar to the Nobodies from Devil May Cry, the exploding enemies look like the exploding aliens from Earthfall etc. It's not bad, but some inspirations seem to be a bit too on the nose. That said, Dread Templar does some own things as well. The boss battles are nicely designed, you have an upgrade system with some runes altering the playstyle of your weapons and instead of secret levels, the game has optional side paths. On the other hand, it also has some problems. For example, said side paths have parkour elements and environmental hazards, like moving saw blades, that are absent from regular levels, the difficulty spikes can be brutal and there is a general problem with themeing, like Ice Mages appearing in the desert or the ice insects appearing in a forest. But overall, it's a fun game that I would recommend.

Your biggest adversary is the absence of Quick Save. Big no-no in FPS with platforming...

I enjoyed Dread Templar. It is one of those action games that manage to tow the delicate line between power fantasy and genuine challenge: sure, you play as a badass with great mobility and an arsenal of formidably satisfying guns, but the enemies are many and can easily chew through your health. While DT looks out of 1997, it benefits from modern mechanics that make battles more survivable: dashes, slow-mo and weapon upgrades make the combat a fast and stylish dance where all enemy attacks can be dodged. Most levels are also fun to explore and well made. They do a good job making it clear where you need to go next, so DT can be played with your brain turned off… But the game also knows to reward committed players through the inclusion of numerous secret zones, and even bonus areas and “super secrets” that require you to solve puzzles for great rewards. All in all, DT is pretty darn clean for something made by a solo dev, and a lot of fun for the most part… But it also has its faults. For instance, some levels overuse invisible walls, you get little feedback from being spotted or hit by enemies, and most weapons are strangely underpowered if not upgraded - the rocket launcher being the worst offender. Plus, DT’s idea of a challenge is to throw droves of increasingly tough enemies at you, so some frustration is to be expected. While I have to praise the badass weapon and enemy designs as well as the solid work on the low-poly models and pixellated textures, I also have some issues with the presentation. Only a few of the environments really stand out among the generic castles and tombs that serve as set pieces; and despite being a Metal fan, the tunes constantly blasting in the background (whether or not you’re in combat) kinda got under my skin. In the end, while Dread Templar may not be the best fast-paced / retro-inspired indie shooter, it’s definitely a good one. Those looking for a 90’s-inspired challenge with some modern gameplay elements will love it.