For some reason I have been calling this game "Death Paladin" for the last week. Despite not being able to hold two words in my head correctly, I have had an extremely fun, but brief, nostalgia fueled ride.
I've always had a soft spot for old FPS games, I really loved Wolfenstein 3D and Quake back in the day and even recently replayed Doom64. Which is weird, because I am in the huge minority that really didn't gel with the more recent Doom Eternal.
Dread Templar's feet are firmly planted firmly 30 years in the past, the, feel, the palette and even those muddy Quake engine textures.
There's not really any discernable game plot that I could fathom and rightly so! This is a homage to the 90's......Something, something revenge...etc.
After all, the 90's were the time of the console wars, Pauly Shore and of porn images downloading one line at a time via dial up internet, it doesn't need premise or to explain itself to anyone, except maybe the 80's.
So for some reason, you are in hell and you are angry. As a Dread Templar you wield an arsenal of demon-slaying tools: mobility-boosting ninja gear, souped-up firearms, and infernal weapons capable of cutting through legions of bloodthirsty fiends. You're basically Lo Wang crossed with Doom guy.
All kitted out you scour the underworld’s deepest and darkest corners to uncover secrets, from hidden weapons to game-changing upgrades.
Customize your loadout and abilities to increase the likelihood of survival. Slice through demons with a flurry of katana strikes or switch to a shotgun for powerful blasts to send undead creatures back to the afterlife.
One of my favourites and first to be introduced, is the technique of combining your katanas into a spear that you can hurl at mobs to devastating effect.
Dread Templar oozes retro FPS, literally dripping with it as it hemorrhages exploding hellfiends, metal soundtrack and a certain amount of comforting jank. It looks feels and plays like Quake. Which is probably exactly what the developers want it to do.
Dread Templar is the first release from developers T19 and its a strong outing, although the game is in Early Access its already remarkably polished.
I was told this was a preview build in EA with only approximately two fifths of the game in place, but it's still a really enjoyable piece of work and a lot of love has obviously gone into crafting it.
This further fills me with confidence that the devs are going to take care of their baby, nurturing it with constant updates and content.
In its current state there's a good 5 or 6 hours of high octane content but with the full release version scheduled for Q3 2022 expect more along the way.
The Early Access version of Dread Templar includes the game’s first two chapters, with 10 demon-infested levels, over 70 upgradable skills, more than 10 weapons, and over 15 enemy types to test the Templar’s tools of the trade on.
Dread Templar Early Access is now available on PC via Steam, GOG, and other digital stores for $14.99 USD / €14.99 EUR w
For more information, visit the official 1C Entertainment website, like its Facebook page and @1C_Company on Twitter.
Comments