Beyond a powerful leap, you can combine a jump with your dashing ability, which lets you cross some wide gaps. Really, the only issue is that some elevated enemies can be a bit spongy, which diminishes the sense of strength across your armory.Īnother trait that helps offset your overly ordinary ordnance is the navigational prowess of the protagonist.

Although there might be a lack of offensive novelty, the upside is each weapon handles as you’d expect. But other than that, you’ve probably brandished most of these arms in other FPS titles. One bit of peculiarity is trap launcher that can drop devices to stun enemies. 45s that are wielded akimbo, Uzis with silencers, shotguns that pack a flesh-severing punch, a bow, and the requisite rocket launcher. Although a cooldown timer that prohibits you from going completely Jason Voorhees, I was able to stalk enemies through quite a few sections.Įxpect the rest of your arsenal to be effective but conventional. Enjoyably, there’s an alt-fire mode that will affix the two swords, resulting in a ranged weapon that can be thrown right through multiple enemies. But Templar’s dual katana are better than most preliminary weapons and able to dish out an endless combo that can quickly cleave an opponent into viscera. Many first-person shooters send you into their campaign with an ineffective melee device. With skillful level design, plenty of hidden objects to find, and the ability to perform smoothly on modest rigs, Dread Templar also excels with the seasonings. After spending over a year in Early Access, the retail build has arrived, extending 25 stages of taut, nostalgia-inducing action. Pleasingly, all of those ingredients are found in Dread Templar.

Keep the pace quick, the firefights intense, and the ‘game overs’ from feeling excessively cheap. There’s a sure-fire recipe for first-person shooter success. Price: $19.99 via digital download, $16.99 launch price

Download the first templar review