When was this developed?
10 Minute Review
(This is my first review using this system so I haven't written the blog post describing my method. Y'know, the old chicken and egg thing. If I can edit this afterward I will put the link in after the fact. And here it is.)
Two quick things to take away after playing The First Templar: too many pseudo-cut-scenes, and was in artistic choice or just bad programming that make this game appear to be on the poor technological end of the PS2/Xbox era?
I did not test any of the online options (though I left the game open I wasn't expecting anyone to join) or the co-op, I just barreled in as I am wont to do with any new game. After multiple dialog-heavy cut-scenes I got some action, quickly striking down everyone, though my AI cohort may have taken out one. Finally given the chance to walk around a bit (you'll find many times after a scripted moment you are whisked away unable to explore areas fully if at all) the first thing that irritated me was, of course, no jumping. Yeppers, this is one of those games where your character is constrained by pebbles on the ground, though sometimes there are paths around them. But with no jumping and a butt-load of invisible walls, I was already in a foul mood. A little more combat, some dialog, and finally some open (cough) area to explore.
The First Templar is a third-person action game with typical light-RPG elements (skill buying). It is designed for co-op as you always have a partner. Battlle indicators help you prepare to block, especially from ranged enemies, and there is a power attack to break shields. Typical for this sort of game you can be surrounded by enemies who will stand idly by while you rip them to shreds, one occasionally preparing for an attack that you can block or roll away from. Since you actually have camera control in this game the dodgeing requires holding the left trigger then the left stick rolls you in that direction, a little cumbersome. There is a health bar and health "orbs" which can be depleted to fill the bar, and the landscape has food and water which replenish both.
The story presents you as a member of some religious Templar order and on a personal quest for the Holy Grail. Some other stuff is going down by the overly wordy expository scenes were a yawnfest. In addition to the main quest which places green dots on a mini-map, side quests show with blue dots, and health pick-ups are also represented. The first side-quest was combat-focused, the second involved rescuing some people trapped in a burning house. Keeping in line with the other technical issues I got burned multiple times for no apparent reason, but arrived at the door and freed the people.
There are collectibles including pieces of outfits and weapons that are scattered over the difficult to navigate terrain. There didn't seem to be any time limit or gauge of how fast you did things so I smashed everything I could and tracked down all the hidden bits. With no jump and collision-detection issues this was quite tedious.
At the end of the first quest, which took longer than ten minutes, I'd say 50% of the time was cut-scene, 30% was wandering and collecting and 20% was combat. That's a pretty bad ratio.
10-Minute Verdict: Will play again
Because I like the simplicity of this type of game I'll probably load it again. And finish the second mission. And then smack myself for putting up with even more boring dialog.
