The Cursed Crusade

Even with a poor demo, on a lark I picked up this game. Intriguing subject matter and getting to use a mace always entice me, so I figured that for $20 new, it was worth a look. I'm glad I did. It could definitely use polish, but nobody's perfect, right?

The two main characters, Denz and Esteban, are Cursed - the embodiment of Death is after them and will steal their souls. This is not a "might" or a "tap X to save soul power" thing, either. Death is going to win. You'll run into others who are Cursed as well; usually main bosses and plotline evildoers - and set against the backdrop of the religiously and politically complex Fourth Crusade, there's a lot going on here. The multitude of cutscenes, though poorly animated, explain in detail just what is going on. If you've got a few spare hours, watch each and every one for a history lesson and a bit of creative license. But to say that the story is too complex is glossing over the fact that the game is taking place in a complicated period in history, and does a fair job of fleshing it out in a more personal way for a templar and his Spaniard buddy. Sure, sometimes during these cutscenes someone will vanish, or be in the wrong spot - arms frequently clip through weapons and mouths move out of synch with words. Pobody's nerfect, right?

The much-maligned gameplay, while not the most original, is perfectly serviceable at the beginning of the game, and improves as more weapons and move combos are unlocked. As the difficulty climbs later in the game, longer combos are essential in dealing greater damage to heavily-armored foes, and completion of these combos results in satisfying kill animations. Combat is slow, methodical, and weighty. When weapons connect, they feel like they're connecting. Opponents flinch when hit. If you're in the correct spot next to a fire brazier, hit X and you'll smash your enemy's face into it. Kick them down a well! Hit them with a barrel or stool! Sure, sometimes during an animation, your sword will stab through the space next to an opponent's head, while MSPaint spraypaint tool blood gushes out of thin air. And other times the prompt to hit X and jam some Croat's face into a pit of fire won't pop up. Porbady's narfelt, right?

The graphics are... ehh... the thing is, most of the time, everything works just fine. Upgrading armor adds bits and bobs to your characters, which can be lost due to damage. The cursed world looks sufficiently hellish, and the cutscenes when in The Curse are actually pretty impressive. Denz and Esteban have horns, but the other cursed opponents steal the spotlight. Boniface di Montferrot, for example, gains a daemonic visage straight out of Liber Ivonis, with other characters not far behind. Pig demons with twisted grimaces wield burning axes that pulse with hell-forged energy. The world, when cursed, looks sufficiently burned and apocalyptic - but therein lies the biggest graphical issue. It's all red, black, and blue flames twitching and licking. Everything gets muddled together. Collectable icons get lost in the background - which actually wouldn't be that big a deal, since they're supposed to make a noise when you get near them, but they don't... Pinkbody's ninkfart, right?

I see what the developers were aiming at here. And I wish they did better - elevated this game to the next level, and so forth. But for the price that this game is set at, it is definitely worth more then its current Metacritic 26. Find a friend, pick up 2 copies, and enjoy it.