OXCGN’s The First Templar Co-op Review

A father and son decide:

A co-op Holy Grail, or plain gaming heresy?

by: dkpatriarch and Allegionary

©2011 David Hilton and Alex Hilton

Is there a historic organisation as mysterious and tailor made for gaming as The Templars? We’ve seen them as the bad guys in Assassin’s Creed and Ridley Scott‘s stunning film, Kingdom of Heaven, but most sources see them as victims of their own success.

One of this-gen’s Templar games, and the first off the mark this year, is The First Templar, a co-op action adventure game by developers Haemimont Games, and published by Kalypso Media, which sees a couple of medieval Templars and a declared female heretic search for the Holy Grail.

The First Templar is more a medieval Indiana Jones, with a search around the Mediterranean and lots of traps, than Assassin’s Creed, though ironically one of the group of enemies you face are the Hashishin (the real name of the Assassins).

Since this is a co-op game, and because both my son and I review for OXCGN and enjoy medieval-themed adventures, we decided to play and review it together.

A co-op review for a co-op game

David:

So son, let’s look at The First Templar. I found the title initially a bit confusing, because by the late 13th and early 14th Centuries the Order was losing its reason for existing (the Holy Land was being reclaimed by the Muslims).

So really it seemed more appropriate to call it the Last Templar. However, toward the end we do discover why the title is appropriate.

Alex:

Okay Dad, enough with the history lessons, we are reviewing a game! I hadn’t even heard of this game until you wrote that article on the 3 Templar games coming out this year.

The reason I probably didn’t hear about The First Templar is that it is by a small developer and not a huge group like EA, Activision or Ubisoft.

The obvious thing to say is that it really isn’t as deep or polished as a game like Assassin’s Creed is it?

David:

Well to begin with, history is pretty important to this game, as it is rare to have a medieval game not set in a fantasy universe with magic and giant beasts. Though the mutant giant humans are kind of like beasts…

I find the new focus on historical games refreshing. To emphasise the historical bent of the game, Haemimont Games have even included stone markers you find around the game world with historical details about the Templars and their order.

Yes, to answer your question, it’s true this game isn’t the most technically advanced game out there, but your generation tends to dismiss things based on technical prowess a bit too quickly.

A fairly simple game can be more fun than a supposed AAA blockbuster (ahem, Haze), but it does depend on the gamer’s interests.

This is a third person action game that doesn’t try to be the gorgeous but blood-soaked monster-filled quick-time-event hack n’ slasher that God of War is.

Though it does look and feel a bit last gen, the co-op fun we had kind of reminded me a bit of the good old days of Baldur’s Gate, and the puzzle, lever and trap sections reminded me a bit of Casltevania 64.

• The First Templar Trailer

The story unfolds….

Alex:

You and history! Geeze sticking a bunch of rock signs down a few much too long side-paths with some text and narrated history isn’t what I call exciting.

The story of The First Templar is not that wonderful as the whole game is about the search for the Holy Grail undertaken by Celian d’Arestide, a Templar, his friend Roland, who is also a Templar, and a branded heretic named Marie d’Ibelin and has no other fulfilling side quests or stories to keep your interest.

Eventually I ignored the story and just performed the tasks to finish the mission.

I don’t know how you felt Dad, but my impressions of the story were negative and I would not play this game again for the story anyway.

David:

Ouch, that’s harsh… I guess we show our generational difference here. You appear too impatient to take in the story, which actually I found interesting, though I admit at times it felt a bit shallow and seemed to make way for the constant quest dynamic.

The story starts with the two knights rescuing the accused heretic from the Inquisition, learning from the Grand Master that the only way to save the order and the Holy Land kingdom is to find the grail, and the quest to find it.

You also discover the relationship between Marie and the Holy Grail, witness the fall of the Templar order after King Philip le Bel of France chases their wealth, and then discover the plot twist toward the end, which I can’t disclose. You end up at the last bastion of the heretic Cathars, who were previously eradicated by Catholic forces.

It’s a surprisingly long game too for an action adventure, though some of it feels a bit padded out.

At times it is easy to lose track of what you are really supposed to be doing as you are side-tracked by battles, and I agree that the side-quests are both unrewarding (getting 1 of 4 pieces of outfit or a temporary upgrade is often not worth it) and just not that interesting.

The characters are not very deep either, this is true, but I’ve seen much shallower stories and characters in more celebrated games. The banter between Celian and Marie is sometimes amusing, though she appears to have way more personality than the rather wooden and obviously celibate Templar. As for Roland, he’s just a thug side-kick.

Alex:

Oh, that’s what the game is about? I was too busy killing people.

By the way I do enjoy stories, I just want them to progress quickly while having many climaxes to keep me interested.

• The First Templar Screenshots slideshow

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The medieval look…Or medieval looks?

David:

So, son, what did you think of the locations?

These ranged from Cyprus, to Acre, Ascalon, La Rochelle, and Montsegur, taking in desert towns, cities under siege, castles, forests, marshes, and ancient ruins.

I really liked the diversity of locations, though none were particularly jaw-droppingly spectacular. The game at least had a good colour palette compared to the browns, greys, and blues of games these days, but they weren’t up to the HD age.

They did the job though, and were fun enough to travel through.

Alex:

The locations that we visited were different enough for me to enjoy as fighting in the desert sun looks a lot different to fighting in a medieval town at night.

However the graphics, while adequate, weren’t ever enough to give me a sense of awe. If it had the graphics of say, Uncharted, then I may have done something besides rush through the level slaying all who opposed me. I might even have wanted to find all those treasure chests left around.

As it was there were too many blind alleys or paths that led nowhere and had nothing in them.

What this game does do, at least, is give a range of combat situations for me to handle from a swarm of enemies to bosses that take long enough to kill that you actually could catch up with me.

The combat pretty much consists of mashing the X button to kill an enemy and right trigger to block the enemies’ attacks, though you do upgrade to combos. The enemies get red cross-swords over their head when they are charging for the attack which renders them temporarily invincible (which really annoyed me at times).

When I am not in combat this game does give a range of other activities to complete like puzzles and even some stealth.

Another aspect of this game that I did find fun was the exploration of caves or ruins that contained puzzles with traps. Having to work out how to get through the traps without losing too much health was enjoyable (except for the times when I had to backtrack to revive you because you had been impaled by spikes…again).

However there isn’t too much range in the type of traps as there are really only spike traps, fire traps and swinging blades.

The missions that frustrated me the most were the stealth ones.

Having to avoid patrols was annoying, as if you engaged the patrols or they saw you try to sneak past it was pretty much impossible to kill them all before the time ran out and then its ‘game over man’.

So in trying to get you organised (when you are busy looking at historical rock-markers or opening treasure chests full of not much instead of paying attention) to cross the empty area between patrols and not be seen made for a frustrating experience of repetition. But that might be mostly your fault…

The First Templar does have an aspect of Role-Playing Games (RPGs, which is my favourite genre) in it.

You can upgrade each characters’ abilities (which are combos you use in combat), health and zeal regeneration in an upgrade menu. Zeal allow you to use the special abilities such as prayer-healing and some combos.

I find that the upgrade menu is a bit confusing at first as you have to go to each upgrade slot to know what it upgrades as there is no clear upgrade ‘tree’ to follow.

Dad, what did you think of the gameplay?

So then, is it fun?

David:

Well first of all, I only got so far behind because you barely explored anything! Mind you I found way too many pathways that looked like they would lead somewhere only to be empty dead ends.

The game does have areas like the towns and forests that seem quite open, and occasionally I got lost (one of the reasons I was so far behind you and your ‘run-n-gun’ gaming).

The map pointed in the direction you were supposed to go as the crow flies, which was often blocked off, adding to my confusion. In the end, the game is pretty linear though, especially if you choose to ignore the extra quests.

One important thing I want to say is that the game can both be played and watched by even your younger brothers. Most games these days are MA 15+ with the language, graphic violence, and generally dark tone. However, I’d have no problem with my 12 year old playing this, and he’d enjoy the action and exploration.

If you choose to play single player, the left button changes to the other character and d-pad gives the ‘stay’ or ‘come’ doggie orders to your friendly AI.

I found the AI to be competent, including the enemies, though the latter tended to just charge you unless they were archers or just standing there guarding, waiting to sound the alarm.

Because this isn’t fantasy-based, enemies range from Saracens, French Knights, Assassins, bandits, deserters, Inquisition executioners, wolves and even to mutant giant ‘humans’.

The fighting isn’t the fluid stylistic Devil May Cry or visceral God of War hack n’ slash, but a simpler more grounded fight, with some acrobatic moves and finishers thrown in.

It does the job and doesn’t go as overboard as most others, but doesn’t quite feel or look as physical as, say, Assassin’s Creed, which also uses mostly realistic fighting styles.

The second player swaps from Roland to Marie during the game’s story and can swap with the first player to Celian if they so wish.

There are a couple of places where I had to watch you fight an enemy boss on your own and my character just stood there frozen, not allowed to be involved. I really don’t understand why this is.

The stealth sections, except perhaps one, don’t really require stealth, but it is much more fun to play Splinter Cell-style and sneak up behind guards and snap their necks.

I know you preferred the direct violent approach though, which was frustrating. A problem with co-op when you are playing with someone less patient!

So what did you think of the controls, Alex?

Well, is it under control…

Alex:

The direct approach is more fun though! I would rather fight a group of enemies (without a time limit) than go sneaking around behind people breaking their necks (and getting caught half the time).

The controls are tight, which is good, but there isn’t a lock-on system in combat which, since I am always in combat, has caused me to become a bit frustrated.

You see, my back would often end up facing my enemy and he would sucker hit me.

Celian ends up rolling around on the ground like an Italian soccer player.

However the controls are not too complicated as the combos just involve pressing two or three buttons rather than a quick-time event of six or seven perfectly timed presses.

One really annoyingly poor choice that was way too noticeable was the co-op HUD (Heads Up Display). It’s good that both players have a separate screen, reducing the size of the viewing area by half, rather than having to stay on the same screen together like in Baldur’s Gate.

The problem, though, is the fact that each HUD takes up nearly one third of both lower screens in black boxes that display your portrait, health and zeal.

In single player it is less noticeable as it is transposed over the action on screen, without the big black box (see screenshots).

Overall The First Templar is a fun game as the co-op and the combat, especially getting to control and fire a trebuchet, are definitely the highlights of the game.

Issues such as the HUD and primitive graphics don’t detract too much from the actual gameplay but are noticeable detractions.

The simple but enjoyable gameplay is where this game shines and if the story was a little more exciting then I would have loved to play this game again.

What is your opinion Dad?

Hmmm sounds like it could be…?

David:

Well I certainly agree about the black boxes with the HUDs in co-op. Very strange.

I also agree with your description of the controls.

The in-game camera, which often in third person action games swings around so much you can feel sick (Venetica I’m looking at you) is really good and allows you a great degree of control.

The game’s soundtrack is appropriate to the game and provides an enjoyable addition to the atmosphere, though it can be repeated a bit often.

The voice acting isn’t as bad as I expected after watching the trailer which had the narrator say: ‘Halo-ed be thy name’, instead of ‘Hallowed by thy name’.

The voice actress for Marie did much better than the others with expression, with Celian sounding especially bored much of the time.

I had to laugh when he said “How interesting” in a tone that sounded anything but.

There were also cases when the dialogue overlapped because two sound triggers had been tripped by both of us, and the result was a mish-mash of words.

Also the volume of dialogue inexplicably became louder or softer at times.

Gotta love that infamous “stormtrooper” Arghhhhhhh screamed sometimes when enemies die. It must come on a generic sound effects cd or something.

So, The Holy Grail or gaming heresy?

I am glad to see small developers still getting games published in an industry increasingly too expensive for anyone except the big boppers like EA or Ubisoft.

It is hard for them to compete with the huge staff and budgets these behemoths have, though, and it shows in games like this one, especially in game graphics.

However, if you are like me and enjoy third person action done clean and simple, with a variety of locations and some changing up of tasks, this game may appeal.

The co-op adds to the enjoyment and the game, though lacking in polish in places, is a great change from all the fantasy magic oriented medieval games.

I enjoyed the basic story and the Templar history, though it would have been better told differently, as impatient gamers will have no time for the school lectures provided at the stone markers or long-winded cut-scenes.

While The First Templar would have been better with more character development and depth, I can understand that the game is mostly about the quest.

It isn’t the Holy Grail of medieval gaming, by any means, but it isn’t heretical to the action game canon either.

It’s a simple, clean, retro-styled, fun trip to take with a friend, or even an impatient son.

“7/10

©2011 David Hilton and Alex Hilton

xxxxxx

• The First Templar Screenshots gallery

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