14 DAY TRIAL // Katana chopping deals with two close-up enemies before I get shot by a ranged skeleton. I drop him using my dual pistols and push forward. A grenade thrower peeks around a corner but is easily taken down by some solid shotgun action. I know there’s a bigger arena ahead of me and I wonder whether I should try to shoot my way through it or find a way to conserve ammo and switch to katana action.
Dread Templar is being developed by T19 Games and published by 1C Entertainment. At the moment, the experience is offered in Early Access on Steam, with a full release currently planned for 2022.
The game is [part of a range of modern takes on classic first-person concepts. Players need to move fast, think quickly, and juggle a range of options to get keycards and clear levels. From the start, players have access to both a pair of katanas for close-quarters combat and a pair of pistols for medium-range engagements. The swords can also be combined and thrown for a powerful attack.
The Dread Templar moves quickly to dodge incoming fire and he can also dash or slow time for a limited period. This, combined with an escalating selection of weaponry, offers plenty of options. And the game delivers quite a variety of combat situations, from arenas to tight corridors and even boss battles.
The entire experience is fast and engaging but it relies on nostalgia quite a bit so it might not appeal to gamers who never embraced Quake or Hexen or similar titles.
Dread Templar looks like most of us remember the first Quake looking. It’s quite the feat to assemble an experience that so faithfully brings back visual memories while actually being quite modern. I would have liked to see just a little more detail on the weapons, mainly because they feel so satisfying to use. The soundtrack is also pitch-perfect, constantly pumping and pushing players to move and find the next enemy to take down.
Conclusion
I would like to see a little more variety in terms of enemies, possibly with a few versions of each basic design to create some surprise. I also felt that the dash, apart from puzzles, did not get a lot of love. But Dread Templar is a fun game with fast action, and I really want to see how the final release expands on its ideas.
