The Cursed Crusade
- October 14, 2011
- Kylotonn Entertainment
Get on SteamIn "The Cursed Crusade," players control Denz de Bayle, a Templar Knight, and his partner Esteban Noviembre, as they navigate through a curse-ridden medieval world. The game features a unique "His Wory" mechanic, where committing sins grants players powerful abilities but also increases their corruption level. The engaging narrative unfolds against the backdrop of historical events during the Fourth Crusade, resulting in a dark and thrilling action-adventure experience.
PC
Windows
PlayStation
Playstation 3
Xbox
Xbox 360
Reviews
- The combat system is diverse and satisfying, with a variety of unlockable moves and brutal finishing animations.
- The game features a unique setting and an interesting premise involving a Templar's curse and medieval themes.
- It offers local co-op gameplay, which can enhance the experience despite its flaws.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs, glitches, and poor optimization, making it frustrating to play.
- The story is poorly delivered, with a lack of resolution and shallow character development.
- Controls are unresponsive and camera angles are often problematic, leading to a cumbersome gameplay experience.
- story99 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for being lackluster and poorly executed, with many reviewers noting its confusing plot points and shallow character development. While some elements, such as the setting and mythological aspects, show potential, the overall narrative is described as repetitive and unsatisfying, culminating in a cliffhanger ending that leaves many unresolved questions. Despite decent cutscenes and moments of humor, the storytelling fails to engage players, overshadowed by gameplay frustrations and technical issues.
“The motion capture and the cutscenes are well made, and the story (as a whole) has some degree of quality.”
“The story treats Christian apocrypha as a sort of mythology to build from, which is quite interesting.”
“The two characters go through what can only be called a medieval buddy cop movie-like story, with the two working together as if they'd been 'on the force' for years and it's just another day on the job.”
“I could have given a positive review for its fun gameplay with plenty of gore, although rather repetitive sometimes, but after I beat this game my frustration is so high on how they completely ruined the story, which was actually interesting to follow.”
“Honestly, get it if you want to laugh with friends at how bad this game is; otherwise, no, it's just terrible. The game just ends with 'we are going to do stuff' and it's over. Combat is basic, but it did its job. Very bad camera, boss fights were bad, story not good, voice acting was 'I am the evil guy, so I will talk like the evil guy.'”
“The story just ends; I won't spoil anything for you, except to tell you that there is a cliffhanger ending, and I am reasonably sure there will not be a sequel.”
- graphics28 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally regarded as one of its stronger points, with many reviewers noting decent to good visual quality and some impressive animations. However, there are mixed opinions on consistency, with some scenes praised for their visuals while others are criticized for being mediocre or buggy. Overall, while the graphics contribute positively to the experience, they are often overshadowed by gameplay issues and storytelling shortcomings.
“The cursed crusade is one of those games you realize was put strong effort on and has great visuals with an attempt of good storytelling, nevertheless falls short on it.”
“- visuals: the strongest point, quite good graphics for a simple title”
“Oh and the graphics are freaking tasty!”
“Decent hack & slash with a satisfactory and diverse combat system, good coop mechanics, average visuals and rather boring story.”
“The story elements are pretty awesome, but sadly, the graphics are mediocre, where they have awesome animation in some scenes, and poor ones in others. The mechanics of the game are pretty rigid, and the action sequences can either be frustrating because they are too hard, or they are boring if too easy.”
“The voice acting and poor dialogue is so distractingly terrible that I don't notice the decent graphics and fight style.”
- gameplay27 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as a basic hack-and-slash experience with a diverse combat system and cooperative mechanics, though it often suffers from repetitiveness and frustrating difficulty spikes. While some players appreciate the engaging action and demon powers, many criticize the rigid mechanics, bugs, and lackluster story integration, leading to a mixed reception overall. Despite its fun elements, the gameplay is marred by issues that detract from the overall experience.
“The hacky-slashy-block-parry button smash-a-thon gameplay in general is not bad at all, coupled with your demon powers which let you turn the world to flames and your enemies to undead, which are a good bit easier to knock over. It works on the whole rather well.”
“Battle mechanics are not bad; counter and dodge moves keep your fingers busy and the game pace relatively exciting.”
“I mean the story is nice, the gameplay is cool (except for some bugs, but which game is bug-free?), it can sometimes be humorous, it has nice graphics, and the whole 4th Crusade events are mostly true.”
“The story elements are pretty awesome, but sadly, the graphics are mediocre, where they have awesome animation in some scenes, and poor ones in others. The mechanics of the game are pretty rigid, and the action sequences can either be frustrating because they are too hard, or they are boring if too easy.”
“It was to be a good game but failed due to horrible mechanics bugs.”
“Gameplay-wise, it’s basic hack-and-slashing with forced co-op sequences, a lot of quick time events, and crossbow shooting for good measure.”
- humor14 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of absurdity and childlike whimsy, featuring hilariously cheesy bosses, awkward cutscenes, and amusing anime voice acting. While some find the humor entertaining and reminiscent of a comedic style aimed at younger audiences, others note the juxtaposition of its violent themes with its lighthearted tone. Overall, the game offers moments of genuine hilarity, particularly in its quirky animations and unexpected cliffhanger ending.
“The game is filled with hilariously cheesable bosses, beautifully awkward cutscenes, and yes, there will be ogres in this deeply historical story.”
“Not sure what the makers of this game were thinking; the humor seems like this game was made for children, yet it is violent as hell itself (see what I did there?).”
“But cutscene animations have funny bobbing movements to every act.”
- stability12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting significant bugs, glitches, and technical issues, particularly affecting cooperative play. While some players experienced crashes and a convoluted gameplay experience, others noted that the game runs well on Windows 10 and is playable despite these problems. Overall, while stability issues are prevalent, the game remains enjoyable for those willing to overlook them.
“Runs great on Windows 10 (64-bit) and it is ultrawide friendly (e.g. 2560x1080).”
“I mean the story is nice, the gameplay is cool (except for some bugs, but which game is bug-free?), it can sometimes be humorous, it has nice graphics, and the whole 4th Crusade events are mostly true.”
“Bought this game to play with a friend, but the co-op doesn't work at all and the game is full of bugs, glitches, and technical issues.”
“Convoluted, messy bag of glitches that you need to surpass to enjoy the brutal, dynamic, and challenging combat that will be in your satisfied memories of badassery for a long time.”
“Game crashed a couple of times, but other than that, I didn't find any noticeable bugs or glitches.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game appears to be inconsistent, with some users reporting severe performance issues that cause their computers to overheat, while others praise it for running smoothly without lag, even during intense gameplay scenarios.
“Overall, the game is greatly optimized; there are no lags even when hordes of enemies are on screen.”
“Very poorly optimized; my computer sounded like it wanted to take off.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability primarily due to its linear story progression, which may disappoint players seeking varied experiences. However, completionists may find some value in collecting items or achieving 100% completion.
“For completionist players, this game offers a significant bonus in terms of replayability.”
“The game provides ample opportunities for players to explore different strategies and outcomes, enhancing its replayability.”
“With multiple paths and choices, the replayability factor is high, making each playthrough feel unique.”
“It falls short in replayability due to its linear story progression.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is largely overshadowed by a boring story and repetitive gameplay, leading to a lack of engagement. While the combat system and cooperative mechanics are praised, they do not compensate for the overall emotional disconnect experienced by players.
“The story is boring and fails to evoke any emotional connection.”
“Repetitive gameplay makes it hard to feel invested in the characters or plot.”
“The awful controls detract from any emotional engagement with the game.”
