The First Templar

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The First Templar is a historical role-playing game that offers both single-player and multi-player options, with a focus on co-op play for two players. The plot is engaging and even humorous at times, following a French Templar and a noblewoman accused of heresy as they uncover the Templar Order's secrets and the mystery of the Holy Grail, facing formidable foes such as Sacracen, King Philip IV of France, and the Inquisition.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 489 reviews

story118 positive mentions

stability10 negative mentions

The game offers a fun co-op experience, making it enjoyable to play with friends.
The story is engaging and features interesting historical elements related to the Knights Templar.
Combat mechanics are satisfying, with a variety of moves and character abilities that keep gameplay fresh.

The game suffers from outdated graphics and awkward animations, making it feel clunky.
There are significant issues with the online multiplayer functionality, including requiring a Facebook account to play with friends.
The gameplay can become repetitive, with a lack of depth in combat and linear level design.

story
279 mentions
42 % positive mentions
51 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally considered engaging, featuring a quest for the Holy Grail intertwined with themes of betrayal and historical intrigue. While some players find the narrative predictable or simplistic, many appreciate its twists and character development, particularly in a co-op setting. Overall, the story is seen as a solid foundation that enhances the gameplay experience, despite some criticisms regarding pacing and dialogue quality.
- “The story of the game is also pretty good, with twists and mysteries, historical and fantasy elements, keeps you entertained through the whole game.”
- “The game is technically well done, has a good plot and you will also learn something from myths and truths.”
- “The story is engaging and there are several twists near the end, but those twists don't come out of nowhere - they make perfect sense in the story.”
- “The story is horribly slow-paced and dull; characters are no better, they all seem very bland and uninteresting.”
- “The story seems to be just a means to drive the action and not the other way around as you'd expect.”
- “I stopped caring about the story about halfway through.”
graphics
97 mentions
23 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered dated, reflecting its age, but many players find them acceptable for the time of release, with some noting that they hold up surprisingly well. While there are reports of texture issues and occasional graphical bugs, the overall visual presentation is described as decent, with some appreciating the art style despite its limitations. Overall, the graphics are not the game's strongest aspect, but they do not detract significantly from the enjoyment of the gameplay.
- “For that time, I was really impressed by the graphics and the executions.”
- “The graphics hold themselves surprisingly well compared to the game's age.”
- “The graphics are decent and would recommend it to buy.”
- “Either way, the graphics are poor. Gameplay is poor (skills are hidden until you choose a path down the tree, I suppose for 'replayability'). Combat is a gimmick like the 90s era.”
- “The largest flaw of the game is its outdated graphics; it seems sub-par even for the time of its release.”
- “The graphics are dated, really dated, and you can tell that right away.”
gameplay
93 mentions
28 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "First Templar" is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of hack-and-slash combat, puzzles, and stealth elements that provide some variety, though many players find it repetitive and lacking depth. While some appreciate the character-switching mechanics and the satisfying combat system, others criticize the dated graphics, clunky controls, and linear level design, leading to an overall perception of mediocrity. Despite its flaws, the game can still offer enjoyable moments, particularly in multiplayer settings.
- “The gameplay is really great and includes both combat and puzzles.”
- “First Templar actually switches up the gameplay often with stealth sections, puzzles, and side quests.”
- “The gameplay is where the game shines; it has an excellent combat mechanic, and as you level up, you can learn new moves or improvements of already learned moves.”
- “The gameplay is simply not good, and the game doesn't really offer anything.”
- “The gameplay is quite stiff and repetitive; all the missions are almost the same, and fighting doesn't bring much joy.”
- “A hack-and-slash game with many faults, between a lackluster story, repetitive gameplay, and poor graphics.”
music
30 mentions
27 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and forgettable, especially after extended playtime. While some appreciate the decent quality of the soundtrack and voice acting, others criticize it for being uninspiring and not memorable. Overall, the music serves its purpose but fails to leave a lasting impression on players.
- “The music is wonderful and the gameplay is good, but after 7 hours it's getting repetitive.”
- “From the voice casting to the voice acting to the musical score to the sound effects, everything is very well done.”
- “Sound and music are very good, and the voices are great.”
- “The music also repeats a ton which does get annoying end game and the game is repetitive.”
- “The soundtrack is nothing special, but the voice acting is quite good.”
- “The music hasn’t drawn me in at all, and certainly isn’t something I’d necessarily want to listen to again.”
humor
22 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in "The First Templar" is characterized by its unintentional comedic elements, including awkward character animations, funny dialogues, and a lighthearted story that doesn't take itself seriously. Players often find the game amusing, especially in co-op mode, despite its technical flaws and poor production quality. Overall, it delivers a mix of charmingly bad humor and laughable moments that can be enjoyed with friends.
- “The first Templar is a cute, friendly, and humorous game that does not take itself too seriously.”
- “This game was quite a surprise; I played it as co-op, and it has a very good story and is funny.”
- “All in all, the game is a technical mess, but it's a hilarious mess.”
stability
11 mentions
27 % positive mentions
-18 % neutral mentions
91 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with some users reporting significant glitches that can hinder gameplay, such as lighting issues on the Steam Deck and problems with in-game advertisements. While it runs well on modern hardware, many players have experienced frustrating bugs that affect objectives and account registration. Overall, the game is described as reasonably competent but plagued by enough issues to detract from the experience.
- “Runs great on modern hardware with high refresh rate support.”
- “The game maintains a steady frame rate, even during intense action sequences.”
- “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which makes for a smooth gaming experience.”
- “Has some lighting glitches on Steam Deck at the time of writing.”
- “Bad idea: glitches blocking access to bonus objectives/chests.”
- “Game requires you to register an account, okay no problem except that the launcher glitches out and shows the Steam overlay behind the text boxes and in front of the buttons that allow you to finish registering.”
atmosphere
6 mentions
67 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by its medieval themes and settings, effectively immersing players in a world of knights, templars, and historical intrigue. While the graphics may be considered outdated, the beautiful music and varied environments—from the bright, dusty desert fortress to the dark, drab swamps—contribute to a compelling and atmospheric experience. Overall, players who appreciate this historical context will find the atmosphere engaging, despite the technical limitations.
- “The atmosphere is great; the desert fortress of Acre is bright and dusty, while the village and swamps at the base of Montsegur Castle are drab and dark.”
- “The game is nothing new or groundbreaking, but if you like medieval atmosphere and themes, stabbing your steel into the ribs of your legions of enemies, and following a story of Templars and inquisitors and warriors conspiring against one another, you should give The First Templar a go.”
- “I love the atmosphere of the Knights Templar, the Crusades, and that period of time.”
character development
4 mentions
25 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has been criticized for being confusing and overly restricted, with skills remaining hidden until players reach specific points, leading to a lack of engagement. Many users found the progression predictable and unsatisfying, detracting from the overall experience.
- “I'm able to predict character development long before it is ever done.”
- “Confusing and restricted character development.”
- “Character development is frustrating; skills are hidden until you get the nearest skill - why!?”
- “The character development was horrible.”
optimization
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
-25 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with users reporting significant graphic stuttering and the need to adjust settings like disabling fullscreen optimizations and enabling vsync to improve performance. Overall, the optimization is considered subpar, with a rating of 6/10.
- “Make sure to tick 'Disable fullscreen optimizations' and 'Run this program as an administrator' for better performance.”
- “The optimization could use some improvement, as I would rate it a 6 out of 10.”
- “I had to turn on VSync as I was getting too many FPS, which created constant stuttering.”
- “-6/10 for optimization.”
- “Constant graphic stuttering, terrible voice acting, terrible combat system.”
grinding
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly during boss fights that require repetitive blocking and limited offensive opportunities. Additionally, the process of starting a multiplayer game is seen as cumbersome due to the need for a Facebook login, although the gameplay itself can be enjoyable once these initial hurdles are overcome.
- “A lot of the 'boss' fights are tedious and boring, since you can only get 2 hits in before having to block 3 of theirs.”
- “The problem is that these sequences are tiny gems in the otherwise massive and tedious narrative of the main story.”
- “Starting a multiplayer game is obnoxious, as it requires a Facebook login for a friends-only game, making it tedious to get started and join the right game.”
replayability
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-33 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The game offers some potential for replayability, particularly if players find the story engaging, and it includes co-op options. However, criticisms regarding poor graphics and gameplay mechanics, such as hidden skills, may detract from the overall experience.
- “Luckily the story goes by quickly, and there is even replay value to it as long as you find the story interesting.”
- “Good potential for replayability and co-op to boot.”
- “Either way, the graphics are poor and gameplay is lacking. Skills are hidden until you choose a path down the tree, which seems to be an attempt at 'replayability'. Combat feels like a gimmick from the 90s.”
- “The story goes by quickly, but the replay value is limited unless you find the story interesting.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Users express frustration with the monetization model, highlighting intrusive ads that hinder gameplay and a cumbersome account verification process that often fails, leading to a negative initial experience. The presence of in-game advertisements and technical glitches further detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “Installed the game, but the launcher was filled with ads that blocked my ability to press play. I was forced to create a third-party account, and after doing so, I couldn't log in until I verified my email. I checked my email but found no verification message. I went back to see if there was a resend option, but there wasn't. After retrying the login process multiple times, I still received no email. I ended up playing CK2 for three hours, completely forgetting about trying to get this game to work.”
- “If you can't stand in-game advertisements, then this game is not for you. The constant interruptions are incredibly frustrating.”
emotional
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is noted for its powerful emotional impact, often evoking strong feelings and even tears from players, making it a compelling choice for those seeking an emotionally charged experience.
- “A great game if you want to cry.”
- “The story touched my heart and made me feel a deep connection with the characters.”
- “I was moved to tears by the emotional depth of the narrative.”