All first person shooter players know and love ‘Doom’, well I know I do. So, a game that follows a similar playstyle, and even some of the retro art style a lot of us began playing with made me very keen to jump into this one.

Developed by T19 Games, ‘Dread Templar’ is a fast-paced retro FPS, combining the old school and retro art style with more modern and fluid FPS controls. You play as a Dread Templar seeking revenge deep in an evil realm. Reek carnage as you fight through multiple levels full of weapons, upgrades and loads of secrets to find. Face hordes of demons and bloodthirsty fiends using the weapons you find to make sure you become the scariest thing in Hell.

As you progress between each chapter, you will find this is where you get dumped with most of your story and narrative points. A few still images and a voice-over explain your past and what your plans are. I personally didn’t find the story too gripping, but the rest of the game makes up for it with how it plays. I do believe these types of games are made and played purely for the hectic weapon play which is a load of fun.

Run, gun, and explore, oh, and don’t stop moving when in combat or you’ll most likely take a few hits if you do. The gameplay is where Dread Templar really shines, with smooth and fluid controls you’ll find yourself having a blast as you mow down all the demons and creatures of the darkness in your way. With an array of difficulty options for the campaign ranging from easy to hard and even one higher, called ‘Hell’ itself, for those who dare to take on the challenge. I played on normal and felt there was a good balance, with a decent challenge for myself, especially in boss fights; which are plenty.

Starting out with only your akimbo guns and dual blades, you’ll soon find more weapons along your way, whether you explore and find secret areas giving early access to some weapons or unlocking them as you progress. It’s ok if you miss some, as it gives you the opportunities to find them later on. A lot of weapons come with alternate firing modes, or just switch out for weapons with the same ammo type. A good example of this is your starting weapon, the dual blades. Switching to the dual blades’ alternate mode allows you to throw it like a spear, doing so will result in a temporary cooldown on that move.

The campaign isn’t the only option on offer. There is also Guardian Mode, in which you attempt to survive for as long as possible in a wave base/endless mode. As you kill enemies and protect your objective, you earn money, doing so allows you to purchase weapons, upgrades and ammo to better fit you for survival against the onslaught that ensues. Much like the campaign you have the same difficulty options.

Visually, Dread Templar is a smooth experience with a retro look with its appearance being almost ‘Doom’ or ‘Quake’ like, well in their early days anyway. Don’t let this deceive you, the game runs and plays great, with its modern and fluid controls it was easy to pick up and enjoy. The modern feel makes it very easy to pick up and play whether you are on a controller or mouse and keyboard, both felt great and very natural. Both also include fully mappable controls to find the perfect fit for you.

As mentioned, Dread Templar has a retro art style, which is great for fans of old-school games and also for people who kind of want to experience it without the jarring and outdated controls. There is a large number of levels to explore all designed with that retro feel in mind, along with guns and enemies to match. Going down a route of such a simple art style allows for less superior computers to have a good and smooth experience; I know I did with the high frame rate I was getting. Such a great and nostalgic experience I might say.

We can’t forget about the soundtrack, such a head banger, and a great track to slay the demons that await. Accompanied by the satisfying and unique sounds each weapon has to give you that much-needed gratification in such a game of fast paced action. Being an indie game however, the voice acting wasn’t the greatest and had some overly saturated voice effects. A good effort though, just lacked a little finesse for my liking and took a small part away from my experience.

Such a stellar and nostalgic experience, for fans of retro first person shooters, I definitely recommend picking this one up. As for people who want to give retro-style games a go without the clunky old controls I say the same to you. I had a great time with this title and will definitely come back to sink some more time into it.

Written by: MrVibeAU