Fight for victory, save a maiden, all in a days work! (Knights of the Temple - Infernal Crusade (PS2))

Member Name: srtom

Product:	Knights of the Temple - Infernal Crusade (PS2)
Date:	14/07/04 (486 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great graphics, Lots of enemies, Intuitive gameplay

Disadvantages: Same old same old, Needs a greater depth

Being a knight was an incredibly noble job; one that denotes valour, honour and women abound as they fought to bring their quests to a legendary conclusion. Unfortunately in our contemporary setting, the only phrase involving knights is becoming someone?s ?knight in shining armour? a mythical status to the lazy males among us and yet something that women aspire their men to be. Bored of doing the washing up or buying your girl clothes? Now you can be their knight in shining armour without the effort with this game by TDK Mediactive.

The history of the Knights Templar, right from its beginning, reads like a movie script or a tale taken from a highly acclaimed fantasy book. However, reality often sounds like that and the Knights Templar actually existed as a military order backed up by both the Pope and the collective European monarchies. The order of warrior monks who were to become one of the most powerful and controversial organizations in European medieval history was known through many names, but most famously; The Knights Templar.

Enough history for now?.Knights of the Temple ? Infernal Crusade seems like your usual hack-n-slash fare, but surprised even a hardened gamer like myself with similarly ingenious and beautiful locations ranging from eerie monasteries to majestic castles.

PLOT
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The evil Bishop captures Adelle, young women with untold powers and with his followers embarks on a crusade that treads the same path as the previous route of the crusaders. He tries to use Adelle?s powers against her will and plans to complete the unholy circle to perform unholy rituals and the like at his own discretion to gain power and open a gateway to hell. This is where the player comes in; Paul, a young Templar knight, takes it upon himself to expose the evil conspiracy and s
top the evil bishop from completing his plan. The only way he can do this is by rescuing the maiden (Adele) and well and truly becoming her knight in shining armour (swoon) by saving the day from the jaws of hell.


GAMEPLAY
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The premise of Infernal Crusade is simple, kill the enemies or be killed yourself. Over 40 different adversaries await you, with different button pushes on the controller available to dispose of your foes. Thankfully the fighting system installed in this game is very good and is pivotal that you learn this well as your survival hangs in the balance throughout. Players also get the chance to string together combos and certain attacks that break the opposition?s shields or weapons when performed correctly.


GRAPHICS
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These are stunning particularly for a PS2 game and sometimes your mouth will hang open as you stare at the intricate backgrounds?..seconds before dying at the hands of the enemy. This has happened to myself quite a few times and every time very annoying! The graphics really are top notch with no slow down or popup and I can?t fault them here. The fight animations are also very good quality, with the battle seemingly realistic and enough to hold your concentration.


SOUND
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I don?t usually bother to listen to the soundtrack particularly of games but I had a proper listen for the purpose of this interview at high volume and is chiefly of good quality throughout. The sound effects are meaty, with your weapons sounding like they really connect with the opposing enemy and the music does well to build the tension and getting the adrenaline flowing during the fights.


LASTING APPEAL
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The main appeal of the game for me was to dual in the new locations and with the addition of upgrades moves and weaponry, did well to hold my interest for at least a few weeks, unheard of for this type of game for myself usually. I am much the more FPS (first person shooter) type person, instant action and little thinking with tactics taking a back-seat so I was refreshingly challenged here. As just stated in a slightly more roundabout way, the longevity of this title is going to come down to several factors; do you enjoy the genre? Can you hack-n-slash for king and country? Are you a fan of this kind of fighting fantasy? If the answer to all these questions is an unequivocal Yes, then look no further than this game as the action is fluid and exciting.

To conclude, the Knights of the Temple ? Infernal Crusade is a great little hack-em-up with enough to keep you coming back for more, while enjoying the experience along the way. Recommended especially for fantasy nuts with a penchant for swords and sorcery.

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