Ben-DutkaWhen it comes to dark, violent, fantastical RPGs, it appears that The Cursed Crusade has all the bases covered. In development at Kylotonn and set to be published by Atlus, the game is played in a third-person perspective and features the main character, Denz. Denz is a cursed Templar who is looking for a way to break the curse, so he and his partner – a mercenary called Esteban, who can be controlled by a friend or AI – set out on a dangerous quest. Now, although you seek to be free of the spell cast upon you, that curse can actually prove to be quite useful during your perilous journey. It even effects the game’s compelling atmosphere.
When your Curse Gauge hits maximum, you will let the curse take hold of your body and soul, and Denz becomes much more powerful for a certain span of time. Furthermore, the background will change to a burning landscape and all enemies will be seen as little more than skeletal victims. This feature adds to the cosmetic appeal of The Cursed Crusade and lends even more intimidation to the dark, downright evil visual presentation. As for the core gameplay mechanic, it seems to be a typical third-person action style, with plenty of different medieval-looking weapons, such as swords, axes, maces and bows. However, the game’s depth immediately starts to become apparent even here, as your weapons will degrade over time.
Plus, we’re loving the idea of “total freedom” when it comes to the customization and configuration of our weapons. And if you’re a fan of dual-wielding, that’s possible with certain arms, although we imagine a sword-and-shield setup might be safest. Obviously, the RPG fan likes to experiment and determine the best possible equipage for his overall play style and current predicament. Different combinations of weapons will result in different combination and skill possibilities, so you’ll definitely want to see what happens when you equip a blunt and bladed weapon at the same time… Yeah, it’s going to be pretty bloody, which of course will only emphasize this game’s inherent brutality.
From long-range to short-range, fighting is clearly the primary focus, so it’ll be important to have competent AI (for both your ally and your foes), and the solidarity of the actual mechanics is essential as well. We find it interesting that one can use parts of the environment to our advantage; keeping an eye on your surroundings and your foes – which will surround you given the opportunity – is critical. And beneath it all lies a tantalizing storyline featuring the always-interesting theme of revenge, an epic world full of danger and adventure, and oh yes, no less than 40 missions, 90 possible attack combinations, and over 130 weapons. This one could be a standout winner.
The Cursed Crusade is set to release this fall for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, and we honestly hope it’ll have the teeth to flourish in yet another packed autumn lineup.
