First Templar leaves me with mixed feelings. One the one hand it's a very fun and engaging game to make your way through with a friend, but on the other hand it has little problems here and there that mar the gameplay. It seems like it was sloppily put together and could have been better constructed all around in order to make the gameplay more fluid. It's a decent game to go through at least once and is definitely worth picking up. Not necessarily at full price, but it's certainly worth playing.

The First Templar draws you in with delightful visuals and rhythmic combat, but technical foibles can lessen your fun.

It's hard to judge The First Templar by the usual standards, since almost everything here has two sides. Fairly good story, but dated graphics. Interesting combat system – annoying stealth sequences. Big levels – linear corridors. But ultimately, you will be remembering these 10 hours of non-stop swashbuckling with a smile on your face.

The First Templar is a decent action adventure game, with a good combat system and a lot of moves and abilities you can unlock. The story is also well told. The problems happen when the game tries to imitate Assassin's Creed, because there's literally an abyss between the two titles in terms of style, graphics and gameplay.

Nice crusader-setting and well done main characters but the game doesn't satisfy that much. The animations aren't smooth enough, the combat-system isn't really tactical and the skill-system is useless in most options. The coop-play is disappointing, because the gameplay-experience is just the same as in single-player.

It's hard to rate this game as it is very inconsistent. Good impression made by the music score is destroyed by terrible voice acting. Evading traps is fun but a moment later you're forced to use a simplified stealth system to trick dumb enemies. The sceneries can be really charming but the thrill is gone when a lifeless cut-scene kicks in. [June 2011, p.74]

The combat is the only real redeeming factor in the game and that's not saying much. The story is forgettable and, more than likely, you'll end up zoning out during the cutscenes, just to get to the next action sequence.

Besides unlocking costumes that don't offer stat bonuses, there's almost zero replay value here. [Aug 2011, p.99]

Here and there it's possible to see that the developers really tried to deliver a decent game, but for some reason they couldn't. A sword fighting game that doesn't include good fighting animations is just as pointless as a racing game without physics or damage.

The First Templar is uneven, inconsistent in tone and, to be blunt, wonky in execution.

It's a pity that The First Tempar wasn't released five years ago. But then, it has a working split-screen mode on PC! [July 2011, p.123]

The whole affair just suffers from a lack of polish all round.

Fun but forgettable. [Sept 2011, p.68]

This game looks five years older, and is obsolete both technically and gameplay-wise. However, its theme and cooperative modes are enjoyable.

If Antonio Salieri was the boss of these developers, it would explain a lot of things. The First Templar is a prime example of a mediocre game that won't hurt nor warm your gamer's heart.

Visually sharp, technically accomplished, but hardly memorable. [Aug 2011, p.75]

If nothing else, The First Templar is an interesting look at what happens when an established developer moves beyond its comfort zone. Unsurprisingly, the results are mixed: a few glimmering moments of innovation diluted by hours of decade-old design.

Tight competition in action RPG genre sends The First Templar straight to hell. There are so many better games that there is no reason to waste time with this grey, below-average piece. [June 2011]

The First Templar is not good. Maybe with a bigger team, more time or a bigger budget this could have become something worthwhile, but it feels like an unpolished knock off.