Info about Dread Templar:

Official game description:
CHECK OUT ANOTHER COOL BOOMER SHOOTER
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About the Game
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Become the scariest thing in hell and beyond, as you embark on your quest for vengeance in the intense, fast-paced campaign of Dread Templar, made by a solo developer over the course of 3 years. The game is reminiscent of classics from the 90s, but with a modern twist and gameplay depth on par with contemporary shooters.  
Experiment with endless combinations of more than 100 different upgrades for a vast arsenal of badass weapons and powers to define your own playstyle. Scour every inch of the game’s 25+ enormous levels rife with hidden side areas, secret locations and puzzles to get all the possible unlocks.  
Blast your way through hordes of diverse demonic and fiendish enemies and prevail in up to ten thrilling boss fights. Explore the many distinct, unique campaign environments: from the dark realm of hell to frozen pirate ships, all rendered in retro, but surprisingly detailed pixel-art graphics style, supercharged by a head-banging original soundtrack.  
*   Use FPS staples such as dashing and bullet time to conquer the brutal, fast-paced gameplay.  
*   Select a unique combination from 100+ skills and upgrade unlocks to create your own playstyle.  
*   Turn a varied roster of 20+ enemy types and 9 different bosses into a bloody mist with more than 10 weapons - from katana swords to firearms and infernal weapons!  
*   Explore 25+ vast levels and search them for 19 side areas, more than 170 secrets and solve over 20 challenging puzzles to receive epic rewards.  
*   Enjoy the handmade retro art style - all elements of the game including weapons, enemies, and environments are created in a retro pixelated art style reminiscent of the 90s shooters. You can even select from 5 different filters to give the game a completely new look!

Release date: 26 Jan, 2023

Categories: First-Person Shooter, Single-player Story, Weapon Customization, Character Progression, Exploration, Puzzle Solving, Real-time Combat, Boss Rush


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Excellent Boomer Shooter Experience (weight 0.56): The game is widely celebrated as a top-tier 'boomer shooter,' effectively blending classic 90s FPS elements with modern refinements. Reviewers frequently compare it favorably to genre titans like Doom and Quake, appreciating its fast-paced action and retro aesthetic.
- Engaging Level Design & Secrets (weight 0.41): The level design is highly regarded for its visual variety, atmospheric qualities, and clever incorporation of secrets. Players enjoy exploring the levels, finding hidden areas, and appreciate how secrets often provide rewarding upgrades and enhance replayability.
- Satisfying Weaponry & Upgrades (weight 0.4): Players consistently praise the game's diverse and numerous weapons, highlighting their satisfying feel, cool designs, and impactful upgrade system. The ability to customize and transform weapons through upgrades significantly enhances gameplay and allows for varied playstyles.
- Outstanding Soundtrack (weight 0.22): The game's soundtrack, particularly its heavy metal style, receives widespread acclaim. Players find it epic, motivating, and perfectly fitting for the fast-paced action, with many considering it among the best they've heard in the genre.
- Well-Designed Bosses & Enemies (weight 0.2): Boss fights are highlighted as epic, challenging, and well-designed, often requiring strategic thinking. Enemy variety is also praised, with distinct visual designs and interesting attack patterns that keep combat engaging.
- Impressive Content & Pacing (weight 0.17): The game offers sufficient playtime and replay value for an indie title, with good pacing that keeps players engaged. Its well-made art style and consistent gameplay are also noted, especially considering it's a solo developer project.
- Strong Early Episodes (weight 0.07): The initial episodes, particularly episodes 1, 2, and 3, are frequently mentioned as being exceptionally well-designed, visually stunning, and showcasing the game's creativity and love for the genre.
- Good Atmosphere & Visuals (weight 0.05): The game maintains a good overall look and atmosphere, with superb moody lighting and a clean graphical environment. The art style effectively blends retro pixel aesthetics with modern lighting, creating a gritty charm.

Common complaints:
- Mandatory and Obtuse Secret Hunting (weight 0.97): The game's progression and upgrade system heavily relied on finding secrets, which many players found to be overly obscure and difficult to locate without a guide. This mandatory secret hunting disrupted the game's pace, felt unrewarding, and punished players who preferred not to meticulously scour every map, leading to a less enjoyable experience.
- Repetitive and Uninspired Design (weight 0.91): Players frequently found the level design, art style, and enemy variety to be bland, repetitive, and uninspired, especially in later episodes. This led to a general feeling of boredom and a lack of engagement, with many levels feeling interchangeable and lacking unique identity. The game's overall design failed to capture the dynamic and engaging experience expected from the genre.
- Frustrating Save System (weight 0.85): The save system was a major point of frustration for many players. The reliance on fixed save stations, the lack of a quick-save feature, and the need for multiple menu interactions made saving tedious and often led to significant loss of progress, particularly after dying in boss fights or platforming sections. This design choice felt out of place for a fast-paced shooter.
- Boring and Unbalanced Boss Fights (weight 0.84): Boss encounters were generally perceived as dull, simple, and often unbalanced. Many players found them to be 'bullet sponges' with repetitive attack patterns, lacking engaging mechanics or a satisfying challenge. Some bosses were either too easy or frustratingly difficult due to projectile spam and poor arena design.
- Ineffective and Frustrating Dash Ability (weight 0.82): The dash ability was widely criticized for its long cooldown, making it unreliable and often useless in combat or platforming. Players felt it lacked momentum and did not provide sufficient defensive options, especially given the speed of enemies, leading to frustration rather than enhanced mobility.
- Repetitive and Unengaging Music (weight 0.79): The game's soundtrack was frequently criticized for being repetitive, generic, and often too loud, obscuring other sound effects. Many players found the music to be monotonous, especially during longer levels or exploration, and felt it lacked the dynamic quality or variety needed to enhance the gameplay experience.
- Weak and Unbalanced Weapons (weight 0.38): A significant number of players felt that the weapons were weak, lacked impact, and were poorly balanced. Many enemies were too 'tanky,' requiring excessive shots, and the arsenal often felt bloated with uninspired or ineffective options. This issue was compounded by a perceived lack of 'oomph' or power feedback from the guns, making combat less satisfying.
- Poor Upgrade and Rune System (weight 0.21): The upgrade and rune systems were criticized for being basic, uninspired, and poorly executed. Many upgrades offered only marginal benefits, and the reliance on secrets for essential character progression felt punitive. The limited slots for golden runes and the lack of meaningful choices further detracted from the system's potential.
- Ammo Scarcity and Management Issues (weight 0.18): Players frequently reported severe ammo scarcity, forcing them to constantly search for ammunition or resort to less effective weapons. The low ammo capacity for most weapons, even with upgrades, and the lack of an auto-switch feature when ammo ran out, made combat tedious and frustrating.
- Useless Bullet Time Ability (weight 0.07): The 'Bullet Time' ability was largely considered pointless and unnecessary. Players found it offered little strategic depth, as enemy projectiles were often slow enough to dodge without it, and it rarely felt required for any challenge. Some even reported performance issues when using it.

Gameplay feedback:
- Rewarding Secret Hunting & Exploration (weight 0.37): Exploration is highly encouraged, with numerous secrets hidden throughout maze-like levels. Finding these secrets is crucial for progression, as they often contain essential upgrades, blood stones, and runes needed to enhance weapons and character abilities.
- Classic Boomer-Shooter Gameplay (weight 0.35): The game delivers a fast-paced, old-school FPS experience reminiscent of Quake, Doom, and Painkiller. It combines classic run-and-gun mechanics with modern elements like a dash, bullet time, and a diverse arsenal, offering a fresh take on the genre.
- Varied Enemy Design & Difficulty (weight 0.32): The game features a decent variety of enemies, with some rushing the player and others requiring specific tactics. While some bosses are considered easy, the overall difficulty escalates, especially on higher settings, providing a challenging experience that often requires strategic weapon use and movement.
- Extensive Weapon Arsenal & Customization (weight 0.32): Players have access to a wide array of weapons, including classic shotguns, dual pistols, katanas, and unique launchers. The game features a deep upgrade system with runes that significantly alter weapon functions and stats, allowing for diverse playstyles and strategic combat.
- Simple, Functional Story (weight 0.05): The game's story is straightforward and presented sparingly through narrated scenes and images. While not complex or captivating, it provides enough context for the player's quest for revenge in Hell.

Performance notes:
- Excellent Technical Performance (weight 0.09): Players consistently report that the game runs smoothly with high and stable framerates, even on older hardware. Many experienced no bugs, crashes, or performance issues, highlighting strong optimization.
- Responsive and Rebindable Controls (weight 0.03): The game's controls are praised for being intuitive and responsive, with full rebindability for mouse and keyboard users, contributing to a positive gameplay feel.
- Ultrawide Monitor Support (weight 0.01): The game offers support for 21:9 aspect ratio, which is a positive for players with ultrawide monitors.
- ShadowPlay Improved Performance (weight 0.01): One user noted that activating Nvidia ShadowPlay unexpectedly resolved a rocket launcher glitch and improved framerate, which is an interesting, though niche, observation.
- Game Length Noted (weight 0.01): One player mentioned the game's completion time was around 9 hours. This is a factual observation rather than feedback on quality, hence low importance.

Recommendations:
- Strong Recommendation for Genre Fans (weight 0.5): The game is highly recommended for fans of 'boomer shooters' and retro-style FPS games, especially those who enjoy titles like Doom, Quake, Ultrakill, Dusk, and Amid Evil. It delivers a satisfying experience for players seeking fast-paced action, demon-slaying, and secret hunting.
- Consider Purchase on Sale (weight 0.35): Many players suggest that while the game has merits, it is best purchased during a sale or at a discount. Some reviewers feel it doesn't fully justify its full price compared to other titles in the genre, or that its value increases significantly at a lower cost.
- Mixed Reception & Alternatives (weight 0.33): While many recommend the game, some players express reservations, suggesting there are better or more unique boomer shooters available. They advise skipping it if time is limited or if one expects a groundbreaking experience, noting it can feel mediocre or frustrating at times.
- Difficulty and Accessibility (weight 0.05): The game is considered accessible for new or casual FPS players on normal or easy difficulties, potentially serving as a good introduction to arena shooters. However, some players note that higher difficulties can be masochistic, and quick save/load features would enhance fluid gameplay.
- Potential for Improvement (weight 0.04): Some feedback indicates that the game could be improved with future updates, specifically mentioning fixes for issues like keybinding and potentially a more adaptive music system. There's anticipation for the game's full release from Early Access.

Other player notes:
- Mixed Opinions on Soundtrack (weight 0.11): While many players praise the game's music as excellent, amazing, and fitting the atmosphere, a significant portion finds it monotonous, generic, or repetitive. Some even listen to their own music, indicating a polarizing audio experience.
- Polarizing Visuals and Graphics (weight 0.1): The game's graphics receive mixed feedback. Some players laud them as beautiful, polished, and featuring incredible colors and old-school charm. However, others find the location design dull, uninspired, or not very impressive, despite the retro style.
- Content Volume Discrepancy (weight 0.07): There's a notable disagreement on the game's content volume. Some players feel it offers sufficient content and good playtime for the price, while others find the game length to be short (4-7 hours).
- Solo Developer Project (weight 0.07): Many players acknowledge that the game was largely developed by a single person or a small indie company over several years. This context often influences their perception of the game's scope and polish.
- Strong Classic FPS Homage (weight 0.07): Players frequently compare the game to classic FPS titles like Quake, Half-Life, DUSK, and Blood, noting its visual style and overall feel. This suggests the game successfully captures the essence of these beloved 'boomer shooters'.
- Simple Story and Setting (weight 0.04): The game features a simple, 'excuse plot' set in a Hellish environment. Cutscenes and introductions are text-based, indicating a focus on gameplay over narrative depth.
- Secrets and Optional Endings (weight 0.02): The game includes numerous secrets for players to discover, with some speculation that these secrets might influence optional endings, adding replayability.
- Specific Player Preferences (weight 0.01): One reviewer mentioned buying the game due to disappointment with a new Doom soundtrack, indicating specific preferences for game music. Another noted it wasn't their favorite boomer shooter, highlighting individual taste.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.27): Players felt satisfied by the game's fast-paced, fluid combat, diverse weapon arsenal, and rewarding exploration, particularly secret hunting. The game successfully delivered on an 'old-school FPS' experience, often compared favorably to titles like Doom Eternal and Quake, with many praising its level design, atmospheric qualities, and engaging soundtrack.
- Disappointment (weight 0.2): Disappointment stemmed from the game's perceived lack of originality, often feeling like a 'soulless Doom clone' or a 'store brand' version of other boomer shooters. Players found the overall experience underwhelming due to weak weapon feel, ineffective upgrades, repetitive gameplay, and a decline in quality in later episodes, failing to live up to expectations or positive reviews.
- Frustration (weight 0.19): Frustration was primarily caused by a tedious and clunky save system, the necessity of obscure secret hunting for progression, and unbalanced difficulty spikes. Other sources included ammo shortages, poor weapon balance, annoying enemy designs, collision issues, and various bugs, making the game feel 'actively hostile' at times.
- Excitement (weight 0.12): Players expressed excitement for the game's fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled action, dynamic combat, and the radical changes offered by weapon upgrades and gold runes. The 'banging' soundtrack, engaging level design, and overall 'classic chaos' contributed to a highly enthusiastic and enjoyable experience, often described as a 'must-play' retro FPS.
- Boredom (weight 0.05): Boredom arose from uninspired level design, a generic art style, and repetitive music, leading to a lack of engagement. Players felt the game overstayed its welcome, with gameplay becoming repetitive and a 'chore' after the initial chapters, particularly due to a lack of dynamics and insufficient enemy variety.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Annoyance was caused by minor but persistent issues such as the tedious save system, repetitive and incessantly loud music, and specific game mechanics like weapons not automatically switching when ammo ran out. Other factors included buggy achievements, annoying enemy placement, and a perceived 'edgy' main character.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.02): Players found enjoyment in the game's dynamic and fun gameplay, particularly for fans of retro shooters, appreciating its premise, music, and combat. The thrill of secret hunting, the well-balanced normal difficulty, and the overall entertaining experience contributed to a positive sentiment, often compared to titles like Quake or Dusk.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger was directed at the game's perceived poor design, particularly the lack of a quicksave feature, 'garbage' movement, and 'stupid mechanics'. Strong negative language indicated a feeling of being forced to play for achievements despite disliking the game, viewing it as a 'hack-job' or 'mediocre' due to its unpolished state.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Joy was experienced through the game's fun and fast gameplay, providing a highly enjoyable and exhilarating experience. Players felt like a 'gleeful little murder machine' due to the effective and fun weapon arsenal, the ability to deal massive damage through weapon switching, and the overall 'high and drive' of the game.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Players appreciated the game's unique weapons, the replayability offered by perks, and the engaging visuals enhanced by filters. There was also appreciation for the developer's effort, the game's music, aesthetic, and continuous improvements, highlighting simple yet effective and creative design elements.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.01): Nostalgia was evoked by the game's old-school secrets, references, and its ability to remind players of classic titles like N64 and Turok. The game successfully captured a '1999 vibe,' resonating with players' memories of earlier FPS experiences.
- Hope (weight 0): Hope was expressed for the game's future, including potential improvements, mod support, and its ability to attract fans of indie games and shooters. There was a desire for the game to succeed, with suggestions for developers to make changes to combat and enemies to enhance its potential.
- Concern (weight 0): Concerns were raised about the game's potential to cause physical discomfort, such as harm to aging joints, and its graphics and tediousness deterring players. There was also a concern that the game lacked personality and a unique niche or identity within the genre.
- Indifference (weight 0): Indifference stemmed from the game being perceived as merely 'okay' or having a strong resemblance to other titles like Dusk without offering significant differentiation. This indicated a lack of strong positive or negative feelings, suggesting it didn't particularly stand out.
- Admiration (weight 0): Admiration was specifically directed towards the game being developed by one person, highlighting the impressive achievement of a solo developer project. The soundtrack was also a significant source of admiration, often described as 'legitimately the best' heard in a long time, further emphasizing the dedication to player feedback.
- Relief (weight 0): Relief was felt upon completing the game, indicating a sense of accomplishment after a potentially challenging or prolonged experience. The ability to turn off the OST in settings also provided relief for some players, suggesting the music could be a source of annoyance.
- Neutrality (weight 0): Neutrality reflected mixed feelings across various game aspects, including graphics and story. This indicates that different elements of the game elicited neither strong positive nor negative reactions, leading to an overall balanced or undecided sentiment.
- Mixed feelings (weight 0): Mixed feelings arose from the inconsistent quality of secrets, with some feeling like missed opportunities while others were greatly appreciated. This suggests a varied experience within a single game mechanic, leading to a nuanced emotional response.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0): Enthusiasm was expressed primarily for the game's music, indicating a strong positive reaction to the soundtrack. This suggests the music was a significant highlight, contributing to an overall positive and energetic feeling towards the game.
- Love (weight 0): Love for the game encompassed overall enjoyment and appreciation, indicating a deep positive connection. This strong emotion suggests the game resonated profoundly with players, leading to a highly favorable and affectionate view of the experience.}