10.7 hours played
Written 6 days ago
Not Quite the Boomer Shooter I Hoped For
As a huge fan of classic FPS games, especially DOOM, Quake, and more recently, Dusk (which I consider the gold standard for modern boomer shooters), I had high hopes for Dread Templar. The visual style screamed Dusk-inspired, and at a discounted price of just 4€, it was an easy impulse buy.
But after a few hours of gameplay, my excitement turned into frustration.
Level Design & Exploration
While the game boasts a generous number of secrets, finding them rarely feels rewarding, just exhausting. There are almost no visual hints or clues to indicate interactive or hidden elements. In games like Dusk or DOOM, secret areas are subtly hinted at via texture misalignments, sound cues, or level geometry. Dread Templar offers little to none of that, making the search feel more like blind guesswork than skillful exploration.
Progression & Upgrade System
The game relies on permanent upgrades to keep up with increasingly difficult enemies. However, because levels can't be revisited, missing secrets in Chapter 1 can severely punish you later on. By the time Chapter 2 or 3 rolls around, you're likely underpowered unless you scoured the early chapters extremely thoroughly, something that's not intuitive or achievable for most first-time players.
Enemy Design & Combat
Combat feels repetitive quickly. Enemy AI is simplistic, and there’s a lack of diversity in both enemy behavior and attack patterns. The dash mechani, potentially a key feature in fast-paced combat, feels clunky and unrefined. In several cases, I got stuck on geometry mid-dash, which is unacceptable in a movement-heavy shooter.
Difficulty & Balance
The difficulty curve feels erratic. The Chapter 2 boss, in particular, was unreasonably hard—not in a fun or challenging way, but in a poorly balanced, frustrating way. Coupled with limited upgrade access, it bordered on unfair.
Overall Feel
Despite being clearly inspired by Dusk and Quake, Dread Templar fails to capture the tight movement, satisfying gunplay, and environmental storytelling that make those games great. It feels like an imitation that misses the soul of what makes boomer shooters fun. The visual style is appealing, but that alone can’t save the experience.
Final Verdict:
If you're a diehard fan of the genre, there may be something here for you, but be prepared for frustration, trial-and-error secret hunting, and rough pacing. For anyone hoping for another Dusk, this sadly isn't it.
🟠 Score: 5/10