Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first hour has an easy, lowbrow pull. You are Denz de Bayle, a knight fighting through a Crusades-era campaign while carrying a curse that can drag him into hell, and the game wastes little time putting a weapon in your hand and sending enemies your way. Its structure is direct: move through linear stages, clear out opposition, continue onward. If you want an uncomplicated melee game with a grim medieval wrapper, that clarity can be refreshing.

The curse is the part that gives the combat a little more tension than a routine button-mashing crawl. Shifting into the hell version of the world powers up the heroes and opens access to special attacks and collectibles, but it drains energy while you remain there. Killing enemies restores that energy, so the strongest state is not simply a free upgrade. You are encouraged to press the advantage, fight aggressively, and get out before the drain becomes a problem.

There is also some welcome progression in the weapon skill trees. Victory points earned from completing missions and finding hell-world collectibles or hidden chests unlock combo attacks for each weapon. That gives exploration a practical reward and offers a reason to experiment rather than settle immediately into the same few strikes. Still, the underlying loop remains narrow, and repeated linear battles can turn the game’s forceful start into a slog.

Esteban Noviembre travels with Denz, controlled either by AI or by another person in co-op. Playing alongside someone is the better fit for this kind of bruising campaign: the shared curse premise and constant melee pressure have more energy when you can tackle them with a partner. Solo, the companion at least keeps the journey from feeling completely solitary, but the game’s core repetition is harder to ignore.

Graphics

The action uses a behind-the-character view, keeping Denz, Noviembre, and their melee targets close to the camera during fights. The most distinct visual idea is the shift between the normal world and its hell counterpart, which gives the curse a visible place in the action instead of leaving it as a background story detail.

Story

The story has a sturdy B-movie fantasy setup. Denz is cursed by the Templars, gains strength at the cost of a fate in hell, and joins the Crusaders in search of a cure. Meeting Esteban, another cursed fighter, gives the journey a natural partner dynamic rather than treating the second character as a random co-op addition.

It also has a clean external threat in a sinister cursed group, so the campaign has more to push against than Denz’s private misery. The problem is not that the premise lacks material; a cursed Crusader trying to outrun damnation is inherently gameable. The game is more convincing as a vehicle for fights and supernatural pressure than as a story you will be eager to revisit for its own sake.

If the setting and release background interest you, this The Cursed Crusade overview offers additional game-specific context. In the game itself, the curse remains the hook worth remembering: it ties Denz’s personal goal, Esteban’s presence, and the hell-world combat risk into one idea.

Overall Experience

The Cursed Crusade is a middling hack-and-slash saved from total anonymity by its curse mechanic. The hell-world switch creates a useful risk-reward rhythm, and the weapon combo progression gives you small goals between the larger march of missions. When you have a co-op partner, its rough-and-ready structure is easier to enjoy on its own uncomplicated terms.

Its limits arrive quickly. Linear levels, frequent melee encounters, and a combat loop that does not transform dramatically over time make it difficult to recommend to anyone already tired of repetitive action games. The curse adds spice, not a complete reinvention.

Give it a chance if you have a soft spot for early-2010s medieval action games, want a co-op swordfighter, or simply like the idea of managing a damaging demonic power while cutting through enemies. Everyone else can safely pass: the payoff is a few enjoyable scraps and a memorable premise, not a hidden classic.

Retro Replay Score

5.2/10