Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The First Templar (Special Edition) earns its name mainly through The Arena DLC. That is the part of the package that can extend your time actually playing, so it is the clearest reason to choose this edition over the standard game.

If you are shopping on Steam or GOG, it is worth being precise about what you are getting. Those versions include the Arena DLC, but not the soundtrack or the reversible poster. In other words, the digital purchase is an expanded game package rather than a full collector-focused edition.

The practical buying advice is simple: start with whether you want The First Templar at all, then count Arena as a welcome extra. Do not pay a premium expecting a bundle of physical memorabilia from a digital storefront.

Graphics

The physical Special Edition’s most concrete visual extra is a reversible poster, made unusually large at twice the height and four times the width of the keep case. It is a collector item rather than something that changes the game on screen.

Story

This edition does not stand apart as a separate story release; it is built around The First Templar with additional Arena content and, in the physical package, a soundtrack and poster.

That makes it a poor choice if you are hoping the word “Special” means a newly expanded narrative. Its extras are framed as bonus material and an additional mode, not a distinct story campaign.

For anyone interested in the game’s world, the soundtrack and poster are the more thematic bonuses, but they are tied to the physical edition. Digital buyers should judge the package on the included Arena DLC instead.

Overall Experience

This is a modest special edition, not an all-out definitive reworking. The Arena DLC gives the bundle a real gameplay-facing addition, while the soundtrack and poster make the physical version more attractive to committed fans.

The split between physical and digital contents is the catch. Calling both versions a Special Edition can create the impression that they contain the same extras, but the downloadable release is the leaner package.

Pick it up digitally if The First Templar already interests you and the Arena DLC sweetens the deal. Hunt down the physical edition only if the reversible poster and soundtrack genuinely matter to you; otherwise, the label promises more than the digital bundle delivers.

Retro Replay Score

5.5/10