The Cursed Crusade

The Cursed Crusade, released in 2011, is an action hack-and-slash title from developer Kylotonn. European distribution was handled by DTP Entertainment, while Atlus USA published the game in North America. The story unfolds during the Fourth Crusade and follows two crusaders: the player character Denz de Bayle and his partner, the Spanish mercenary Esteban Noviembre. A second player can take control of Esteban through online or local co-op, or the AI can handle him. Cooperative moves include grapple executions, team healing, and shared level progression. The third-person perspective allows the player to rotate the camera a full 360 degrees. The adventure is linear, moving through France, Croatia, Constantinople, and Syria. Combat focuses on fighting waves of enemies, with a system that emphasizes blocking and countering, similar to the Assassin’s Creed and Batman Arkham series. Up to four weapons—swords, maces, axes, shields, and spears—can be carried at once, but every weapon eventually breaks, forcing the player to conserve or seek replacements. The titular "Curse" lets characters walk the boundary between Earth and Hell, granting stronger attacks, faster movement, and the ability to see hidden collectibles. Using the curse drains a meter and, if depleted, kills the player. The plot begins in Syria in 1198, where Jean de Bayle, a Templar knight, fights in the Third Crusade to atone for the hereditary "Templar’s Curse" that plagues his bloodline and others with histories of grave sin. While defending Krak de Chevaliers, fellow Templar Martin d’Algaïs tasks him with escaping the fortress with a prized relic. Jean never returns to France, and his treacherous brother seizes his castle, land, title, and property, also murdering Jean’s wife. Jean’s son, Denz, is a talented swordsman who never lets fear stop him in a fight. He becomes a skilled mercenary but suffers from the same curse. Unable to reclaim his family’s land from his uncle, Denz is pursued by the Angel of Death, who claims the souls of the cursed. While laying siege to Biron Castle under Boniface de Montferrat and commander Baudouin de Flandre, Denz befriends the older, roguish Spaniard Esteban Noviembre, also hunted by Death. Martin is mortally wounded defending the castle. Denz later wins a tournament to join the Fourth Crusade, taking Esteban as his squire.