What do you get when you cross The Crusades with some mighty magic, a rock metal band, gothic horror and some hacking and slashing? Knights Of The Temple: Infernal Crusade, that's what. If heroic chivalry, shining armour and damsels in distress is your cup of tea, then perhaps this is the game for you. After all, we all like to think we have a bit of the Sir Lancelot in us, even if it means politely holding open those heavy swing doors at the shopping centre for those of a more infirm disposition.

In this respect the story certainly does not disappoint. It's 12th century Europe and you play Paul, a new initiate into the Knights Templar, a fabled group of warriors you may remember from the tales of King Arthur and such films as Indiana Jones and the Holy Grail [Is that your Troy McClure impression? Ed]. His beau, a young lass called Adele, is kidnapped by a Bishop who realises her spiritual powers could help him open the Gates of Hell and master the hordes within. Paul follows the Bishop from medieval England through certain key locations along the original Crusades, attempting to thwart the Bishop's plans to connect an Unholy Circle. In this he hopes not just to save Adelle, but also the world from the denizens of Evil.

This race against evil is re-enacted through a third person medium and at its core it is a hack and slash game with a few puzzles and a little bit of exploring thrown in for good measure. It's not the typical third person view, as you don't view the action from behind the character but rather watch him from a variety of viewpoints as the camera moves around a few set points within the each area, Resident Evil style. On the whole this works but there are some moments where the camera won't follow you quickly enough or doesn't realise you're tucked around a corner or behind a pillar. These irritations, although usually minor, can occasionally cost you your life, as you're not able to place your attacks or see from what direction the opposition is coming from. It's a case of hammering the buttons until you can get out of the blind spot and back into a clear line of sight.

The attacks themselves come in thick and fast, with quite exciting ferocity, so it's just as well Paul has a decent arsenal, some very fluid moves and the help of prayers supplied by Adele in spirit form. Certain moves and spells are governed by three bars, which represent health, stamina and spiritual power. As you can imagine, the health bar just shows how many more hits you can take before being overcome but the stamina and spirit bars are integral to the gameplay. Although you build up an array of great combos as you progress through the game, quite often you'll come across armed adversaries that just stand there and block you. However, if you have built up enough stamina you can swing a block-shattering swipe across their guard, which leaves them wide open for a combo. This does drain your stamina if it is used too often, so careful and considered use of this skill adds a great tactical element to the proceedings. The spirit meter builds up the more armies of evil you wipe out. Again, this must be used sparingly and at crucial moments in the gameplay. Amongst the powers it can give you are regeneration, a glowing blue shield and even the ability to 'smart bomb' your opponents. This last ability should really be saved for the end of level knights and barbarians though, as it completely drains all your carefully accrued spirit levels.

Another very useful aspect of the combat is the block button. You can wade through the first couple of levels without ever having to use this, taking the hits from enemies on the chin, as you steam through them, hacking and swinging your sword wildly about. However, get to the end of level baddie in the third section and it's unlikely you're going to get past him without this function. Although the block makes you immobile, it does mean you can take a chance to examine the antagonist's attack pattern without taking any hits. Once you've got the sense of their rhythm and when their guard is going to be down, it's time to press home your attack. If you quickly tap out a series of combos before he gets a chance to put up his guard or retaliate, you can be almost unstoppable, taking the enemy down in a series of chops, swings and stabs. If any are sneaking up behind you it's also possible to incorporate a backward stab, followed by a nice downward swing after spinning around. Overall the combat system and the variety of attacks you have to defend yourself from are some of the best I've seen since LucasArts' Jedi Knight series.

This is probably just as well, considering the nature of the title. There are other aspects to the gameplay but they are minor in comparison and even a bit irritating at times. For example, the further into the Middle East you travel the more exploring you'll have to do. While the denizens you encounter are fun, I've often wandered around aimlessly for a good quarter of an hour wondering where to go next, before realising I haven't cracked open a nearby crate to find a particular key, or some such. On occasion this does break up the pace of the game too much; your adrenaline may be pumping after a particularly vicious bout with three armed cronies but what good is that when you're spending the next fifteen minutes trying to figure out how to get past a locked gate? This irritation extents to some of the puzzles too; they usually involve getting a door open and are either too easy and an unnecessary distraction, or are so hard as to only be gotten past by accident and fiddling about with levels and the like. While they do add a bit of variety to the otherwise repetitive (but nevertheless very engaging) combat I do think they just break up the flow of the game a little too much at times. It doesn't help that the level progression is particularly linear too and really isn't anything that hasn't been done before. If you're looking for an open-ended game akin to Deus Ex, this definitely isn't it.

The visuals range from tremendous to a bit naff, but luckily the dodgy bits are few and far between. Let's get those out of the way first then. They consist of painted stills that help further the story between each level and represent parts of the tale in a fashion that sets them apart from the moving sequences showing Paul's immediate circumstances. While they depict the story well, they aren't of a particularly good quality. The stills vary between a few battlefields, portraits of Adele and some landscapes and are supposed to represent a medieval approach to art. Unfortunately they just don't work, looking more like the etchings of an A-Level student (albeit a good one) with a bit of an Arthurian legend fixation.

Right, now I've gotten that gripe out of the way I must tell you that the rest of the visuals in this title are absolutely spot on. When it comes to character representation, setting and atmosphere I really think this game has it in spades. To begin with there are the great models of the knight and his opponents, Paul being particularly resplendent in his Templar outfit. Initially he is wandering around without his helm and the expression and attention to detail on his face is very well done. This is helpful in the moving sequences between levels when they use the same model to animate the next segment of the story. However, when you're a few levels in and he's really in the thick of the action he wears a fantastic polished helmet that completely hides his face and goes very well with the rest of the outfit. The lighting effects take every opportunity to gleam and flash from exposed sections of polished carapace, particularly in the bright sunlight of the Middle East.

Your opponents are equally well drawn and vary tremendously. During the initial levels in England you'll be up against mad monks, metal-capped guards, poker-wielding torturers and an executioner armed with an enormous axe. As the levels progress you'll also meet gentlemen from the Middle East, mad clerics, fur clad barbarians and a whole host of other unpleasant characters. All are remarkably distinct, recognisable, well-drawn and very fluid in their moves. There is again attention to detail, a good example being the pokers thrust in your face by the torturers - the tip glows and spits as if only recently pulled from a fiery hearth. Another is the little flash from the scimitars as they catch the bright sunlight of Acre or Jerusalem. The weapon graphics on the whole are very good, particularly in battle as they whoosh about really quickly and spark off each other as they clash.

The settings themselves are wonderfully eye-catching with regards to the attention to detail. As you run past sandstone or brick you can't help but to stop and wonder at the grain. It seems to be almost photo-quality and there's no breakdown of resolution the nearer you get to it. You'll be amazed that you're actually stopping to admire the arch over a doorway, the rough stonework around a fountain, or the misty ruins of an ancient chapel. Bricks and stones certainly never caught my eye in such a manner before. What also helps set them apart are the ways the light is used. For example, in England when wandering through the catacombs it's gloomy and used sparingly, often being the yellowish orange glow of a torch in the wall. By stark contrast the streets of Acre are bathed in the almost blinding light of what really appears to be pure sunlight. You can almost feel the searing heat and the smell of scorched earth underfoot. The dark shadows in this area provide strong lines and a fantastic contrast to the midday sun. The objects that litter the landscapes can appear a little basic at times but this is yet another minor niggle that doesn't really detract from the overall ambience created by the lighting and setting effects.

As for the sound, I have mixed feelings about this. As far as the effects at the forefront of the game are concerned, I think they are very well done. The swish of a sword being swung through the air is great and really emphasises the power and weight of the blade. Similarly the clashing of steel against steel reminds me of those fantastic swashbucklers of yore, including Excalibur and Robin Hood. These audio treats really add to the whole feeling off a knight-errant taking on all comers in duels to the death and can't help but add to the game. There are also quite gruesome noises too, such as the splatter of blood and swords cleaving flesh. When combined with the grim visuals of your enemies being cut down it can't help but make you shudder. Their dying cries are effective, as are their shouts of exclamation when they see you. In fact these shouts are very useful, as they tell you when you've been spotted and roughly where you can expect an attack to come from. Other effects include the smashing of various wooden and stone objects, the collection of power ups and the clanking of armour as you run. All nicely done indeed, although nothing too unusual, different or standard setting.

My mixed feelings are largely over the music played within the game, provided by a band called Within Temptation. Hailing from the Netherlands, their style is an odd fusion of heavy metal and 'new age' vocals. This is a bona fide band with a bona fide album out from which some of their tracks appear on this game. By and large, the music does suit the mayhem, being an aggressive chorus of screeching guitars brought down to earth by some beautiful vocals, which do engender a sense of the ethereal. This is particularly effective when Adelle appears to give advice, train you on prayers and generally wander around in spirit form, whilst not detracting from the violence and action within the core of the title. I'm always a bit wary about music/film/book/t-shirt tie-ins, hence my reticence to really endorse this particular soundtrack, but I can't help but think it does add to the game as a whole. I suppose whether this is a crude marketing ploy or not, if it increases your enjoyment of the game then I can't really disparage it. In fact, I have to say the designers of the game did well to choose this band over others, as their music does suit the setting.

However, for all this game's blessings I do wonder how long you'll be playing it for. Despite the exploration of various sections and the odd puzzles thrown in to vary the proceedings, it is ultimately a hack and slasher through and through. There are three levels of difficulty though, so even if you've gotten the hang of things and are working your way through the many levels you can take on the trickier ones afterwards, to really hone your skills with a sword. Otherwise there is an Xbox Live option involving the download of a Survival section. Once you've waded through this a few times you can add your name to the Knights of the Temple online scoreboard to really compare your skills with the blade to the rest of Europe! This is a nice touch but not really in the same league as other Live enabled games out there. What is also lacking is a multiplayer or even a two-player option, which is a crying shame. I was quite looking forward to shouting cries of "Thou shalt not pass!" and "'Tis only a flesh wound!" with my mates, only to feel a little let down to find out it's a one player only game.

Knights Of The Temple: Infernal Crusade is a bit of a mixed blessing, but a good one for all that. Where it loses out in gameplay due to its repetitiveness, irritating puzzles and odd bouts of exploration, it makes up for it in sheer adrenaline pumping action, with a very smooth and stylish combat system. Where it gains in graphics, be it from the fantastic opponents, incredibly detailed textured landscape and great lighting effects, it loses out a bit in the between level stills. Although I sorely miss a decent multiplayer option on this game I can't help but pick up the controller for yet another attempt at swinging my mighty weapon in an attempt to save my damsel in distress. I know this game may not appeal to fans of other genres but I for one can't help but give it the thumbs up for a great Sunday afternoon button mashing, to play alongside the Errol Flynn swashbuckler that's bound to be showing on Channel Five.

Reviewed by Dave Wynn for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).