Haemimont-Games posts

The co-op themed historical action game The First Templar now has a firm release date and its smack dab in one of the busiest time periods for PC game releases in 2011. The title from developer Haemimont Games and publisher Kalypso Media is now due for release on May 10.

As we have mentioned before, May 2011 will be a very crowded time for new games to be released. Titles like F.E.A.R. 3, Duke Nukem Forever, Red Faction Armageddon, Brink, Dungeon Siege 3, the PC port of Fable 3 and The Witcher 2 are already confirmed to be set for release that month.

Fans waiting to head back to your island nation as head dictator in Tropico 4 will have to wait just a little longer. The island government sim game from developer Haemimont Games and publisher Kalypso Media was originally scheduled for released during the second quarter of 2010 when it was first announced back in August 2010 but now the game's release date has been pushed back a couple of months to sometime in August 2011.

The game will still have a number of new features compared to Tropico 3 including electing ministers to help push through controversial laws, new missions and buildings and the ability to post comments inside the game on your Twitter page.

When we first heard about The First Templar we were intrigued by the thought of a co-op themed historical action game. Then we heard that the game was being developed by Haemimont Games. This Bulgaria-based company had previously made historical strategy games like Grand Ages Rome and more recently revived the Tropico island dictator government sim series. Could this same team make an action game.

We got a chance to find out when we got a beta copy of The First Templar to play for ourselves. The game, to be published in March by Kalypso Media, puts you in control of one of two Templar Knights in the 13th century that are out to battle various evil forces, from rescuing ladies to taking out big lumbering beasts of men and more. You also are in the middle of uncovering a conspiracy that will lead to ... well, that would be telling at this stage.

When publisher Kalypso Media bought the rights to the Tropico game franchise from Take Two Interactive, some were skeptical that the long dormant "island dictator sim" game series could be revived. However in 2009, Kalypso and developer Haemimont Games proved the naysayers wrong with the release of Tropico 3.

The game got solid reviews along with an expansion pack, Absolute Power, in 2010. Later this year Haemimont Games and Kalypso bring us a new stand alone title, Tropico 4, where you will once again rule the Caribbean island nation as its "El Presidente." Big Download got a chance to chat with Boian Spasov, the lead designer of Tropico 4, as he tells us more about the game and how Chuck Norris figures into it.

Publisher Kalypso Media has a number of upcoming games due out in the first quarter of 2011 and today the company revealed specific release dates for two of them. One is Dungeons, the Dungeon Keeper-like strategy-RPG game from developer Realmforge. That game is due out on February 10. The other is The First Templar, the co-op themed action-adventure game from developer Haemimont Games. That game is scheduled for release on March 30.

In addition both games will be getting exclusive content if you purchase them via the Steam PC game service. There's no word yet on what specific content will be available on Steam.

Earlier this year developer Haemimont Games and publisher Kalypso Media announced plans to release the historical-themed co-op action-RPG game The First Templar. Today Kalypso announced that the developer is now taking sign-ups to beta test the PC port of the game.

There's no word yet on when the beta test will begin but the sign-up page seems fairly basic in its requirements. The game itself, which is still set for release sometime in 2011, will emphasize the co-op features as players control either a French Templar knight and a noble lady as they go on a mission in 13th century Europe.

Haemimont is better known for their revival of the Tropico franchise, but that doesn't mean they are neglecting original properties. The First Templar is one of those new properties, and from this trailer... looks suspiciously like Assassin's Creed! While we're holding off judgement, there's certainly a lot of elements that seem to reference Ubisoft's hit series. Running on roofs, the combat system, and even the dive at the end of the video are all reminiscent of Altair's (and Ezi's) adventures against the Templar. We're interested in just how The First Templar will turn out solely based on this apparent connection.

Kalypso Media's revival of the Tropico franchise with 2009's Tropico 3 seems to have been successful enough for the publisher to get another entry in the island dictator sim series. Today the publisher announced plans for Tropico 4 which will be developed once again by the team at Haemimont Games.

Due out in the second quarter of 2011, Tropico 4 will once again have you as the leader of an island nation. However this time you have the option of turning your nation into a true global super power. Look for a new campaign over 20 missions and 10 maps, 20 new buildings, six new disasters and more. The PC version will allow you to send Twitter messages from within the game, send screenshots from the game to your Facebook page and compare your ranking with other players.

[Via email press release]

When an expansion to Tropico 3 comes around offering Absolute Power, you have to be a little skeptical. After all, how much more power can a player get than to become a tyrannical (or benevolent) ruler of an island nation? As it turns out, there's quite a bit of power to be had... just never enough. Although the expansion doesn't offer a huge twist in gameplay, the new edicts and buildings help players gain a better sense of control instead of constantly falling to the whim of opponents. However, many of our complaints about the core game still exist, so it can be sometimes be a real struggle to become the ultimate ruler we've always imagined being.

Download the Tropico 3 demo (1.1 GB)
Check out all Tropico 3 downloads

Games set in the Middle Ages are nothing new, of course, but the folks at developer Haemimont Games hope they have a new way of handling such games in their recently announced title The First Templar. Due for release in 2011 by publisher Kalypso Media, the title is a co-op themed game with a Templar knight and a lady teaming up to fight the bad guys.

Big Download got a chance to ask some questions to Nikola Ikonomov, the game's designer, and he gave us some new details on the title's background, development and why they are making an action game after so many strategy-sim titles.