Haemimont Games, a Bulgarian development studio largely known for PC strategy titles like Tropico 3 and Imperium Romanum, is trying something a bit different with its next project, The First Templar.
Scheduled for release on PC and Xbox 360 in early 2011, The First Templar is an action-adventure RPG set in 13th century Europe starring two playable characters — a French Templar and a noble lady who has been proclaimed a heretic — on a quest to “uncover the mysteries behind the Templar Order, play a role in a grand conspiracy, and discover the secret of the Holy Grail.”
The game will feature single-player and two-player cooperative modes. While playing solo, you will be able to switch back and forth between the two playable characters on the fly (the one you aren’t using will be AI-controlled), and if you ever need some help, a second player can drop in (and drop out) of the action at any time. Each character will have unique skill trees to develop as the game progresses, and the game world will consist of 20 historical locations recreated in authentic detail.
Matt Litten is a 28 year old from-the-womb gamer turned video game reviewer/blogger and current editor/owner/operator of VGBlogger.com. Matt got his first taste of gaming as a youngster on the NES and Atari, and the rest is history from there.
In 2004, three years removed from high school and still looking for a career direction in life, Matt landed his first gig in the video game review business writing for the now-defunct website BonusStage.com. After the sad and untimely close of BonusStage, the former staff went on to found VGBlogger.com, and after a short stint as US Site Manager for AceGamez Matt turned his attention to VGBlogger, and to this day is dedicated to making it one of the top video game blogs in all the blogosphere.
Matt is a fair-minded reviewer and lover of games of all platforms and types, big or small, hyped or niche, big-budget or indie. But that doesn't mean he will let poor games slide without a good thrashing when necessary. 
[...] you’d like a shot at trying out the PC version of The First Templar, now’s your chance. Kalypso Media and Haemimont Games have announced a closed, invite-only [...]