The First Templar Special Edition

Knights Templar, medieval conspiracies, and an exclusive bonus level. The First Templar Special Edition on Xbox 360 is one of those under-the-radar action RPGs that slipped past most players but stuck with the collectors who found it. This co-op hack-and-slash set during the Crusades came with a Special Edition that actually delivered meaningful extras.

The exclusive bonus level, "The Arena," gave you content that standard edition owners simply couldn't access, a proper gameplay addition rather than a cosmetic throwaway. The A2 double-sided poster featured both character and location artwork, big enough to dominate a wall and detailed enough to reward a close look. Then the official game soundtrack rounded out the package, letting you carry the medieval atmosphere beyond the console.

The First Templar was a niche title from Kalypso, and niche titles on the 360 have a way of becoming genuinely scarce once production runs end. The game's co-op focus and historical setting gave it an identity that stood apart from the shooter-heavy 360 lineup, and the Special Edition preserved that identity in physical form. A complete copy with the poster in clean condition is the kind of find that makes you double-take in a bargain bin.

It won't be in bargain bins forever. For collectors who appreciate when a smaller publisher puts real effort into a special edition, this one delivers well above its weight class.