However, the combat itself leaves something to be desired starting with the HUD. It’s at this point that Blackguards 2 reaches its apex, the mix of tactical RPG combat with the conquest of territory provides an engrossing and addicting experience.
These can also be upgraded to further enhance their effectiveness. From there, you must slowly capture strategic points until you reach the capital for a final showdown.Īlong the way, Cassia may recruit soldiers who will join her in each mission. Here, players are presented with cities, towns and other key locations to overtake, each with its own set of bonuses ranging from increased defense/offense to new store items. Suddenly, the linear structure of each mission is replaced with a new segment. Once Cassia frees a band of mercenaries, a travel map opens up. However, the game soon opens up to reveal much deeper and engaging experience. The idea sounds interesting in theory, but I found it more annoying than anything else, made even worse by the fact half of the traps didn’t work for no apparent reason.įor the first portion of Blackguards 2, the combat is serviceable if unspectacular as linear objectives, a small party and repetitive visuals make for a poor first impression. However, once the mission began, enemies poured from the opposite direction and the purpose of the assignment was to escape their grasp. One of these instances takes place early in the campaign, where you’re tasked with setting traps to stem the enemy flow. Worse still, certain missions create false objectives, automatically switching the intended nature of each battle. Many times I found myself making wrong pre-battle choices simply due to the game’s insistence on providing poor intel. However, you cannot view the map or enemy placement before choosing your team. Before each mission, players assign starting locations for each party member and are presented with mission objectives. Those who have not played the previous game will feel left out at times.Ĭombat is your standard hex-shaped tactical fare. Often, the story hinges on events from Blackguards, with only a minimal explanation of their importance. This issue is even further reinforced if you have never played its predecessor, as players are expected to be familiarized with returning characters. Cassia is for all intents, mad and one wonders for the sanity of her followers as well, but as she amasses her forces from small rabble to rebellious army it soon becomes clear that madness is this character’s best trait.ĭespite this, Blackguards 2’s story is very disjointed, plot points are presented at an abrupt pace, often with little context provided.
While the plot itself is somewhat standard for the genre, it’s the uniqueness of Blackguards 2’s characters that make it stand apart from other games. The story follows our anti-heroine as she gradually turns insane, escapes her shackles and slowly sets forth a plan for revenge. Players take control of Cassia, a noblewoman cast off to a monster infested dungeon and left there to die. Taking place in a dark fantasy setting, Blackguards 2 quickly establishes a grim, somber mood. You are expected to learn by doing, which is an admirable hands-off approach, but one which may turn newcomers away.
As I mentioned in my preview, considering this ruleset is somewhat unknown in English speaking nations, it’s rather surprising to see how Blackguards 2 dedicates no time to introducing it to players.
BLACKGUARDS 2 CHARACTER CREATION SERIES
Now, a few weeks after this tactical RPG’s launch, I can safely say my opinion has changed quite a bit.īlackguards 2, is a title based on ‘ The Dark Eye’ series of pen & paper roleplaying games. Last month I previewed Daedalic Entertainment’s Blackguards 2, and though it had potential, the game sadly didn’t win me over.
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