Blackguards is a turn-based strategy game with deep RPG elements based on the popular German pen and paper RPG The Dark Eye. You assume the role of your own custom character who is accused of killing the princess in the opening cinematic. Your only choice is to run away, assemble a cast of shady characters such as the suave mage Zurbaran, the feisty dwarf Naurim and the tribal warrior Takate. The storytelling and the characters are solid, but they really don’t stand out in any significant way, for the most part it really feels like a poor man’s BioWare story.
What makes Blackguards truly shine are its great combat system and wonderful game world. The combat system is hex based and may at first remind you of fantasy turn-based strategy games such as Heroes of Might and Magic or King’s Bounty. In reality, it’s more like a combination of Disciples III and Neverwinter Nights, a heavy mixture of classic turn-based strategy and role-playing philosophy. The fantastic thing about the combat system is that every single battlefield is completely unique. Not only are they all different from a visual standpoint, but they are all set up differently as well. Sometimes you’re surrounded, sometimes you have multiple goals, sometimes you have to defend something. You can also use the environment to your advantage. Cut the rope to make the heavy wooden chandelier fall on your foes or burn down the walkway spiderwebs causing deadly poisonous spiders fall to their doom.
Another big thing different from usual turn-based strategy games is that you’re not building an army, you have a party of up to five characters. As you progress through the game, you acquire adventure points which you can use to upgrade your characters in a wide variety of attributes, abilities, spells, talents and weapon talents. It’s a really robust system that allows for truly deep customization and experimentation. The only negative thing is that the game assumes that you’re familiar with The Dark Eye ruleset when in reality you will need some time to really figure it out.
The other problem stemming from the use of The Dark Eye ruleset is that almost any attack can be a hit or miss. Because the game is really tough and the opening battles are rather grueling, it can be really frustrating missing a 95% attack. There are ways to upgrade your characters to offset this, but again, this will take some time to figure out as the game doesn’t really explain much of anything. This can cause some really ugly bouts of frustration and anger, but it’s not a deal breaker.
The vast majority of the gameplay is in the battles. Apart from that, you’ll be using a lovely 2D map to travel from location to location. Towns are represented with a single screen depicting various points of interest such as shops, healers, blacksmiths and quests. The graphics are absolutely beautiful, the wonderful art style is sort of a mixture between fantasy, medieval Spain and 16th century Caribbean which is actually seldom seen in games. The accompanying soundtrack reflects that as well and fits the game very well. However, the animations aren’t that great and the voice work, while mostly solid, can be a bit cringe-worthy at times.
Blackguards is a hardcore game for hardcore gamers and it is completely unapologetic about it. So be prepared for some truly grueling stuff and a steep learning curve. The great thing is, it’s absolutely worth playing thanks to the great combat system, deep RPG elements and a wonderful game world.