Blackguards - Review Roundup

Time for another round of reviews for Daedalic Entertainment's Blackguards.


Gaminglives - 7/10

Blackguards is a good game. It has got some very enjoyable moments, there is plenty to experience and you can sink plenty of hours into its world. Equally, I can’t ignore its shortcomings, in the form of some truly frustrating combat, and lacklustre graphics and sound. I can recommend Blackguards; just make sure you come ready for a fight and with an extra calm spell.

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Den of Geek - 6.2/10

In the end, Blackguards is a strange, boring beast of a game. While the unique turn-based battle system sometimes allows the game to shine through its creative and strategic setups, it’s hard not to get the feeling that this is just a wannabe adventure game wearing an RPG’s clothes that just don’t quite fit right

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Pixeljudge - 3.5/5

Blackguards is probably a guaranteed hit for Dark Eye fans. For everyone else, I'd advise a little caution as the game has its snags. But if you can't wait for another AAA release and don't have anything to play now, you could do much worse. Much, much worse.

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Hardcore Gamer - 2.5/5

Though I feel incapable of giving Blackguards the fair shake it would get with fresh eyes, that’s ultimately nobody’s fault but the developer’s. Early access works for emergent play – games like Rust and Starbound where no play session is the same and every update changes the dynamics – but it’s ill-suited to more linear, directed experiences.

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GamePlanet - 7.5/10

Blackguards is a strong RPG with top-notch tactical combat that's let down by some needless complexity and less-than-convincing voice-acting.

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RPGamer - 2.5/5

Blackguards is a fairly decent first go, and fills up the roughly forty hours it takes to complete, including most side quests, quite nicely. However, there are several areas that could see significant improvement, particularly when it comes to building the world and story, and the very sub-standard ending leaves a feeling of untapped potential and a game that isn't as complete an experience as it could've been. On the whole, it's certainly a passable first effort but still quite rough around the edges.

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And for last I have a video review from PCGMedia that gives the game a 59/100.



More information.

The game is hardcore yet hardcore gamer spits on it?
Bah. They should change the site name.

I just finished my 1st playthrough and would rate it 7/10.
(RPGs are my favorite, turn based strategy my 2nd favorite genre.)

positive:

• challenging turn based combat
• interesting interaction with environment in combats
• deep character customization (skills etc., not visuals)
• scope (1st playthrough took me 48 h, doing all sidequests), more than I expected
• TDE setting

negative:

• combat bored me towards the end of the game
• interacting with environment in combat not very effective; imho it's more effective too just ordinary attack the opponents
• too little information about the math in the background
• unnecessary overall weight limit
• stuck with 5 NPC companions; you can't select from a bunch of them
• hardly any exploration
• lack of immersion
• imbalanced imho; blunt weapons much stonger than anything else; Axxeleratus spell most powerful by far
• ammo shortage (which will become serious I guess when you play with more than 1 heavy archer)

unnecessary overall weight limit

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Why is that negative? Encumbrance has to be in the game anyway. And the joint inventory is better that than keeping it separate for each NPC so you have to shuffle items from one's backpack to another.
In fact I see this system as improvement over Radon Labs' games inventory. While not strictly by rules, Blackguards system removes the need to waste time on micromanaging loot.

Well, first it simply annoys me. In end game I had 3 chars with strength 17/18, and didn't have a lot of equipment. In fact I had just armor/clothes for everyone, weapons and some potions. Still I hadn't enough capacity left to stock up my ammo AND provisions before going to the final dungeon in chapter 5.
It would be ok, if you weren't allowed to carry a large amount of weapon or armor sets. But you should be able to carry enough primary equipment/ammo/provisions, when you have decent strength values.

Additionally the weight system is oversimplified. I think it would be ok to have encumbrance when you have to much stuff actually equipped, like wearing heavy armors, multiple weapon sets or throwing weapons in your girdle. The stuff in your backpack shouldn't count. In "reality" the characters could easily throw off their backpacks (in most fights) or just take a mule with them to avoid being encoumbered.

Altogether I don't see where the game wins with a system like that.

And yes, the joint inventory is great, I like it. But as said, this could easily have been modeled as a mule's bags or something.

I was given a copy of it to review for the site I work for and right now, as I end chapter 3, I'd say it's a good 7.8

Great idea, good game, sloppy execution in places. Also didn't really get the chance to be the evil monster I thought I was encouraged to be by the game name.