Spiderduck takes a look at the Early Access version of BlackGuards.
More information.At the end of the day, Blackguards has some good things going for it and features a deep character customization system for you to choose the skills you want and challenging combat that makes it a challenge while not being frustrating. For me, I love being pulled in by a great story and that can be the thing that keeps me playing. Early on, Blackguards just doesn't give that to me. I'll definitely keep playing the game as I find the combat enjoyable but I'm hoping the story really picks up and gives me a change of heart.
The game is in Steam Early Access right now, and is pretty close to being finished and should be out in its entirety within the next few months. The developers are taking criticism seriously, but major parts of the game being overhauled doesn't seem likely at this point.
For those who want a great RPG story, I would wait until the final product comes out and see how the full story turns out before jumping in. For those who are looking for more turn-based strategy, this is a good pick from what I've experienced so far and would be worth the price of admission ($24.99 on Steam) and could turn into a great pick once we see the final release. It's certainly a game that I will play more of, and you can expect a review once the game is finalized.