Plot: What’s it about?
A woman named Cassia has been locked in a dungeon for so long, no one seems to remember why she was imprisoned. The venomous spiders that prowl the dungeons have poisoned her, causing her mind to warp and twist. While her situation is dire, she is still driven and her ambition is simple, to rule. She wishes to gain power and then abuse that power, raising herself above others and crushing all those who oppose her. Cassia manages to escape the dungeon with help from spiders and a stranger, then she starts to assemble a team to assist her. As you’d expect from a delusional madwoman, Cassia chooses an odd and toxic mix of companions, each more unhinged than the last. Now she leads this band of deeply flawed individuals, but can an insane woman and her poorly chosen crew rise to a position of true power? Blackguards 2 starts off with a simple introduction of Cassia and hooks players right into the story, making us look forward to whatever insanity will unfold next. I was pleased to find such an entertaining story in a tactical RPG, as the genre isn’t known for narrative depth. Unlike the first Blackguards game, this sequel isn’t dreary or gloomy, instead it revels in a kind of dark, sadistic humor. So unlike most games in this genre, you won’t be tempted to skip the exposition and to me, that enhances the entire experience. But of course, story only gets a tactical game so far, so does Blackguards 2 delivers when the time for action arises?
As you’d expect, Blackguards 2 is a hex based, turn based tactical RPG. This means you need to lean on planning and strategy, as command spam will leave your squad dead in minutes. The combat is fluid and well executed, with an improved hit/miss system that removes a lot of frustration. You still need to manage mana for your spells and now stamina for melee attacks, but you’ll have much more control over how effective your turns are. This is a leap forward for the series and it really makes the complex combat more fun and less rage inducing. As before, the battlefield also contains various items you can interact with, mostly treasure chests and traps to unleash on your enemies. Not a game changing inclusion, but it adds to the fun and I am glad Daedalic kept in the little extra things you can do. This is a tactical game, which means combat can be slow and battles can be extensive, so don’t expect to hack and slash your way through. But if you enjoy tactics, you will have a great time lining up your heroes and unleashing your carefully plotted chain of interactions. There’s also an addition that tasks you to keep control over various locations on a strategic map, which can earn you some worthwhile bonuses. This genre is an acquired taste, especially in the current game ecosystem that focuses on twitch combat, but Blackguards 2 makes some welcome improvements. If you’re someone who loves tactics and deep combat strategy, as well as RPG elements, you’ll want to give this game a chance.
Video: How’s it look?
If you can run Blackguards 2 with higher graphic settings, you’ll find a terrific looking game. The visual design is dark in most instances, but attention to detail is remarkable. This kind of hex based game sometimes loses the little visual touches, but that is never the case here. The combat segments look great and feature some epic spell slinging animations, while the story cut scenes are a pleasure to watch. Just a great looking game with moderate hardware requirements.
Audio: How’s it sound?
I have to say, the voice work in this game is top notch. The casting is superb, especially for the main party members, with rich and enjoyable performances. The actors make the most of the writing’s dark humor, so it really shines throughout. The music suits the game’s atmosphere quite well, which is always good. The various sound effects are all about what you’d expect, so overall, this is quite a good sound design.
