14 DAY TRIAL // 
Blackguards 2 is a good turn-based and hex-driven tactical combat title that has moments of pure brilliance but never manages to find a truly unique feature with which to dazzle gamers.
Daedalic allows players complete freedom when it comes to character progress, which is great, but the progression of the game, despite simulating choices, tends to be pretty linear, and the narrative sometimes fail to provide enough motivation to move forward.
Story
Blackguards 2 continues to use the fantasy universe called Dark Eye, which has been especially popular in Europe, telling a tale of betrayal, conquest, pride and darkness which is centered on Cassia, the wife of the current ruler of the realm, who has been imprisoned, escaped, and now seeks to get her revenge.
Naurim, Takate and Zurbaran, which some gamers will know from the first game, are back, with slightly different personalities but the same interest in combat and mayhem, and gamers will be able to explore their stories as they conquer the land one location at a time and move closer to their objective.
The interesting thing about The Dark Eye universe is that it does not feature any kind of actual good guys and most of the characters featured in Blackguard 2 are motivated by very selfish reasons, capable of making some very cruel choices in order to reach their objectives.
The game features interrogation, a lot of murder, innocent deaths and some torture, and there are times when the main quest, fueled by revenge, seems a little hollow and lacks a reason to push forward, other than to see how the narrative ends.
Cassia herself is the most interesting character, with her tragic past and her fairly interesting monologues, but despite the fact that Blackguards 2 tries to show her tethering on the brink of madness, there’s nothing to suggest her instability when it comes to the actual gameplay of the title.
Gameplay
Blackguards 2 is a turn-based role-playing game that takes players from battle to battle while also offering them a chance to use cities and a camp to boost their own capabilities and make each recruit a more efficient killing machine.
The game is initially simple, with the character only having basic attacks and spells and with enemies that seem almost keen to be defeated in order to allow the player to progress.
About 3 hours in the game, the Daedalic experience begins to show what it has to offer, with combat increasing in complexity, varied objectives, and a lot of ways for each companion to evolve, based on the playstyle gamers believe is best suited to them.
My Cassia is a powerful two-handed combatant that also has some backup skills ready to go if she needs them, and there is similar freedom to develop Takate, Zurbaran and Naurim.
This is made possible by the open nature of the fantasy system on which Blackguards 2 is based, with each character having access to points that can be allocated to weapon abilities, special moves, spells and skills.
Initially, the variety seems bewildering, but it’s easy to take a few minutes, see what each potential choice adds, and then develop a long-term plan.
The towns and the camp also allow gamers to question other characters, trade a little for better weapons and armor, and interact with their party and with the Silent Legion.
The action then switches to an overland map, filled with pints of interest that Cassia needs to take over, both to power her advance on Merwan and to get bonuses for her troops.
Based on the location, players will need to create a party of both heroes and henchmen and then clear the battle map of enemies or achieve some other special objective, like freeing prisoners or opening gates.
The combat is turn- and hex-based, with each character moving based on their initiative score, and placement and good use of special attacks and abilities is necessary for those who want to keep their characters alive and reach their goals.
I jumped into a few missions just looking to take out the closest enemies, which was a mistake as Blackguards 2 encourages gamers to have a clear plan before committing their forces.
“Spellcasters are very powerful in the Daedalic game and it pays to use at least two in a party, with one of them designed to also be able to go up close and personal with enemies if the situation requires it.”
Human enemies tend to be pretty predictable in their moves and are only a threat when they attack en-masse, but Blackguards 2 also introduces a range of fantasy creatures that have some very cool and powerful abilities, requiring new approaches to take out.
Once a battle is won, usually with a few losses, at least among the henchmen, gamers can collect loot and repeat the entire process.
From time to time, the enemy force will attack an already captured territory, but the defensive combat lacks variety and feels like an interesting concept that was never properly fleshed out.
Blackguards 2 is a solid tactical experience, but as it progresses, it does not introduce enough new options and there are moments when the combat tends to feel like a chore, which is not a good sign given its importance to the title.
Graphics and audio
Blackguards 2 has some small features that make it stand out in the turn-based role-playing genre when it comes to presentation, with interesting and cool looking characters, plenty of influences, and an interface that takes a bit to learn but is very effective during the combat sequences.
The perspective can be manipulated however the player wants, although I tend to almost always end up viewing the engagements from above or near that, and it’s easy to see who moves next, how positioning can influence the next few turns, or what resources a character can use.
Blackguards 2 does not have the resources to deliver impressive cutscenes and the developers at Daedalic have wisely opted for a book style presentation that sometimes feels antiquated but does the job well enough.
Overall, the game is pleasing to look at even during long battles and the sound design is also solid, with voice acting that manages to infuse the character with personality even when talking about familiar fantasy tropes and with music that injects some emotion into the entire experience.
A little more details, especially for the overland map and the camp, would have been nice, but Blackguard fans will be happy to see the way the Dark Eye universe was brought to life by Daedalic.
The Good
- Tactical battles
- Character development
The Bad
- Limited story appeal
- Some repetitive combat
Conclusion
The battles can often be surprising and engaging, especially when special objectives are involved and gamers need to deal with fantasy creatures, but they also sometimes become repetitive and unappealing.
Those who loved the original Blackguards will be probably happy to use their gaming time with the sequel, but newcomers, especially those who do not have any info about The Dark Eye, would be better served if they pick the first game up for cheap before getting the sequel.
