Blackguards – almost what I wanted

I really wanted to like Blackguards when I had originally installed it and sat down for those first few hours. I presumed it would be right up my alley. Blackguards is a hex-grid based tactical RPG from Daedalic Entertainment set in the world of the popular German RPG system, The Dark Eye. A grim world with my heroes cutting through a plot full of intrigue one hex at a time, multiple endings, branching stories, this game has it all. So why, after 20 hours of play, do I still not feel it?

Perhaps the problem I have is that I am not at all familiar with the tabletop RPG that Blackguards is based on, The Dark Eye. From my somewhat brief reading over the basics of the system, Blackguards seems to represent it quite well. It seems, in fact, to be a very well translated single player version of the tabletop with all of the crunchy bits made somewhat more accessible by eliminating the level system and simply using the AP system to incrementally increase character stats as you progress through the story. Unfortunately, I don’t really feel like I have any kind of decent grasp on how to best spend those points for a given character. If my strategy to this point could be summed up in a single word, that word would most likely be “fail”.

Then there’s the matter of story: it’s the sort of thing that I would love if I were sitting around a table with four other players and tossing theories and strategies back and forth. Many enjoyable hours have been spent doing exactly that. However, when it comes to an RPG in video game form I want something a bit more cinematic. I want to know what’s going on behind the GM screen even if my character is running around trying to piece it together and doing so a bit haplessly. I want this information entirely because I am playing this game alone. With no other players to interact with, the first two chapters of Blackguards was me piloting five characters who have no idea what’s going on and who continuously interrogate bad guys or find new allies who are also clueless. Something evil is afoot and all I know is that a couple guys may possibly be involved, but nobody can confirm that. I just want a cutscene with Kefka blurting out his evil plan and then cackling maniacally a bit. Is that so much to ask?

Finally, there’s the combat system. It’s spot on tabletop RPG combat using a hex grid and miniatures. The battlefields are all incredibly unique and laden with traps and hazards. I love the crunchy tactics aspect of it with positioning, distance, line of site, and everything! It reminds me a lot of my time playing 4th edition D&D. In fact, that’s also kind of the problem. I have been in so many fights were several rounds have gone by and no blows have connected on either side. Drawn out combat isn’t suspenseful or fun, it’s boring at best and oft times frustrating. To give an even better example of my frustrations in combat, there is a fight with a giant plant that is rooted in place and is about five hexes across. My battle log showed that my melee fighter succeeded with his attack roll and the plant dodged. Yeah, it dodged. How in the fuck does a stationary thing the as wide as a van dodge?

Production quality on the game is superb. Graphically, I love the often dark design and the variety of locales that were so painstakingly detailed. Monsters are beautifully detailed and range in size from humanoids to hulking beasts made of wood and stone. Voice acting for all of the quests and characters is a touch that is sadly overlooked by some games in this genre. Voice inflection can tell so much more of the story than text alone. Character customization (in terms of progression) is very detailed and well laid out. I, sadly, over-specialized in piercing weapons (bows, spears, fencing swords) and found myself in serious trouble when facing a map full of skeletons. Pro tip: skeletons are immune to piercing damage in Blackguards, so you might not want all of your eggs in that particular basket. Round out with a good old bashing implement. Nothing like blunt trauma to take out an uncooperative skeleton.

Blackguards is a game that sets out to bring the experience of a tabletop RPG to life in the form of a single player video game and it does this job brilliantly. I would certainly recommend it to anyone that wants a game that rewards technical mastery and patience. By the time you hit chapter 3, the world opens up quite a bit and side quests can be found everywhere. There’s plenty of content to keep the average player engaged for quite a long time. In the end, it simply wasn’t the experience that I was personally looking for. However, if it sounds at all intriguing to you, shoot over to Steam and check out some trailers and art and pick up a copy for yourself.