Blackguards 2

Top notch presentation and a compelling main character really set Blackguards 2 up to deliver a solid tactical strategy RPG. Everything about the game, the weapons, abilities, characters, and options are varied enough to keep things interesting but simple enough not to get lost in the tedium of micromanaging a party. It is not without its flaws and the battles can sometimes bog down, but it is a good experience to play and uses a wide cast of allies and enemies well. If you're interested in experiencing a story that isn't just the standard fantasy lore, then Blackguards 2 is worth a try.

After being out for a couple years on PC, Daedalic Entertainment's latest turn-based strategy RPG is finally available for consoles. Blackguards 2 features epic battles in an undeniably old-school world but is it adapted well from the PC version?

The dark side may be getting a bad rap.

Coming so soon after the first entry Blackguards 2 is a surprisingly packed improvement over the original, giving you the chance to dominate and rule over South Aventuria with all the bitterness and rage such a task would need. It won’t suit all newcomers to PC TRPGs and yes, battles can be brutal and unforgiving at times, but for those with even the slightest bent towards getting knee deep in stats and tactical battles then Blackguards 2 is a worthy purchase.

Blackguards 2 improves on its predecessor in almost every other respect. Daedalic effectively removed the elements that made last year's release annoying at all the wrong moments, and left its players with the best parts of the experience. It's still a methodical, almost plodding tactical roleplaying game, but now it's easier to find the fun and to enjoy its world and characters.

I was an early supporter of the first Blackguards. While it didn’t turn out to be quite what I wanted, the end result was still a lot of fun and had a neat story with some memorable characters. As a huge tactics fan, the gameplay was interesting but needed some obvious tweaking that Daedalic was made well aware of by the community. Well, with the second iteration in the franchise they’ve promised to fix those initial mistakes and deliver a better, more complete package this time around. After careful deliberation and many hours of play, I have to admit that they have.

Blackguards 2 is the sequel to 2013’s strategy role playing game Blackguards by Daedalic Entertainment. At the beginning of Blackguards you will find yourself at the bottom of a dungeon and at the edge of your sanity with your only companions a jailer who hates you and spiders that want to eat you. From these humble beginnings you will wage a campaign to rule the world.

One of the delights of settling down to a turn-based tactical RPG is poking around to understand how its systems combine and then utilising those systems in imaginative and tactically satisfying ways. In this regard, Blackguards 2 delivers. Eventually. The writing and presentation are serviceable rather than spectacular but there's a decent level of scope for customisation and engaging combat if you can push past its trudging opening hours. Cassia and co's deep-seated issues and baggage make them an entertaining bunch and while they won't set your world alight, they eventually prove capable of...

No summary available

Its greatest strength is the surprisingly poignant narrative about the muddy area between good and evil. I almost want to play through again to see how different choices will affect the later battles and the story’s conclusion, but at 25-30 hours for one playthrough and combat that wears thin toward the end, it is just long enough for me to shy away from that idea.

This still feels like an Alpha or a Beta version that needs to be fleshed out a bit more before it’s release. The problem is, it has been released.