Blackguards 2 Reviews
Let’s face it. Summer is a pretty thin period for game releases. If you’re in the market for a decent, robust and generally engaging turn-based RPG for the Switch, Blackguards 2 fits the bill. It isn’t the most original fantasy RPG ever made, but the story, meaningful choices, and mercenary mechanics elevate the game quite a bit. There’s a good amount of replayability built in, even if the battles grow repetitive. Blackguards 2 left me hoping for a sequel with better graphics and even more flexible combat and characters.
I'll admit that the opening cinematic for this game immediately started me out on a bad foot, as [trigger warning for pet lovers] for whatever reason a kitten is cruelly thrown to its death, and for the life of me I cant even understand what that has to do with anything at all...
Blackguards 2 comes to consoles with the same formula as its first installment, a turn-based tactical RPG. A different title inside the genre that could be interesting for those searching for new adventures.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Blackguards 2 offers us a good universe inspired by the great titles of classical fantasy literature where betrayals, stereotyped races and magic are more than present in a tactical RPG that is not very ambitious in technical terms, with a very good gameplay but a poor AI and a choices system that is not as deep as it originally seemed.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Blackguards 2 presents a dark and engaging tale that's sure to haunt you even after you put it down.
An intriguing protagonist and art style can't save you from long battles and artificial content.
A series of corrections rather than a sequel
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.
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.
Blackguards 2 is not a perfect game and, unfortunately, not the reinvention of its predecessor it could have been. However, the game does ultimately reward a little (well, a lot of) patience, developing into a relatively enjoyable campaign once the player has progressed past the early stages.
Blackguards 2 had a rocky launch, but the 2.0 patch release fixes virtually all the technical and balancing issues that I encountered with it. I found its story to be a little pedestrian, but really enjoyed the gameplay and customizability of the characters.
The metagame feels comfortingly familiar to those who have played titles such as Final Fantasy Tactics
For someone under time constraints and with little patience for having to repeat a long, slow, tough, scenario multiple times, I have to confess that although I wanted to like it, Blackguards 2 hasn't been one of my top gaming experiences.
In spite of these small gripes, Blackguards 2 is a much more complete and better-playing game than its predecessor and will no doubt please all of those who loved the first. Unfortunately (or fortunately, if you are a hardcore fan like me), the game has not been streamlined enough to attract casual CRPG fans and will still be far too complex and challenging for those not accustomed to the difficulty of a dyed-in-the-wool European game like Blackguards.
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 providing many hours of surprisingly amiable companionship.
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.
A sometimes frustrating, always enthralling strategy RPG that has its rough spots. The time necessary to get to grips with it is well spent despite this as it rewards you in so very many ways.
The opening of Blackguards 2 is deep with implication, unpleasant, entirely unfun, and a perfect metaphor for what you're in for with the rest of this game.
Did you like the previous Blackguards? Did you want it simpler and more efficient? Do you like map control games? If you answered yes to all of these, I think I just found you a new PC game.
I have sort of enjoyed my time with Blackguards 2, although writing a review where all you really want to do is scream "IT'S THE SAME AS BLACKGUARDS!" has been a challenge. It really is a testament to the fine voice actors and tightly crafted combat above everything else, that even after two extremely similar games I'm still not staggeringly bored of it all. Slightly bored, perhaps, but not staggeringly.