Black Legend
- March 25, 2021
- Warcave
- 6h median play time
Black Legend might not be an unmissable game, but it's still one that fans of strategy RPGs should definitely have on their radar.
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games Store"Black Legend" is aTurn-Based Strategy RPG set in the cursed city of Grant, where a deadly cult spreads madness through a fog. Explore the city's architecture, fight using an alchemy system based on Humorism, and unlock 15 playable classes, each with unique abilities and equipment. Your goal: aid the resistance and liberate Grant.
Reviews
- Engaging and intricate turn-based tactical combat that rewards strategic planning.
- Unique alchemy system adds depth to combat and character progression, allowing for interesting class and skill combinations.
- Atmospheric setting with a dark, brooding city that enhances immersion and exploration.
- Poor onboarding and tutorial experience, overwhelming players with mechanics without proper guidance.
- Frequent bugs and crashes that disrupt gameplay, with some players reporting game-breaking issues.
- Monotonous environments and lack of enemy variety, leading to repetitive gameplay experiences.
- story23 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The story is generally considered decent but lacks depth and complexity, often feeling disjointed and repetitive, with many quests being fetch-oriented. While the setting and lore are engaging, players feel that the narrative could benefit from more polish and a more linear structure. Overall, the focus seems to be more on combat and gameplay mechanics rather than a compelling story experience.
“Apart from the main quest, there are side quests as you wander the streets of a doomed city and fight bloodthirsty cults.”
“The setting and story are surprisingly deep and well thought out, if not especially complex, and there's enough content here to keep you engaged for the 15-25 hours the main campaign takes.”
“The story is simple but fun, and the lore is surprisingly engaging.”
“The combat is another story.”
“Quests are terrible, boring, repetitious, and send you literally running back and forth several times (one quest made me go between 4 areas over 6 times, each time to talk to someone yet again) and it made me totally lose interest.”
“It lacks the depth of story of most RPGs but makes up for it in other ways.”
- gameplay19 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by engaging and deep progression mechanics, particularly in its turn-based tactical combat and unique alchemy system, which many players find enjoyable and strategic. However, the onboarding process is criticized for overwhelming new players with mechanics, and the game suffers from janky execution, quality of life issues, and occasional game-breaking bugs. Overall, while the game offers originality and a rich tactical experience, it could benefit from further polish and refinement.
“Engaging and deep progression mechanics.”
“Extremely rich and engaging tactical gameplay.”
“The tactical combat is fun, the alchemy system is a cool mechanic, and I like having a lot of control over how my characters develop.”
“The onboarding is awful - the game just showers you with all the game mechanics right from the start, which makes them a bit difficult to appreciate.”
“The game is littered with janky and clunky gameplay, many quality of life issues and an overall bland UI system.”
“Updated warning: encountered a game-breaking bug after about 6 hours of gameplay that required me to load a much earlier save and redo about an hour and a half to get back to that point without issues.”
- graphics15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the decent visuals and thematic fit, while others criticized them as outdated and lacking depth. The character design and ambiance were noted positively, but many felt the overall aesthetic was homogenous and reminiscent of early 2000s games. Despite some stable elements, the graphics were often described as cheap and in need of improvement.
“The visuals are great, and I like how your characters actually wear and wield the armor/weapons.”
“As of now, I'm loving the visuals and I'm having no issue with immersion as the main character doesn't speak, which I find favorable.”
“For what it is, I like it; it has some mechanicus vibes to it and I've always loved the aesthetic it is going for.”
“It's not the greatest out there, and the graphics are a bit lacking, but it's a stable and complete finish, unlike a lot of so-called 'complete' games out right now.”
“Graphics look like a 2000 game, and I do not recommend it to anyone to buy it except from a huge sale or if it gets updated from this alpha state.”
“Cheap graphics, cheap execution, cheapest battle system (you can't even attack diagonally... the enemy is beside you and you can't attack... really?), and even cheaper UI.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dark, brooding setting, which enhances the immersive experience. Players appreciate the variety in the city's districts, the intense and creepy ambiance, and the effective use of sound and music, all contributing to a unique and engaging exploration. Overall, the atmosphere significantly elevates the game's appeal.
“I love the atmosphere: set in a dark and brooding city, whose regions and districts offer enough variety to make exploring a new area interesting and unique.”
“The world is interesting, the atmosphere and music are on point, and the characters are fun.”
“Gloomy atmosphere in the plagued city.”
“The atmosphere is very intense; it adds so much to the immersiveness.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is cleverly integrated into its mechanics, particularly through the four humors system, which adds a playful yet strategic layer to combat. Players appreciate the humorous notes scattered throughout the game and find the unique enemies to be entertaining, enhancing the overall experience.
“The mechanics of the four humors is pretty cute and easy to utilize.”
“The notes you find throughout the game can be quite humorous, and the enemies are interesting and unique.”
“You’ll actually have to plan ahead on which humors you want to apply and when to catalyze them to maximize damage.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising the ambient tracks for enhancing the atmosphere and intensity of the experience. While some reviews mention that the music is merely "okay," it is often highlighted as a strong point that contributes positively to the overall enjoyment of the game.
“The city is great looking, and the ambient music adds another layer of intensity.”
“The world is interesting, the atmosphere and music are on point, and the characters are fun.”
“The ending doesn't make a whole lot of sense; the graphics and music are okay, but the voice-overs are sub-par.”
- stability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, users report mixed experiences with stability; while some find the game bug-free, others note that it is somewhat buggy and rough around the edges, though they appreciate its unique charm.
“The game runs smoothly without any bugs.”
“I haven't encountered any stability issues during my gameplay.”
“The performance is consistent, making for a seamless gaming experience.”
“It's a little buggy and very rough around the edges, but it's got its own sort of charm.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users express frustration with the character development system, feeling that it does not adequately reward the time and effort invested in developing their characters.
“As someone who likes to be rewarded for pouring time into character development, this one bugs me a lot.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression.”
“I was hoping for a deeper connection with the characters, but they all feel one-dimensional.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for its lack of replayability, being described as small, simplistic, and repetitive, which diminishes the incentive to play it multiple times.
“But overall, it's just a very small, simplistic, and repetitive game with no replay value.”
Critic Reviews
Black Legend XBox One Review
Black Legend presents well in the cinematic trailer but fails to offer an enjoyable gaming experience that promotes repetitive play. Give it a miss.
56%Black Legend Review – Brew Your Own Adventure
Black Legend might not be an unmissable game, but it's still one that fans of strategy RPGs should definitely have on their radar.
70%Black Legend Review
Black Legend isn’t perfect, but it brings some really solid pieces to the game as a whole. The town is interesting and is designed well, the class system allows for a good amount of freedom of player choice, and the alchemy system is pretty novel. The writing (or lack thereof) is a stumbling block, along with the difficult healing system… but the atmosphere really draws you in and leaves you wanting more of Grant and its mysteries.
75%
