Blackguards

57%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,643 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Blackguards Game Cover
Blackguards is a good romp with a rich established RPG world to draw from.
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"Blackguards" is a single-player Fantasy Turn Based Strategy game with pretty visuals and a splendid soundtrack. The game features an intriguing story of crime, drugs, and murder, with over 180 unique battlegrounds and 40+ hours of gameplay. Despite some hilarious moments and customizable characters, the game has dense atmosphere and bugs that can affect the experience.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

57%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,643 reviews
story335 positive mentions
grinding65 negative mentions
  • Engaging and addictive gameplay with a strong tactical combat system.
  • Interesting characters and story with good voice acting.
  • Handcrafted battle maps that provide unique challenges and environmental interactions.
  • Frustrating RNG mechanics leading to frequent misses on high percentage attacks.
  • Linear story progression with limited exploration and character customization options.
  • Technical issues including crashes and bugs that disrupt gameplay experience.
  • story1,151 mentions

    The story in "Blackguards" is generally described as linear and predictable, often relying on fantasy clichés, which can detract from player engagement. While some players appreciate the dark themes and character development, many find the narrative lacks depth and meaningful choices, making it feel more like a series of combat encounters strung together by a thin plot. Despite its flaws, the game does offer intriguing moments and character interactions that can keep players invested, especially for those who enjoy tactical RPGs.

    • “Blackguards boasts a deep and engaging narrative, immersing players in a dark and gritty fantasy world filled with intrigue and moral ambiguity.”
    • “The story unfolds through captivating dialogues and meaningful choices, keeping players invested in the outcome.”
    • “The story is one of the strong points of the game, it is competently written with genuinely good plot twists and interesting characters.”
    • “The story felt it had a strong start but struggled to maintain momentum, leaving me feeling lost or disengaged.”
    • “The story is linear and you can only really choose to skip a few optional battles.”
    • “The story is bland and the gameplay has annoying faults.”
  • gameplay385 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its tactical depth and character customization options, while others criticize its frustrating mechanics, steep learning curve, and reliance on RNG, leading to inconsistent experiences. Some players find the combat engaging and strategic, but many express dissatisfaction with bugs, tediousness, and a lack of clarity in mechanics, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. Overall, while the game has potential and interesting elements, its execution leaves much to be desired, resulting in a polarizing reception among players.

    • “With a diverse range of skills, spells, and equipment at their disposal, players can approach battles in creative ways, adding depth to the gameplay.”
    • “Blackguards does a wonderful job of blending RPG mechanics within a turn-based combat game.”
    • “The gameplay is great and a refreshing experience compared to most games today.”
    • “I've given this game 3-4 chances, every time got incredibly interested in the story, only for gameplay to completely fall apart.”
    • “The gameplay is frustrating and unforgiving, with high RNG and punishing consequences.”
    • “The gameplay consists of boring fights with horrible animations on mostly empty arenas, moving between dots on maybe the blandest looking world map and clicking on a static picture called 'city' to hear more laughably bad dialogs.”
  • graphics217 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they appear dated and lack polish, often falling short of modern standards. While some appreciate the art style and find certain visuals appealing, others criticize the overall quality, citing issues like graphical glitches and unrefined animations. Overall, the visuals are considered adequate for a turn-based RPG, but they do not stand out in comparison to contemporary titles.

    • “The graphics are absolutely beautiful, the wonderful art style is sort of a mixture between fantasy, medieval Spain and 16th century Caribbean which is actually seldom seen in games.”
    • “The graphics finally have shaken off a lot of the shoddiness and rough edges that have pervaded a lot of the TDE games, Blackguards is slick, smooth, and carries a glossy sheen with it; it's not quite melt-your-eyes gorgeous, but it's certainly pleasing to look at, and the spell effects certainly carry with them a definite sense of satisfaction as they connect and fly about the battlefield.”
    • “The music and graphics are also very well done.”
    • “The graphics lack polish and may appear dated, detracting from the overall immersion and atmosphere of the game.”
    • “Cities are very generic, and graphically speaking the game is really unimpressive - it's Unity engine after all.”
    • “Don't be expecting your graphics card to come under any pressure, this game's graphics are about 20 years behind mainstream games.”
  • music73 mentions

    The music in the game has received generally positive feedback, with many players appreciating its ability to enhance the atmosphere and emotional depth of the gameplay. While some tracks are noted as exceptional, others can feel repetitive due to a limited selection. Overall, the soundtrack is described as well-composed, fitting the game's themes, and contributing significantly to the overall experience, despite some criticisms regarding its memorability and occasional somberness.

    • “There is another feature that I noted: in combat, the soundtrack adjusts itself depending on your performance: normal at the beginning; dramatic when you are in danger; and, epic when the tide of battle is in your favor.”
    • “The music is very good, well balanced and creates the different atmospheres found in the various locations of this game.”
    • “The music in the game was very well made, and there were quite a few haunting tunes that as soon as they start I immediately think about the game.”
    • “The music is somber and sucks life and excitement out of the game whenever you're not in a combat situation.”
    • “Music sometimes is annoying, with a few loud sound effects from spells, but I highly recommend the game.”
    • “The soundtrack is mostly dark, but there were several battle tracks I enjoyed.”
  • grinding69 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and frustrating, with many players noting that battles often feel drawn out and repetitive due to a lack of engaging mechanics and the absence of a grinding system to level up characters. Players express dissatisfaction with the RNG-dependent combat, slow pacing, and the inability to farm experience points, leading to a gameplay experience that feels laborious rather than rewarding. Overall, the consensus is that while the game may start off interesting, it quickly devolves into a monotonous grind that detracts from the enjoyment.

    • “All battles are unique; there's no boring grindfest to overpower everything.”
    • “Sufficient gear and cash are hard to come by, making grinding impossible.”
    • “You can't just engage in random battles; it's best to explore every location to maximize your experience.”
    • “Gameplay is tedious and overly complicated.”
    • “Let me tell you, you will fail, miserably and countless times... and it certainly doesn't help anyone's case that there isn't any 'speed up' option you can activate through the menu screen... so if you lose a battle, which will probably happen many, many times, you have to sit through tedious enemy movements again... and again... and again... until somehow, the RNG god smiles upon you and you land a spell.”
    • “The combat in this game is just unbearably tedious.”
  • stability62 mentions

    The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes and freezes, often requiring a system reboot to recover. Many players have experienced game-breaking bugs, particularly during critical moments, leading to frustration and rendering the game nearly unplayable for some. Despite occasional positive remarks about gameplay and graphics, the overwhelming consensus highlights persistent stability issues that detract from the overall experience.

    • “The game mechanics are consistent with its defined rule set, full of intelligent puzzles and reasonably bug free.”
    • “The game is very pretty and seems bug free for the most part, at least for the 3 or so hours I put into the game.”
    • “Great game, relatively bug free for an early release; I would definitely recommend the game.”
    • “After the tutorial, the game keeps crashing every 5 minutes... and no, not 'only' to desktop; it freezes completely. Alt-F4 and Task Manager didn't help anymore; the only solution left was to push my reset button!”
    • “Not sure what they did to it, but the game now freezes and crashes to the point where it is completely unplayable.”
    • “I would love to give it a positive review; however, the constant freezes and crashes that cause me to have to reboot my PC are very frustrating.”
  • humor60 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing, engaging character interactions, and a mix of dark and crass comedy that adds depth to the narrative. Players appreciate the witty banter and amusing dialogue, often finding themselves laughing at the quirky characters and their antics, despite some criticisms regarding voice acting quality. Overall, the humor enhances the experience, making it a recommended choice for fans of tactical RPGs who enjoy a blend of serious themes and comedic elements.

    • “Witty banter and sardonic humor abound, and everyone will offer several solutions to multiple situations; choosing one option is quite likely to amuse someone else and annoy a third.”
    • “The voice acting is great and really adds to the immersion, also the characters themselves are well fleshed out and the interaction between them is hilarious at times.”
    • “The story is great, the humor is actually funny, and the game is very challenging.”
    • “The humor in this game falls flat; the jokes feel forced and unoriginal.”
    • “I expected a lot of laughs, but the comedic elements are more cringeworthy than funny.”
    • “The attempts at humor are so over-the-top that they become annoying rather than entertaining.”
  • character development46 mentions

    Character development in the game is a complex and often overwhelming system that offers a wide range of options, appealing primarily to hardcore RPG fans. While some players appreciate the depth and versatility, others find it confusing and poorly balanced, leading to frustration, especially for newcomers. Overall, the character development mechanics can significantly impact gameplay, with the potential for both rewarding customization and detrimental mismanagement of character abilities.

    • “The character development system is complex and has a depth rarely found in RPGs.”
    • “The RPG character development system is versatile and refreshing: you can mold your characters by earning and using action points to buy levels in any of a myriad of basic traits, talents, weapon talents, special abilities, and (for magic users) spells.”
    • “Character development is very deep and interesting for an indie RPG, and the combat, while not incredibly nuanced, is fun and challenging.”
    • “But character development is such an important and defining part of any RPG that this cluttered and confusing system has a big impact on what is otherwise an excellent tactical game with well-designed battlefields.”
    • “The reason why this is important is that the first few hours are pretty much for experimenting with the character development system, which is quite complex, even overwhelming at first.”
    • “Your decisions about character development will win or lose you the game, and new players should take note: it is possible to build a character badly and it's very difficult to undo this once you've done it, so take the time to read the manual and the in-game character creation notes (which don't appear in the manual and are very useful).”
  • replayability28 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed, with some players finding it enjoyable to revisit due to its straightforward story and character development options, while others criticize it for limited replay value stemming from a linear narrative and repetitive gameplay. Although there are branching paths and different character builds to explore, many reviews indicate that the overall experience remains largely unchanged upon replaying. Consequently, while some players appreciate the potential for varied playthroughs, others feel the game lacks substantial replayability.

    • “Ok, let me start by saying that I absolutely love this game; it's got everything a true RPG'er would want in a game: good story, great game mechanics, addictive gameplay, good graphics, outstanding music score, and probably excellent replayability as well.”
    • “Considering the fact that it has some interesting replay value (different starting class, different spells, ...), the game delivers quite some content.”
    • “Decent story and length, with some fun replay value to shape your characters differently and hone your strategies.”
    • “Despite its branching narrative paths and multiple endings, Blackguards may have limited replay value for some players.”
    • “Linear story with no replay value, shallow character development options, repetitive and boring.”
    • “Replayability, since you control 5 simultaneous characters, is a bit iffy since you already have the opportunity to develop all types, really, and the story is pretty much the same throughout.”
  • atmosphere23 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its dark and immersive qualities, enhanced by strong audio and intriguing locations, reminiscent of classic RPGs. However, some players note that dated graphics and pacing issues detract from the overall experience, while others find the gameplay itself lacking depth despite the appealing atmosphere. Overall, the atmosphere is a highlight, characterized by a blend of humor and strategic elements, though it may not fully compensate for other gameplay shortcomings.

    • “But it has a rich atmosphere, intriguing locations, and well-balanced strategic options for fights.”
    • “Other strengths such as atmosphere and tone create a nice world.”
    • “The graphics lack polish and may appear dated, detracting from the overall immersion and atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The atmosphere is dark, though not depressing; there's a lot of black humor and violent humor.”
    • “The graphics are nice, but a little too cartoonish for my taste, which undermines the atmosphere the game tries to create.”
  • optimization21 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with players reporting frequent frame drops and poor performance across various systems, reminiscent of older titles. While the gameplay experience remains largely unaffected, the inconsistent performance can hinder character assessment and overall enjoyment. Additionally, players noted that specific system requirements and optimizations are necessary to avoid glitches and bugs, further complicating the experience.

    • “This type of optimization I have not seen since NES Final Fantasy 1 (where attacking an enemy who gets killed in the same round renders your attackers attacking a blank spot).”
    • “I fully enjoyed this game even while this indie company struggling to translate an obscure tabletop RPG into a game is fairly apparent, it still managed to capture that feeling of adventure and optimization that tabletop games give you.”
    • “Also, as a cherry on top, the game is pretty poorly optimized - while, due to the nature of the game, it has very little impact on the gameplay, it is still pretty noticeable and annoying when your frames randomly drop by 20, even when nothing special is happening.”
    • “The RNG is very unforgiving, in that if your characters' builds are not razor optimized, you will have an incredibly difficult time with the game, more than it already is.”
    • “Poor performance; for a PC game, it's not offering much in the way of performance options.”
  • emotional10 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is largely negative, with players expressing frustration over frequent failures and uninteresting characters, leading to a sense of boredom and disappointment. While some players noted a few emotional connections within the story, the overall experience is marred by confusing mechanics and a lack of engaging content, resulting in feelings of nostalgia mixed with emotional void and vague anger.

    • “The story, although linear, has a few twists and also there is some emotional connection as it involves a friend and later on a family member.”
    • “This game somehow made me feel nostalgic for the first turn-based combat RPG I played as a kid, which was Farland Tactics 3.”
    • “I feel an emotional void, with some hints of vague anger, but to be honest, I can't even get worked up enough about the game to articulate that anger.”
    • “The rolls in this game are terrible; it feels bad to frequently fail 90%+ rolls, which ruins an otherwise boring story.”
    • “Characters are uninteresting and annoying, and the story is boring. The controls are confusing or even downright cryptic, especially with interactive items. For example, why does the default point of interaction with a stack of barrels cause them to fall on top of my character instead of to the side or in the opposite direction like a normal person would push them? Does the character pull the barrels towards them knowing they'll be crushed? Why? Because the game just wants to punish you for interacting with things.”
    • “Coupled with a boring story and a lackluster battle system, it all goes downhill.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

65% average critic score

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Play time

29hMedian play time
35hAverage play time
10-60hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 17 analyzed playthroughs

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