BLACKTAIL

About

"Blacktail" is a fairy tale-inspired game featuring 16-year-old Yaga, accused of witchcraft and exiled from her medieval Slavic settlement. Players must hunt down foul spirits from Yaga's past, while deciding the fate of the land and its inhabitants through the game's Morality system. Intense archery combat, magic, and crafting combine in a dark, immersive world filled with hidden treasures and elixirs to improve abilities.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,417 reviews

story533 positive mentions

grinding50 negative mentions

The game features a captivating story that draws players in and keeps them engaged throughout.
The visuals and art style are stunning, creating a beautiful and immersive world to explore.
The voice acting is top-notch, adding depth and personality to the characters.

The combat system can feel clunky and repetitive, leading to frustration during encounters.
There are technical issues, including bugs and performance drops, that can disrupt gameplay.
The morality system lacks clarity, making it difficult for players to understand the consequences of their choices.

story
1,247 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
54%
3%
The story of "Blacktail" is generally praised for its intriguing blend of Slavic folklore and dark fantasy elements, with many players appreciating the unique narrative and character development. However, some critiques highlight issues with pacing, clarity, and the execution of the main plot, suggesting that while the story has potential, it can feel disjointed or underwhelming at times. Overall, the game is recognized for its engaging storytelling, beautiful visuals, and immersive atmosphere, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of narrative-driven games.
- “I genuinely enjoyed this game, the story was really powerful and well told.”
- “Mythology, witchcraft and legend all blend together to form an intriguing story.”
- “The story was intriguing, and I was invested in the adventure.”
- “It's a shame because the story had so much potential, but the gameplay issues ruined it for me.”
- “However, and I hate to say this - the story falls a bit flat.”
- “The story itself is quite easy to speculate as you go, and I also encountered few places that are in the game just for the sake of being, and not utilized for the main story at all, which is a shame.”
gameplay
463 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
51%
10%
Gameplay in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the engaging story, beautiful visuals, and unique mechanics, particularly the archery system. However, several critiques highlight issues such as repetitive mechanics, clunky controls, and a lack of depth in combat, which can detract from the overall experience. While some players find the gameplay enjoyable and immersive, others feel it is hindered by poorly explained mechanics and a lack of variety in enemy encounters.
- “The gameplay itself is pretty solid; it's not hardcore but it is satisfying and poses enough challenge to make it interesting.”
- “The gameplay is fun, exciting, and immersive.”
- “The gameplay is perfectly balanced, requiring some skill but not being over-complicated or bloated.”
- “It's a shame because the story had so much potential, but the gameplay issues ruined it for me.”
- “A good story let down by repetitive gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is stifled by too many counterintuitive mechanics.”
graphics
292 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
38%
2%
The graphics of the game have received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many players praising the beautiful and immersive art style that evokes a whimsical, fairytale atmosphere. While some noted technical issues and a lack of polish in certain areas, the overall aesthetic and varied environments were highlighted as standout features that enhance the storytelling experience. However, a few critiques pointed out that the graphics may not meet the standards of modern AAA titles, leading to some disappointment among players expecting higher fidelity visuals.
- “I really admire the dreamy landscapes and graphics.”
- “The visuals are gorgeous, the narrative evocative, and the Slavic origins of the worldbuilding make it all feel fresh and different to my Australian cultural sensibilities.”
- “The graphics in the game are beautiful, the story is engaging, and the voice acting is spot on.”
- “Unfortunately, the result is a fever dream of a game that checks every box aesthetically but leaves players baffled and unsatisfied at the end.”
- “Also, graphically it's quite ugly.”
- “Graphics aren't good and the gameplay is worse.”
music
150 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
33%
2%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its high quality and emotional impact, often comparing it to the level of soundtracks from renowned titles like The Witcher 3. The soundtrack effectively enhances the game's atmosphere, complementing its storytelling and visuals, while some players noted a desire for more varied tempos during specific gameplay moments. Overall, the music is described as immersive, beautifully composed, and integral to the gaming experience.
- “The storytelling, the music, the focus on duality and the creepy elements to it... give it quite a unique feel and are executed just right.”
- “The music is just freaking amazing.”
- “The soundtrack is really immersive and atmospheric and overall I am very intrigued and interested to see where the story goes!”
- “We could have used more higher tempo songs for the last boss; instead, we got this... weird... slow piece.”
- “Story, graphics, and music are nice, but gameplay is awful: combat is a dread, movement is practically always impaired by useless obstructions, which makes combat even more cumbersome, and on top of all, I ran into a game-breaking bug that made finishing an essential quest impossible.”
- “The music though!”
atmosphere
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
37%
3%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its vibrant and colorful world, creating a captivating fairy tale setting that balances both enchanting and dark elements. Players appreciate the immersive art style, seasonal mood changes, and the effective integration of music and voice acting, all of which enhance the overall experience. Many reviews highlight that the atmosphere is a key factor in the game's appeal, making exploration and storytelling particularly engaging.
- “Blacktail's atmosphere that gripped me turns out to be both a vibrant and gloomy fairy tale land.”
- “The art style looks wonderful and I especially like the atmosphere of the different seasonal areas and how the mood changes from area to area.”
- “The atmosphere, the voice acting, the story progression - everything in this game is really well done.”
- “The atmosphere subtly slips from one to the other, and even the lighthearted characters can be quite disturbing, or at the very least unnerving.”
- “In my opinion if you can't find yourself attached to the atmosphere and storytelling, you probably won't enjoy this game too much.”
- “Bought for the foreboding atmosphere of Baba Yaga lore placated by the protagonist's foolish attempts to save her sister and balance her karmic debts.”
optimization
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing smooth performance and minimal issues, while others report significant degradation in performance over time, awkward gameplay mechanics, and a need for an optimization patch. While certain setups run well without major bugs, many users express frustration with stuttering, frame drops, and poorly optimized elements that detract from the overall experience. Overall, there is a consensus that while the game has potential, it requires further optimization to fully realize its capabilities.
- “Finally a game that has great optimization right from the start, thank you!”
- “The game runs smoothly and I've not encountered any bugs or glitches.”
- “It has great music and the game is optimized well.”
- “And after a few hours of playing, performance degraded noticeably.”
- “For starters, I can only assume it's terribly optimized.”
- “Review will remain negative until they come out with an optimization patch, one they said they would be working on.”
grinding
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
4%
89%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, with constant resource gathering and backtracking contributing to a lack of excitement. While some appreciate the unique travel mechanics and engaging side quests, many feel that the repetitive nature of combat and material collection detracts from the overall enjoyment, making the gameplay feel like a slog. Despite its potential, the game is often described as a grindy borefest, leading players to seek more enjoyable alternatives.
- “I found most side quests interesting and not too tedious to complete.”
- “The main story is rather short, but there are a lot of side quests and collectibles (which aren't tedious) to get.”
- “The constant resource gathering and ammo replenishment is tedious and the gameplay loop is not that satisfying.”
- “This feels like a game that could have been a 10/10 but the creators forgot that it's supposed to be fun and instead made it tedious and frustrating.”
- “Even with these stones, you still have to do a ton of backtracking and running around forth and back through already visited areas if you want to finish all side quests, which is really tedious.”
humor
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its quirky and often absurd dialogue, reminiscent of teenage fanfiction and games like Borderlands. Players enjoy the mix of cute and grotesque elements, with many noting that side quests and character interactions are particularly funny, often eliciting genuine laughter. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the engaging storyline and stunning visuals, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “Such as the rock war quest, this was probably my favorite one; and literally had me laughing aloud.”
- “One side quest in particular had me laughing out loud at its dry, goofy humor.”
- “Great humor and voice acting in the English version, I was intrigued and entertained through and through.”
emotional
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as a profound and intense experience, with some players praising its heartfelt storytelling, stunning visuals, and impactful voice acting that evoke strong feelings. However, others found it off-putting or emotionally draining, feeling that it lacked engagement or was overly dramatic. Overall, it presents a mixed bag of emotional responses, ranging from deep connection to frustration.
- “Don't go into this expecting a standard 'good guy vs bad guy with easily explained motives/plot' that most games have, just go into it to enjoy the emotional fairy tale ride paired with the excellent art, gameplay, and writing.”
- “For everyone else: this game is an absolute stunning experience with an emotional story that is perfectly delivered by all the voice actors.”
- “What makes Blacktail stand out so much would be the emotional roller-coaster, its high intensity at times matching Yaga's stress, anguish, mood swings, trauma, painful repressed memories, through rampages fueled by rejection, treason, and cruelty, through epic battles against gigantic demons in sinister and overwhelming environments, also mediated by the well-thought use of music, sounds, visual effects, the fairy tale graphics, and the dialogue with that older bossy voice following Yaga who wouldn't say its name... until the right moment to do so.”
replayability
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
37%
11%
The game features a robust morality system that significantly enhances its replayability, allowing players to experience different abilities and storylines based on their choices. While some reviews note limited replayability in terms of new game plus options, many players appreciate the ability to switch moral alignments and achieve all accomplishments in a single playthrough. Overall, the game is regarded as having high replay value due to its engaging mechanics and varied gameplay experiences.
- “The developers have added essentially a karma system to the game that adds different ways to play the game, along with different stories to explore, meaning this game has replayability.”
- “Has an interesting gameplay loop and story, with lots of replay value.”
- “As it stands, the price is okay with what you're offered, limited replayability; new game plus is included, so it's a thing for people interested.”
- “Another huge bonus to the morality system in Blacktail is the fact that your abilities change and alter according to your morality, allowing for replayability but also a chance for you as the player to cater your abilities to how you want to play the game.”
- “This also gives the game some replayability, but the game also gives you chances to switch the morality and with it, you can get all the achievements during one playthrough without the worry of needing to go through the game a second time, which was a pleasant surprise, to be honest.”
stability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
89%
The game's stability is generally praised, with many players reporting a smooth experience and minimal bugs or glitches. However, some users have encountered technical issues, such as crashes and enemies getting stuck, though recent updates have addressed many of these problems. Overall, the game is considered well-polished for an indie title, particularly on platforms like the Steam Deck.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “And worse still, there are glitches and technical issues that plague the game, with enemies getting stuck in walls and other such mishaps.”
- “It took me about 20 hours to 100% it, and part of that was only due to crashes and freezes that have been fixed with the most recent update.”
- “The graphics are a little buggy on my computer, but that was alright.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
Character development in the game is praised for its depth and moral complexity, challenging players' perceptions of societal binaries. The extensive and clear upgrade trees, alongside phenomenal character design and impactful voice acting, contribute to a rich narrative experience filled with secrets and challenges. Overall, the game showcases a strong commitment to character-driven storytelling, reflecting the passion of its creators.
- “The upgrade trees are extensive but clear, the character design is fun and phenomenal, the voice acting is wonderful, and each character carries a lot of weight in what they're saying. You can tell that people who truly love this game worked on it, which is another bonus.”
- “The character development revolves around the questions of morality - a concept that challenges the binary outlook on us as a society.”
- “Rich in story and character development, with lots of nooks and secrets to explore, and gameplay that can be quite challenging, too.”
- “The character development revolves around the questions of morality - a concept challenging the binary outlook on us as a society.”
- “It's like a mix of Conker's Bad Fur Day character design, Brutal Legend's map design, all the while being the Slavic folklore equivalent of Alice in Wonderland.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The monetization model is praised for its transparency, featuring no microtransactions or deceptive practices, creating a straightforward and user-friendly experience.
- “No microtransactions, no shady mechanics, no nothing.”
- “The game offers a fair pricing model that respects players' wallets.”
- “I appreciate the absence of pay-to-win elements; it feels balanced and rewarding.”
- “The monetization model is overly aggressive, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the game fully.”
- “I feel like the game is designed around making money rather than providing a fun experience.”
- “The constant barrage of ads and in-game purchases ruins the immersion and enjoyment.”