Review game Blackguards – silent guardian
Role tactic – difficult genre. Complex combat mechanics and an elaborate system of development of the Party must be stapled good script and vivid characters. We recently surprised unusual styling and unique feed of the plot The Banner Saga . Today’s guest – a new project studio Daedalic Entertainment, creators of last great adventure series Deponia. Before that, they made the game the known universe desktop The Dark Eye (Das Schwarze Auge in the original language). And after a while decided to return to this universe, only this time try their hand at the genre tactics.
Terrible, but true – people who have long worked on adventure games, screwed with the script. And it’s not that he is full of stamps or boring characters, here is just the opposite. Universe is known for its characters, betrayals, cruelty. In such surroundings could tell a great story. But the problem is the terrible dialogue. They are written in a dry and do not convey the emotions of the characters.Sometimes it seems that the phrase written program rather than human beings, so replica boring and prosaic. Sometimes you just do not understand the motivations of the characters, why they fight with each other or, conversely, become allies. Add to this scene conversations, where no facial animation, or just any additional actions. Heroes and villains are just standing on a dark background and drill each other’s views.
The game has no coherent history of the protagonist. We only know that he was close to the royal family, but as luck would have appeared next to the corpse of the princess. Then everything goes on well-known pattern. He is accused of all the troubles, he remembers nothing escapes and meets with the first companions. Subsequently, the party joined by other characters. The game is full of the names of gods, countries and cities, but people are not familiar with the original board game, they say little, and the information that is supplied in communication between the characters is unlikely to describe the picture of the world.
So begins our journey through the “unknown” state. We go with friends in misfortune from city to city.Instead of walking through the streets seeing static images nameless space. There we can stock up on necessary items bandage wounds in Surgery, rejuvenate in the tavern or look for more trouble in the form of side quests. Requests may look quite extravagant. For example, a trader pleads kill his evil twin brother or two dwarf offer to play with death. But all this is accompanied, as the storyline, only meager comments. The only reminder that the progenitor Blackguards playing tabletop role-playing game, is the variability of the dialogues, but there are no revelations. It all boils down to the choice of a “yes” or “no”, any complex moral dilemmas do not provide jobs.
But the authors of the combat system worked wonderfully. Carefully transferred skills and spells from The Dark Eye on the three-dimensional playing field. The characters have the basic parameters that affect the passive attributes such as attack, parry, magic resistance, etc. They cost a lot of points of development, so of blind warrior mage will not work. Addition to the features can improve individual skills, allowing us to notice the trap before or improve the efficiency of health elixirs. For this we have to look for special teachers, which, of course, need help. Since initially access to all of the city is missing, powerful spells and skills necessary open as you move along the rails plot.
System development pleases a variety of issues, good relationship parameters and variety of abilities.When the battle begins, the bad impressions about the story overshadowed. Win against hordes of monsters and thugs is not so simple. Battles in the game are well furnished, there are always different ways of going through, there is always an option to substitute opponent, drive it into quicksand or an explosive barrel. So you need to carefully study the map. Rarely get to win the first time. However, the artificial intelligence of enemies over time makes life easier. They walk the same paths, always use the same sequence of actions. In addition, often the cause of lesions are not the rigors of battle, but just misses the system and trigger spells. Sometimes it seems that before you did not mighty magician, but first-year student at Hogwarts, so low chance to proc spell.
Graphically, the project looks good from a distance, if had that camera away from a hexagonal grid.Strongly blurred picture, model carved ax like a team of guys who created Deponia, had disappeared, leaving the development of new, novice employees. The same can be said about the sound design.Hardly you remember songs from the game. Actors wanted to bring color of different states by giving a variety of accents characters, but unsuccessful replay and phrases posing ruined a good beginning.
Diagnosis
Did not work for Daedalic Entartainment make good, interesting role-playing game with tactical battles. Hamstrung the project role component is a weak script and maloslovnymi characters. Instead, however, we offer a flexible system development, difficult battle with interesting conditions and evil enemies.
Pro:
- Exciting battles with different victory conditions
- Large variety of enemies
- Plenty of options for development within the same class
Contra:
- Linear script with incomprehensible motives of characters
- Terrible story scenes
- Unprincipled art style
- Bad game voice actor
- Unsuccessful attempts to complicate the game
- Lack of random battles
