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Blackguards 2

Blackguards 2

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

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Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Blackguards was the largest project in Daedalic's history. It was a risk, especially as the studio were working in a completely new genre. And although the strategy role-playing game had many rough edges, it worked in the end. Financially, the project was profitable and despite mixed reviews it was clear to see where it could go in the future. On top of that the team has always strived to be closer to the community, and was open to suggestions and improvements. Ideas offered have been worked into this sequel, which has been made in just one year.

The reason for the quick turnaround, however, is not because the studio wanted to cash in quick, but rather because so much has endured, from the overall presentation to the engine that drives the game. Nevertheless, Blackguards 2 plays very differently. For every problem with the first offering, the team has found an elegant new solution. It feels holistic, well-rounded. And even though they no longer stoically follow the rules of The Dark Eye, the character and personality of a classic role-playing game has remained, and with it the challenging difficulty.

The typical basic values are now merged so that, for example, they are now easier to grasp. Eight remain, such as damage and initiative, then there are two more for the regeneration of astral energy and the newly introduced stamina, as well as the individual resistance values. This creates a much better understanding of how the character is set up and what strengths and weaknesses they might have. In addition, the new data also summarises what had been reported separately in the first game. They haven't removed anything, they've just processed it differently.

Not that Blackguards 2 wants to be a shallower experience than its predecessor. The changes in the game are only for ease of use and are thus more than welcome. The surface layer has been simplified, it's not as cumbersome, and the annoying tutorial has been omitted. Instead the game tells us most of what we need to know gradually via boxes full of information, introduced during a gentle prologue that gives the player time to adjust. The information offered is succinct and to the point. Beginners might be a little overwhelmed, but if you've spent any time playing turn-based games of this ilk, it won't take you long to get up to speed.

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Blackguards 2
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Besides the cosmetic alterations, there are some very important changes. This means that the map is now much more open and not long after the start we start the conquest of the Emirate Mengbilla. We decide which points on the map we want to take, and at some point Marwan - our sworn enemy - will send his troops to regain certain areas already taken. For each point on the map that we control, we get improvements for our mercenaries. And we always clearly see the difficulty of each encounter before the start of a fight.

The aforementioned stamina works much like the astral energy, and ensures a better balance between conjuring and fighting. For the special abilities we now need stamina. Fighting feels less random and combat has a more tactical feel to it. There's also a new cover system where we can both get protection from scenery, or move fully into cover. This makes the already interesting maps even more exciting. Now we're not only looking for switches and interactive objects, but we also have to keep an eye out for potential places to barricade as well.

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The thing about this sequel that really convinced me, however, is the story. Blackguards 2 plays out three years after the events of Blackguards and tells the story of Cassia from Tenos, wife of Marwan al-Ahmad. He has seized power in Mengbilla and has his wife thrown into the labyrinth under the arena. Here, between the spiders and the solitude, she will now either die from the poisonous bites, or go insane.

Of course she escapes from her prison (otherwise the game would be pretty short). The bites of spiders have left her disfigured, and she often speaks to herself. Whether this is a result of the bites or the solitude, is open for debate. Whatever the answer is, her mind is poisoned. In her prison she finds a book, its pages revealing how to be a good ruler, and it's reading these words that the idea is planted in her head: Cassia wants to rule, overthrowing Marwan in her ascent to power. However, she needs an army, and so she scrapes together all those around her who are dissatisfied with her ex-husband, and starts to make lofty promises once again.

Blackguards 2
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The adventure is pretty bleak and throughout it's riddled with difficult decisions that hinge on moral and philosophical questions. We watch on as the clever and unscrupulous Cassia slowly goes mad. She speaks of her desire to rule and says she doesn't want revenge. But why she want s to rule she can't explain. "There is no why," she says. Does the wind needs a reason to blow? Does a fly need a reason to fly? These thoughts bludgeon this once beautiful woman's brain and make the story so wonderful and engaging.

To the troops with which she fights include the former heroes that starred in the first Blackguards. Among them is the warrior Takate (who considers himself to be a god), meanwhile the magician Zurbaran, who was actually enslaved again, joins an ill-tempered and gold-greedy dwarf, Naurim (who has become become a bit lazy). In addition there's Faramud, the leader of the Silent Legion. His mercenaries help us in the fight against Marwan's troops and form an important part of the new mechanics regarding conquering and defending points on the map.

In our camp - our assembly point between battles - we can equip and improve our heroes. In addition we can talk to the different characters as well as interrogate our prisoners. We're trying to hold together the fragile rabble and many issues are discussed, things that impact on the course of our adventure. You can never know exactly where these decisions will lead, mostly you'll have to rely on your gut feeling.

Despite all the innovations, changes, and fresh ideas, one can still argue about how new Blackguards 2 really is. Graphically and in terms of game mechanics, things have not changed significantly, but there's a great new story and the whole concept has been reevaluated and tweaked where required. Blackguards felt very bulky and old-fashioned in comparison. The new adventure is still not easy to digest, it has great depth and a demanding level of difficulty - but for a classic strategy role-playing game it doesn't feel too dense.

Ultimately Blackguards 2 is varied - and this applies to both locations and opponents. Maybe this is the game that Blackguards should have been, but then again, without the first attempt this masterpiece might never have come about. Daedalic has done a great job in telling a story of revenge, in the process exploring the thoughts and deeds of a controversial character. Mechanically it's strong, and an improvement on the first. Blackguards 2 is a real surprise in many ways, and a great start to the new year.

Blackguards 2
09 Gamereactor UK
9 / 10
+
+ An engaging story, clearly more rounded, challenging, great atmosphere, wise innovations.
-
- Presentation largely unchanged, changes only in the detail.
overall score
is our network score. What's yours? The network score is the average of every country's score

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