Blackguards Preview

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Written by WorstUsernameEver on March 29th, 2013

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There's a story to Blackguards, and an absolutely gorgeous world map to explore, but the focus is party-based combat, with almost 200 unique battle maps. Movement is hexagonal, and I'm told that some of the maps are (very big.) The few I saw were a good size not as big as XCOM's, for instance, but big enough to tell the story they were designed for. One had the party free prisoners to distract guards while they escaped, and the other was a rescue mission with a turn limit.

Even the non-objective-based battle I saw had a twist. It took place in a crypt (a popular hangout spot for RPG characters), and nasties would keep popping out of holes in the floor. Characters in Blackguards can interact with objects on the map, and in this case, that meant covering holes with heavy slabs to block reinforcements. I'm told that's just the tip of the iceberg: in other maps, we'll destroy a bridge to cut off a flanking maneuver, or slash a rope to drop a chandelier. It sounds like whatever we expect to be interactive will be.

The skill system and you'll have control of every party member's progression is intricate. It's the kind of thing that I'd have to personally mess with for at least a few hours (like, three or three hundred) before meaningfully appraising. For instance, adding points to weapon skills comes with a supplementary decision: a slider which lets you balance how much you contribute to the character's offensive and defensive capabilities with that weapon. This is serious RPG business.

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