Developer: Warcave
Publisher: Warcave
Platform: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5, Switch
Tested on: PC
Black Legend – Review
We always applaud any effort made to stand apart from other games, trying to stick out above many others with something unique, no matter what. Black Legend tends to be one of those games at a first glance. Visually, the game looks like it tries to imitate some of the clothing and perhaps environments of the Dutch painting masters. The clothing is very on point for a 17th-century game, but what is the rest of the game like?
Story
A deadly mad-making mist is clinging onto the seemingly cursed city of Grant. It’s a deadly mist that’s traced back to the history behind a genius (or crazed?) alchemist and a fanatic cult that’s taken over the city. Many have tried to take back the city, but so far all have failed. You are asked to try it as well, hopefully with a better result. While the set-up of the story is solid, the rest feels weird because of your voiceless, almost meaningless characters in a mash-up world of realism and fantasy. The game’s pace is slowed by the countless battles and little story progression. It’s not a story that grabs you by the throat, while the environments do scream for some well-written plot pieces.
Graphics
Graphically, Black Legend has two sides. One side is impressive with the 17th-century clothing of the Netherlands and rather atmospheric environments. The other side feels very much like elements that are copied & pasted everywhere. While most environmental elements do have something of their own, enemies all look the same. The fact they are numerous and there are barely any NPCs to talk to adds up to this. A lot of characters that are present are bland and unpolished. Granted, hair is something difficult to get right, but in Black Legend it looks like it’s hay glued on top of a bald mannequin. It’s a bit silly, and adds to the soulless characters, be it NPCs or those you play with. The city of Grant is just not lively enough to make it immersive.
Sound
Sound is important in any game, and in most aspects, Black Legends gets its sound design right. The only thing is that the effects used do not seem special or tailor-made. It’s your standard moans, gunshots, and other combat sounds. The music stays more in the background, adding to the overall atmosphere but isn’t that memorable either. Voice acting is ranging from alright to laughable. In all ways, the sound quality in Black Legend is, like most of the game, mediocre.
Gameplay
In many ways, Black Legend seems to be your standard RPG. You get to create a character with a limited amount of options, loot some stuff such as weapons, and unlock classes by playing and equipping different weapons. Combat happens by fighting it out in an area divided into squares like a tabletop game. You have movement points and action points. The first you use to move a set number of squares during your turn, the second you use to either attack or perform an action such as healing or throwing an item.
While this seems simple enough for tabletop veterans and new players alike, this is also one of the main issues with Black Legend: It’s overly simplified and no fun. There’s no real way to outsmart your enemies or get really tactical. You will pretty much always be in range to flank, backstab, and poison your enemies. While the same works the other way around as well, every battle quickly feels repetitive and tiresome. Diagonally you are not allowed to attack for some reason, and it’s mainly just rushing on a single target until you have killed every single foe.
The game tends to amplify the gameplay by adding some extra mechanics where you can stack “debuffs” on an enemy before you attack them with a “catalyzing attack”, dealing huge damage at once. This is really more of a bother than an interesting twist because you simply need to remember what attack or thrown item adds which debuff, and then repeat this for each enemy you want to deal big damage to. The game simply feels simplified and boring when fighting, missing the carefully tuned mechanics of somewhat similar games such as Xcom.
Conclusion
While most of the visuals are appealing in some way, especially the gameplay and story are lacking in Black Legend. It’s overly simplified and repetitive to get through the game, making it more of a boring chore than something enticing. If anything, the game feels rushed and unpolished with the city of Grant being an unlively, gray place.
Black Legend - Review,
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