Developer: Daedalic Entertainment
Publisher: Daedalic Entertainment
Platform: Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Tested on: Switch
Blackguards 2 (Switch) – Review
Earlier this year Daedalic Entertainment released the switch port of their turn-based tactical RPG Blackguards 2. Back in 2015, we already took a closer look at the PC version of Blackguards 2. We found the game to be rather entertaining, but we did find the game’s combat a bit slow. Today we will offer a fresh look at the Switch port of the game. We again enjoyed the experience, but sadly the game still suffers from the same issues.
Story
In Blackguards 2, you play as Cassia, a woman who seems to have had a big role in the world but has been thrown into a dark underground prison full of spiders and other terrifying creatures. Destined to die, with her body full of spider venom, she somehow survives, and after five long years, she is finally able to escape. Thirsty for revenge, she commences her journey to take over the throne. On this path, Cassia will encounter new allies that will fight alongside her in her journey.
The story is well-crafted and entertaining, and while characters are quite basic when introduced, they slowly get more depth as the story progresses. Throughout the story, you are constantly interacting with your companions, making them feel alive rather than just basic characters used to tell the story.
Graphics
The graphics held up surprisingly well. Does this mean that the graphics are amazing? No, not really, but considering Blackguards 2 is a seven-year-old game at this point, and that the graphics weren’t changed at all from the original, then it is completely understandable that the graphics may be a bit underwhelming by today’s standards. On top of that, it’s good that at least the graphics don’t get in the way of the rest of the game. An important thing to note is that nothing really stands out artwise, but that was probably never the game’s intention in the first place. While the art could possibly be described as basic, it is still very decent and supports the game’s other features.
Sound
The sound design of this game is amazing. The music by Peter Connelly, who is known for his work on the Tomb Raider games, really adds to the overall atmosphere of this game. The voice acting and sound effects are also of good quality. We did sometimes notice a few elements of the sound design that were a bit out of place, these items were far and few in between. The sound design is one of the strongest aspects of this game.
Gameplay
Blackguards 2 is a turn-based tactical RPG with combat that is played out on a hexagonal grid. Each turn you can choose between multiple actions such as casting spells, moving from one hexagon to another, or attacking with your weapon. The enemies then do the same. Combat in Blackguards 2 isn’t always the basic “kill the enemies” but often includes story-related puzzles. The combat mechanics are quite basic which would be fine if it wouldn’t be impossible to skip or fast-forward enemy turns. Enemies take their turn after yours but they do so extremely slowly, and if there are then more than 10 enemies, it can take minutes before you get to your next turn. This combined with a not-so-interesting combat system to start with makes this game extremely boring at times. This was the main critique we had in our original review from 2015, and it is sad that they couldn’t add a fast-forward option in the Switch port, as it turns a fun and enjoyable game into something borderline unplayable. Of course, the game can still be enjoyed for its story and atmosphere, but the frustratingly slow combat often makes the actual gameplay a chore.
There are also some customization options in the form of which skills you unlock as well as what gear you can equip. All customization is quite limited though, as there aren’t a lot of options that feel that different from others. After every battle, you are rewarded points which you can use to upgrade Cassia and her party. This is done by a skill ‘web’ with both active and passive skills. Most of these are well-known and classic skills. For example, for the active skills, we have things like fireballs and lightning strikes, and for the passive skills, we have things that enhance our health and/or damage. The customization in Blackguards 2 certainly isn’t something to be amazed by, but it also doesn’t do much wrong. All in all, the game follows the standard for the genre.
Conclusion
If you were a fan of the original Blackguards 2, then the Switch version might be worth playing as it is almost exactly the same game with one significant difference; it is now on a portable device. So if playing Blackguards 2 on the go seems appealing to you, then we can definitely recommend the game to you. However, if you weren’t previously a fan of Blackguards 2 due to the extremely slow combat sections, then the chances are slim you will become one now. The Switch version is basically a direct port of the original PC game with minimal changes. We very much enjoyed Blackguards 2’s story, the overall atmosphere, and its sound design, but the combat often made the game into a chore rather than something we were looking forward to sinking our teeth into. If you don’t mind a slow combat pace, then you’ll find the game quite rewarding.
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