more tactics, more story, less DSA

In the south Aventuria all hell breaks loose: A civil war for the throne of Mengbilla rages and the conqueror of the nine hordes are included. A reunion with antiheroes Zuburan, Naugrim and Takate. We looked at the second part of the DSA-RPG and were pleasantly surprised.

Angespielt: Black Guards 2 more tactic, more story, less DSA

In January 2014 appeared with Black Guards of Daedalic a German RPG in the world of The Dark Eye. The part-time heroes have tested the first part and then found next to many interesting approaches also criticism: balancing problems and always the same struggles clouded rounds strategy fun, barely existing dialogue options and inevitable twists in history made for frustration. A year later, now is the successor in stores or downloaded. Black Guards 2 promises to have learned from the mistakes of its predecessor. Well, if it worked?

The Story: second chances with the sword
The story of the role play begins with a new protagonist, the prisoners rulers wife Cassia. The lives and hunger in the catacombs under the arena of twelve hordes in Mengbilla and seeks revenge on Great Emir Marwan. In their madness, they declared its ambitious goal: to reign From Shark throne, even if it is just for one day. After her breakout It searches for the conquerors of nine hordes the protagonists of the first part. It is grim humor of the party: The arrogant woodsman Gladiator Takate now considers himself a son of the gods and keeps its own Arena games. The lustful magician Zuburan was humiliated by his former mistress and sold into slavery and criminal dwarf Naugrim acted with drugs and is now pursuing its business partners antiheroes as they are in the book. The resetting of the skills of the heroes (all start again at level 1) this is even by their depraved lifestyle justified nice. The team is assembled for only one hour played tutorial, the rest of Black Guards 2 revolves around the conquest of the city in the form of a military campaign Mengbilla.

War is not a kindergarten
The main theme of Black Guards 2 is war and that is not just romanticized. So the player in the role of Cassia prisoners can be tortured for information, execute or pardon, including effects on the course of the campaign! Some torture elicits this secrets about the next battleground, and on certain benefits or free means less opponents. Who Runs a prisoner, maybe later receives help from him or met him as an enemy a unique Paragon game, there is not in Black Guards 2. So many decisions to be made are morally questionable. Cassia makes about ado prisoners and convinced them of their own cause to add the silent Legion. Often enough it happens actually in talks, in which the new mercenaries must be convinced, deceived or threatened, depending on the mood, to trace to. While you can not be equipped or increased, but leveling the hero group and are, along with punchy leader Faramud, in battles aside. Later in the game even special forces happen: Battle Mage, Assassin and Schwarzoger. Sure there are always insist side quests and explore some optional Handlungsstänge for the protagonists, but especially in the second half of the game is real campaign-flair. Especially motivating: If enemies attack already conquered cities, forcing the player to the defense. The place I do not give her back! So far kommts yet. Until the final victory takes about 35-40 hours of gameplay.

Liberator or crazy avenging angel?
Total Black Guards 2 acts through the war theme and the new protagonist significantly darker and more mature than the first part. Cassia itself was marred by spider bites and wears an iron mask, tends to self-talk and revenge attacks. As the player you here but plays out, as pitiful ex-wife or mistress sociopathic field, is its own thing. Some discussions and decisions of the game only serve to explore Cassias personality that admittedly always moves on the edge of madness. Whatever the player chooses to change at the end of the game only a little, but helps to identify and match a role play with a little more claim than just click and Loot. That Daedalic has ever chosen a strong woman with Cassia as a main character, a praise deserves in itself.

The round fights: Not quite DSA
A large part of the game, the player spends in the hex view of various battlefields, catacombs or desert areas. Here the characters and their helpers are moving in circular mode for an initiative follow. Arkania was here when the underlying system Pate. So there is again known from the table RPG template weapon skills (specialized in attack and parade), spells like Ignifaxius flame jet and special abilities like traps and knowledge of human nature. But Black Guards 2 is just not true implementation and is even further removed than its predecessor from The Dark Eye regulations. The level up the hero has been simplified. Values ​​have different level ranges and endurance, even abolished in the latest version of DSA, is in play an important fight resource. That may some DSA fans belching foul, is for the computer game but surely the right decision was. Despite simplifications Black Guards 2 remains challenging enough; Who chooses arbitrarily or the wrong spell or talent, in many battles has left behind.

Speaking of fights: Especially when the round fighting has significantly risen Black Guards 2. Hardly an encounter like the next: time a target zone must be achieved times the group against opponents waves defended. Special events and changes of the battlefield make every fight interesting. This is ensured by a surprisingly high number of interactive objects, traps (which you must install before start of combat in certain places partly self), case doors and drawbridges. On higher difficulties you are dependent to gain through this advantage in order to win. Folded A lever at the right moment and just like that the replenishment of the enemy in front of a insurmountable moat or in burning pitch. These are hiding on some maps treasure trove of valuable booty that you have to plunder once under time pressure. And from time to time will be saved at the other end of the card an ally. There are crunchy boss fights against mages and monsters repeatedly reloading was to found the right tactics included.

Vulnerability: Balancing, KI and storage system
Sometimes Black Guards patzt 2 but, as with the difficulty of some fights. The missions are indeed provided to the overview map with an assessment, but this is true just not always. So the computer opponent intervenes at times with barely beating elite troops, only to shortly thereafter to defend an important town with helpless recruits. A uniformly increasing difficulty in vain and sometimes only helps to try a previous saved game. When storage system, the developers have not listened to the criticism of the predecessor. Caching, there are still not in Black Guards 2. Who gambled in a fight, this must start from scratch. After all, was taken by increased hit probabilities and automatic spell success a lot of chance of the fighting, so it is usually concerned only with the right strategy or on the computer opponents skillfully trick. The shares its NSC namely by poor pathfinding mostly on, instead of attacking the protagonists in formation.
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The technique: solid but unimpressive
In the technique used you can not complain really. The towns, especially the camp are lovingly made. Free walkable towns and villages, however, are still not working. Instead, the player clicks by merchant menus and dialog services on painted background. Something strange: The party carries out the struggles not their actual equipment, but maintains a standard appearance. There are to be seen on the battlefields all the more. In non-walk-in background of battlefields wait temples, bridges and ruins. In the foreground see the light effects, shadows and spell out quite well for a turn-based role-playing game. For high resolutions and effect details also require a lot of computing power.

As with the first Black Guards, the characters are set to music and converse partly during the fighting. From time to time there are commented and drawn cutscenes. The speakers are all credible and support the rather dirty DSA atmosphere.

Conclusion

The Twelve! Daedalic has apparently taken the criticism of the predecessor to the heart and delivers with Black Guards 2 the game that the first part for many DSA fans should have been. Sure is still room for improvement, but the military campaign to the sociopathic wannabe Empress Cassia is much more extensive and more entertaining than the struggle against the nameless cult in the predecessor. The round bouts are fun and the decisions and discussions to promote solid RPG flair. That the graphics can not keep up with AAA titles, this is not bad, but even conveys retro charm. Only those who are a 1: 1 implementation of the rules has of Das Schwarze Auge expected Aventurien associated only with Peaceable goes fishing on the Grand River or not well get along with antiheroes as protagonists, Black Guards 2 should be avoided. Who already liked the predecessor, can safely access and look forward to a solid PC role-playing game of the old school.