Tactics, tactics, tactics

No matter how bad the characters at the beginning of a (playful) travel are also represented - here as murderers, thieves or arsonists - usually it is the player left to the pre-defined course of action to make his mark and to some extent even for the next act responsibly . feel Not it is different here: Every now and then the player may make a decision that certainly has a small scale and takes its toll. So the developers allow for example the Quest "brotherly love" even murdering innocent people. Two characters tell their side of the story and ask the "heroes" for help. The truth is easy to ascertain and yet the player is the choice left. What wins? Your own sense of justice, or the desire for an expensive book for learning a spell? No matter how the decision fails to influence the game have these and other forks in the game only a little. The important story elements are predetermined and meet the players off guard and can sometimes arise even frustration. At turns, it does not lack in "Black Guards" definitely.

This includes the use of the characters that are available to the player during the game available. Thus radical changes are made to the composition, without that again could be interfered with. Although the objects are worn (retrospectively) relocated to the common stock, but the loss of combat power runs deep. The scorn of the loading screen - "Save often" - will contribute to a. Even in the later stages, it is not far away with the assertiveness of the player, if the other members of the "group of heroes" simply outvote him and from then on a character only with severe restrictions can intervene in the fighting - at least for a whole chapter!

Hexagons and a circle fortunately - the combat system

Daedalic provides a turn-based strategy game (with RPG character), the strikes wholeheartedly. The areas of Hexagon fields offer plenty of tactical options. From the pilot of the Dwarf Chicken to push out the second row over him (for example, with the spear) or to conjure up - the dwarf does not block the field of view - to exploit the site, anything is possible. Crates are overturned, bottlenecks blocked with traps, generated by Magic insurmountable walls. From mindless slugfest orgies is nothing to be seen far and wide, because usually you would lose this rough road. Ingenuity is required.
Each hero can learn certain skills throughout the game and these are all housed in a practical ring menu. Even profound decisions about how to talk to a certain stage of magic, can be realized as three clicks. Alternatively, the player uses the hotkey, on certain commands can be stored separately for each character. A Mighty Blow or healing spells is often required. Stark is solved in this context, the Executive Summary of the properties, so that at any time it is clear what, for example, causes a spell in which stage. The respective probabilities of success appear when hovering the mouse the opponent. Sometimes that's not quite logical failed: Strong attacks have no reason a higher chance than normal, therefore, the switching of the variants worth repeatedly.

Flashbacks and -schläge

New armor, weapons and equipment, such as potions, poisons or new spells arouse always been the own greed - better, stronger! "Black Guards' snatches the players in between of this spiral, earning and spending of adventure points by the action takes place in the past and all belong to this same progress. The just acquired ax or armor is gone, a torch and a weak robe dress the hero. Light can be a detailed history with backgrounds not tell alive, but it's really pointless to motivate yourself at these points when all previous merits are equalized (for the moment) back.

Some of the fights are hard and tough. The artificial intelligence (AI) of the opponents is not overly developed, but sometimes the (dice) Fortunately the opposite significantly more faithful than their own warriors and magicians. Lucky hit with high points of damage and any consequential damages - a fall at a not successful body control sample results in a round exposure - are annoying and difficult to avoid. Or the enemy has poisoned weapons during the healer with the Clarum Purum spell that may reverse the effects of poison has been turned off in the first round and now is in the dirt. The fight marathon in Chapter Two, in which the hero three days are required to complete three battles after another, without having a chance of cure or filling the potions in the belts, leaves traces. A wrong decision, an unfortunate fluke of the opponent and already the corresponding battle must be played again. However, the AI ​​also carries benefits for the players, because opposing stooge like walking through burning campfire or remain lit boxes are - tough fire damage and a quick death are you sure!

Abilities and the damage limit

The hard-earned Adventure Points (AP) are used immediately after completing Quest or the victorious leaving a struggle to that talent, character, spells can be increased. Who has a precise idea of ​​his characters and their mission here in the mind's eye, is a clear advantage. The sprightly dwarf tank, powerful wizards in the background as a damage dealer and Healer and a ranger with bow or crossbow perhaps? Decisions must be made: Magic Lore characters, there are depending on your choice at the beginning of quite a lot in the game, so it is worthwhile to consider whether, for example, an archer must bless themselves with enhancement spells; just all a matter of tactics. However, it is really worth thinking about, then AP does not exist in this game endless. Although the side quests provide valuable experience in terms of ducats, AP and equipment, but the characters have to specialize, because the action always brings stronger enemies and intense fights with himself.

The classic pen & paper RPG "The Dark Eye" (DSA) is the basis for this game and so characteristics, talents and spells are in fact generally available, but only in part represented. For the paper version, there are, among others, all extensions that deal with spells here Daedalic has limited to a selection of 24. For the novice, it remains clear and the game balance remains in the balance, old DSA hares will miss one or the other more effective spell. The loss limits are pretty tight. This lying around somewhere around twenty damage points, so can no longer be achieved much later in.

Aventurien in sound and vision

Soft affect the landscape and the world: Everything is animated, above all there is a light veil. The graphics look not always timely and in some places is clearly noticeable that the focus should be not on brilliant images, was important to the developers of the game and has been given. Effort and work has been invested anyway: cut scenes, for example, always show the current representations of heroes, that are based on the current state of equipment.
At the sound of love is lacking to detail. The background music is in more than forty hours of play pushy with their monotonous sounds and in particular in fighting the nerve messages of Characters: You will hear the bleak "I was poisoned" - with every hit. A real "news" for the players he would have missed by a whisker. Nevertheless: As with "Edna & Harvey: Harvey's New Eyes" is also here in the soundtrack on a separate CD.
Renowned speakers lend their voices to the characters and the fighting outside, in the dialogues and cutscenes, convinced the cast. Christine Pappert (Aurelia), Peter Weis (Naurim), Klaus Dittmann (Zurbaran), Clemens Gerhard (Takate), Verena Wolfien (Niam) and Vanida Karun or Erik Schäffler (female or male protagonists) talk lively and convey the information pleasantly.

In short: "Black Guards" offers a blend of hints of DSA paired with a classic hexagon strategy bulwark that ensures many hours of fun and turn-based action. To join the fight A useful action provides the background motivation of fight, and repeatedly try new tactics and ideas on the virtual battlefields. The twelve gods in greeting - Rondra ahead! Go in and win, it's worth it.