PGC NEWS

The tactical RPG genre has seen a relatively quiet start to the year. While recent releases like Tactical Troops: Anthracite Shift failed to make a significant impact, and innovative titles like Fights in Tight Places remain in development, fans of turn-based strategy have been eagerly awaiting a compelling new experience. Black Legend, with its unique yet familiar setting, stunning visuals, and promises of innovative tactical and strategic systems, seemed poised to fill that void. Does it deliver on its potential? Let’s delve into the fog-laden streets and uncover the truth.

A screenshot from Black Legend showing the dark and atmospheric environment.

A Haunting 17th Century Cityscape

Set in a 17th-century European city shrouded in a perpetual fog, Black Legend casts players as mercenaries battling a mysterious cult. The game’s initial draw is its dark, gothic aesthetic, reminiscent of Bloodborne, with its bleak color palette, unsettling architecture, dangling corpses, and a tense, atmospheric soundscape. The oppressive atmosphere immediately immerses the player in the game’s unsettling world.

A screenshot from Black Legend highlighting its dark, gothic aesthetic and comparisons to Dark Souls.

The game’s enemy design also contributes to its unique atmosphere. From zealous cultists to otherworldly creatures, and even “half-human, half-fish” beings, the variety of foes keeps encounters fresh and unpredictable. Allied forces can include heavily armed ducks and pigs, adding a touch of the bizarre to the otherwise grim setting. This eclectic mix of characters and creatures enhances the overall audio-visual experience, encouraging exploration and discovery. The city itself becomes a character, driving players to uncover its secrets and face the strange inhabitants that lurk within the fog.

Imbalance and Repetition Plague the Gameplay

While Black Legend’s atmosphere is captivating, its gameplay suffers from significant flaws. To understand these shortcomings, let’s examine the core mechanics. Each character has five stats: strength, marksmanship, skill, agility, and stamina. These stats influence the effectiveness of different playstyles. For instance, melee-focused characters benefit from high strength and agility, while support characters require high skill. Generally, each class is well-balanced, emphasizing a specific playstyle.

A screenshot from Black Legend showcasing the character stats and customization options.

Furthermore, each class has six active and three passive skills (with three active skills transferable between classes). Coupled with diverse equipment options, players can create unique character builds. The Combat Alchemy system adds another layer of tactical depth. Attacking enemies marks them with a specific “color.” Combining different color attacks triggers various effects, creating opportunities for strategic combos.

A screenshot from Black Legend demonstrating the Combat Alchemy system in action.

While this sounds promising on paper, the execution falls flat. The core gameplay loop becomes repetitive. However, the biggest issue lies in the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). Experimenting with different builds is cumbersome due to the poorly designed interface. Deciphering the impact of skills and equipment requires tedious navigation through cluttered menus.

A screenshot from Black Legend depicting the cluttered user interface.

Even with the potential for diverse builds, the encounters themselves become repetitive and predictable. Finding a viable strategy is easy, and once discovered, the game loses its challenge. Bosses can be defeated quickly, preventing the tactical depth from shining through.

Conclusion

Black Legend tantalizes with its atmospheric setting and intriguing gameplay systems, but ultimately falls short due to repetitive gameplay and a frustrating user interface. While the initial hours offer a sense of mystery and discovery, the experience quickly becomes stale. The game’s potential is lost in the fog of its own design flaws.

Game Information

• Developer: Warcave
• Publisher: Warcave
• Genre: Tactical RPG
• Release Date: March 25, 2021
• Platform: PC

Minimum System Requirements

• OS: Windows 7 64-bit / Windows 8 64-bit / Windows 10 64-bit
• CPU: Intel Core i5-760 / AMD Phenom II X4 965
• RAM: 6 GB
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 580 / AMD Radeon HD 7870
• Storage: 8 GB

Recommended System Requirements

• OS: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
• CPU: AMD Ryzen R7-5800X
• RAM: 16 GB
• GPU: Nvidia GTX 2060
• Storage: Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB