Blacktail

Blacktail offers so much with a strong tone throughout. While some areas could have had more polish, what we get is still fantastic.

BLACKTAIL is an RPG full of exploration, crafting, and magic. Based on Slavic Folklore, this isn’t your typical happy story; this is a dark tale full of difficult choices. It may take some time to learn how to use your bow well, but once you figure out the proper timing and technique, you will be more successful in battle.

Blacktail may not put every foot right, but it's still an enjoyable, compelling romp through a dark and beautiful fairytale world.

Blacktail is a welcome surprise for the end of the year. Combat can come off as cruel due to the limited number of arrows and the limited dodge mechanic, but the actual firing of arrows is excellent. Boss fights feel very satisfying once you finally get a read on what they're doing, but the variable difficulty that can be utilized during boss battles can provide some relief if players are more interested in the story than gameplay. The world is the real star thanks to the grimy yet alluring presentation and the cast of characters. The side-scrolling sections after every boss fight act as neat breathers before you return to your adventure. Blacktail is intriguing overall and well worth seeking out if you love adventure games.

Originality is a rare quality in games, and Blacktail has this in spades – the Slavic folklore, the surrealist narrative, the unusual plot structure, the craggy yet dreamlike artstyle, the archery-based gameplay. Sure, some of the systems could be simplified and streamlined, but at least they aim to test the boundaries and seek a different point of view. Blacktail may not be a graphical marvel or a masterstroke in action gameplay, but this indie title has a fascinating magic all its own that’s difficult to define and even harder to find in games today.