BLACKTAIL

Every culture has a bedtime story for children that guides them, often through fear, to be obedient and well-behaved. Whether or not this is good for the children in the long term is up for debate, but the folklore behind these stories is often the most terrifying, even for adults. One game that makes excellent use of a culture’s child-scaring folklore is Blacktail.

Developed by game studio THE PARASIGHT and published by Focus Entertainment, Blacktail is the story of Baba Yaga, a female demon from Slavic folklore. Experience the creature’s origins through an intense first-person action-adventure game.

Blacktail blends a dark fantasy storyline with moral choices and satisfying archery to create a memorable experience that will stick with you long after you put the controller down. If this has your interest, then here is everything you need to know about Blacktail.

Origins of a Legend

When you begin Blacktail’s story, you won’t be playing the monster that has haunted children’s nightmares for generations. Instead, you’ll take control of an unassuming 16-year-old girl named Yaga. At the beginning of the adventure, Yaga has been excommunicated from her hometown.

What could possibly be the reason for expelling a girl this young from the safety of her community? Witchcraft, of course! She is haunted by memories and nightmares as she discovers she is special. Lost in the wild, she will begin to unravel and discover the nature of her new powers.

Crafting, Combat, and Exploration

As a person lost in the wild, it will be important for Yaga to procure her own food, craft her own equipment, and protect herself. Thankfully, Yaga is plenty experienced with archery and can hold her own in fights against all kinds of twisted creatures. If you’ve played Skyrim as a ranger-type character, the archery gameplay will feel right at home for you.

Craft arrows and other equipment using collected recipes to have a chance of survival. Players can mold Yaga to fit any playstyle thanks to the Hex and equipment systems. As you explore, you’ll come across pieces of lore that serve to further flesh out the world around Yaga.

What Will You Become

With Blacktail’s Morality System, the game doesn’t have to end with Yaga becoming the terrifying monster from folklore. It is possible to make decisions to change this path and have her turn out to be a peaceful warrior. However, that choice is entirely up to the player.

Pros

• Awesome graphics with wonderfully detailed worlds
• Great monster designs in every encounter
• Deep, engrossing story with plenty of freedom of choice
• 2.5D episodes are fantastically creative and break up the gameplay
• Combat and Crafting system feel well-tuned and fun

Cons

• Some combat encounters can feel unfair
• Sharp difficulty curve
• Some moral choices don’t feel particularly impactful to the character development
• Skill tree is a little convoluted