In Blackguards players start off on the wrong side of the law with little to no understanding of what was reality and what was fantasy. The main character witnesses a strange wolf, which almost seems possessed, killing a princess he knew well and was sworn to protect. When he’s killed the beast though the princess lays on the ground with blood all around her and there is now no wolf to be seen. The player is discovered and amongst the confusion hears a voice whisper out to him. Taking the blame for what happened, unsure of who is really responsible for what happened, and tortured in the pain of imprisonment both within his mind as well as literally Blackguards begins with the player on a quest for answers.

Blackguards is available right now for gamers to jump into for themselves on Steam’s Early Access program and is developed by the team who created Memoria (our review here) also known as Daedalic Entertainment. The dark and somber style of this title’s main character is quickly offset by the brute-ish and sometimes funny spirit of his cellmates who together stage a prison break. Gameplay in this title is that of a very fine-tuned Strategy RPG with special attacks, magical spells, environmental actions, and a grid for movement. Graphically this title does well to provide an immersive experience as the artists within Daedalic have chosen a certain Art Direction that has players feeling eerie and always on the run from evil, as well as towards vanquishing foes that might stand in their way.

Daedalic Entertainment has come out recently and stated that while the title is up for grabs on Steam Early Access the January 2014-scheduled final build will incorporate changes based on community feedback. The team is dedicated to listening to consumer and fan demand and input on the way the gameplay mechanics are fleshed out, so if you’d like to be a part of that process you can definitely join in. When the final product launches it will be available for Windows PC and Mac OS X platforms at $39.99 with a special edition available for just ten bucks more including an Art Book and more. As for Early Access members the discount for supporting the game early puts the title at $24.99 total with a $34.99 Deluxe Edition available as well including exclusive content and Art Book. Take a look at the official trailer, dev diary, and early access feedback response video below for a closer look at it and we encourage fans of the Tactical RPG genre to give it a try for themselves as well.