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First-Person Action-Adventure Game ‘BLACKTAIL’ Released, Review Roundup

Publisher Focus Entertainment and polish indie developer THE PARASIGHT have released their first-person action-adventure game, BLACKTAIL.

Watch the launch trailer below.

BLACKTAIL Launch Trailer

About the game

Forge the legend of Baba Yaga, a girl accused of witchcraft and expelled from her home. Live out the origins of the Slavic myth in this one-of-a-kind blend of intense archery combat and dark storytelling set in a vibrant fairy tale world.

Game Summary

  • Intense archery combat, magic and dark storytelling set in a vibrant fairy tale world.
  • Decide the fate of the land and its inhabitants.
  • Witness the impact of your decisions on your skills through the game’s Morality system.
  • Track down elusive spirits with your trusty bow and gauntlet, engage in thrilling boss fights.
  • Craft arrows and potions, hunt wild game, and gather resources to survive in the ominous woods.
  • Find hidden treasures to learn more about your surroundings and history.
  • Collect lost recipes and brew elixirs to improve your abilities and shape your playstyle.

BLACKTAIL Reviews

The first crop of BLACKTAIL reviews are out and are favourable.

User reviews on Steam have the game tracking at ‘Mostly Positive’.

Metacritic scores are tracking between 73/100 (PS5) and 80/100 (PC).

OpenCritic has the game tracking at 80/100.

Here’s a selection of reviews:

True Achievements scored the game 90/100:

Blacktail is beautiful, from the sun-kissed rivers found in its summer-themed areas to its foreboding spider-infested caves, every inch of the world has been a pleasure to explore. While the morality system doesn’t offer the impactful experience we had hoped, it’s a lovely way to measure your interaction with the world, adding to the game’s overarching enjoyability. Combat is fun and well-balanced but sits behind Blacktail’s explorative elements as the most exciting feature on offer. It’s stunning to look at, exciting to explore, and enjoyable to play… charming.

True Achievements

XboxEra scored the game 83/100:

BLACKTAIL is a well-made, highly polished title that is easy to recommend. Make sure you have the time to properly level up and explore. This beautiful, haunting world is one I hope to come back to time and time again.

XboxEra

Twinfinite scored the game 4/5:

If you have ever wanted to play a game where you actually feel like a witch in the woods, then you have every reason to pick up BLACKTAIL and won’t regret it. Considering this is the first game from developer THE PARASIGHT, there is every reason to be incredibly excited about where they go from here.

Twinfinite

Fandomwire scored the game 7/10:

Overall, Blacktail is a solid experience. I could have done without the game’s trite karma system, but the tight gameplay mechanics, fantastically trippy world and glorious presentation carry it beyond being another forgettable adventure title.

Fandomwire

The Gamer scored the game 3/5:

My time with BLACKTAIL was frustrating. Not because it was a pain to play or that the writing was awful, but because there’s a strong game buried underneath some strange design decisions and disappointing performance issues. If you have the patience to see past some pretty major flaws, then you might get some enjoyment out of BLACKTAIL. It’s one to skip for the rest of you though, and that’s a real shame.

The Gamer

Release info

BLACKTAIL was released on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on December 15, 2022.

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