Blackguards 2 Conquer a kingdom as the villain

Three years after Count Uria's plots, the Vanquishers of the Nine Hordes have gone their separate ways. Cassia, a noblewoman, has spent that time in a cell, and she has one goal: the Shark Throne, even if she holds it for a single day. The problem is Marwan, the man already sitting on it, and the fact that Cassia is neither fond nor proficient of diplomacy. So she picks the practical approach: break out of prison, recruit an army of sellswords and rally her old companions around her. She is not a hero on a redemption arc. She is a villain protagonist, and the game is happy to let you play her that way.

Combat happens on hex grids, and each fight plays like a small puzzle. Positioning, attack ranges, the order you take enemies down and which spells you spend all matter; charging the nearest foe rarely works twice. The battlefields themselves are tools: make walls collapse, find new routes, and turn the terrain against your opponents. Be careful, because your enemies can wield spells and abilities just as nasty as yours. Some fights hand you a clear objective and a deadline, where lingering means facing endless reinforcements. Battles can run long, so come prepared to sit with a tough map until it cracks.

You build your force from mercenaries and upgrades, and command up to 20 characters, leading them to death or glory. Along the way you track down what became of Takate, Naurim and Zurbaran, the old companions from the first game. Back at camp, talking with them feels personal, and the voice acting carries it well. Released prisoners do not always stay grateful. How you treat your squad shapes it, and the ending.