BlackTail Review (PlayStation 5)

by Jim Smale · Published December 19, 2022 · Updated December 20, 2022

For our BlackTail Review, we create the myth of Baba Yaga by living out the origins of this classic Slavic folk story in BLACKTAIL, the first-person action-adventure from THE PARASIGHT team combined with the international publishing prowess of Focus Entertainment. Experience a one-of-a-kind blend of intense archery combat and dark storytelling set in a vibrant fairy tale world. Choose your path to become either the guardian of the woods or the terror nightmares are made of.

BlackTail Review Pros:

Decent graphics.
11.69GB download size.
Adventure gameplay.
Gameplay settings – subtitles, subtitles background, subtitles size, HUD scale slider, field of view slider, head bob, auto aim, sticky crosshair, and tutorials.
Controller settings – Invert axis and sensitivity sliders, rebind controls, light bar, adaptive triggers, and deadzone sliders.
Video settings – brightness, frame limit, preset (quality/performance), v-sync, and motion blur.
Two difficulties – adventure and story.
Fast loading times.
Strong voicework.
Opening tutorial section with ongoing tutorial pop-ups.
Crafting menu that is quick, and instant and you can craft one or max amount at one time.
Archery combat has three shots – quick shot, long shot, and power shot.
In-game cutscenes.
Choose your path – darkness or light and this choice changes how the world acts.
Morality plays a huge part, your actions will have an effect on the game.
Almanac is a place where everything from tutorial tips to bestiary to tips go.
Journal contains all your quests and missions.
Huge skill tree.
Open world.
First-person perspective.
The map fills in as you play, and you can place your own waypoint and pins.
Mini-game for cooking meat.
Status effects – regeneration, haste, focus, poison, slow down, and confusion.
Shrines act as a save point.
The cauldron is where you use lost pages collected to unlock and perform upgrades.
A beautiful world to explore.
Materials and resources can reappear/grow.
Multiple choice encounters.
You will encounter Black cats who act like fast travel points between the hut and your last location.
Hidden loot chests.
Become a Witch, learn and use magic spells.
A compass at the top shows pins and markers.
The special treat attack uses mana and you can unlock new ones as you advance.
A hut is a place you can get to via the Black cats and use the cauldron etc.
The Broom. An item you craft that lures enemies to it, additional effects depend on your morality.
Eat fruit from the world to regain health.
Hidden owls to shoot.
The world is full of wonder and very open to your own interpretation.
You have a bottomless pit for the storage of materials.
Just such a fantastic world.
A memorable experience.
Take on optional side quests for the many colorful characters you meet along the way.
Unlock and craft different arrow types.

BlackTail Review Cons:

Not always clear what you can pick up or being able to see materials in the world.
The bow initially is not that great to use and feels clunky.
Combat is not fun at all and is very clumsy.
Possible to just get lost or sidetracked.
You discover stuff before being told what it is and this happens a lot.
Takes some getting used to the markers.
At least initially, the crafting of arrows is a pain as you have such a small pool of arrows.
Cannot set a list of what ingredients you need for a new unlock.
The slowest loading part is after a death.
The checkpoints or location of your respawn point is so random and does usually land up in replaying large sections.
No way to find out what icons mean.
I never felt like I knew what would change my mortality and which one.

Related Post: