Reached chapter 3 of Blackguards and still going. It is actually a lot of fun, but very hard. Some times the game throws two or three battles in a row and your success is largely dependent on your good performance on the previous battles, since you aren't allowed to rest, heal or even restock in between.
I like the character creation/development system. It's open enough for interesting combinations, such as archer/healer or a dodge/agility based warrior. All new talents must be learned from trainers and have strict requirements (in terms of attributes or other talents), so there's quite a bit of planning involved. Except for the story progression, which is pretty straightforward, there really isn't much handholding. You can totally screw up your battles from the beginning and maybe even semi screw up your character builds, and that's GOOD! Part of the game is knowing what to do, not just pressing the win button.
With this, The Banner Saga and Expeditions: Conquistador, I have to say I'm really loving this newish strategy/cRPG hybrid. Of these, Expeditions Conquistador and Blackguards are the better games; the Banner Saga wins in presentation, but not in content.
That probably also explains their attitude to DRM. The music in the game is great and atmospheric by the way.
