3/5 ★ – billyjepma's review of BLACKTAIL.

This is one of those extremely mid-tier games that thoroughly swept me up in its familiar charms and solid, albeit unremarkable, gameplay. There’s nothing exciting or new here, and even the things I dug—setting, story, visuals—feel ultimately underutilized, considering how much promise they had. The story especially seems half-baked, and never capitalizes on the depth its themes and setup introduced. But the visual identity is so rich, the fantasy of the world vibrant and interesting, and the general navigation and exploration enticing enough that I played the game until I unlocked the Platinum trophy. It’s not a great game, but it’s the kind of AA-experience that could’ve been a real hidden gem with just a little more meat on it. But as is, I had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed playing it in the October season.