The latest Early Access update adds a new chapter after Korghul, tougher blighted enemies, fresh anomalies and runes, seven achievements, and a long list of fixes and balance changes.
This is not the first time Blightstone has received an Early Access update, but it is definitely the largest to date.
In fact, the developer has released the entire second act of the story and is currently offering it to all existing players. Act 2 will continue the story of the party’s victory over Korghul in Act 1, and the journey will take them even further into the Rift.
As before, they will be encountering many of the places that were present in Act 1, however, these locations will be in a state of decay and instability; as such, this time around the journey will be more hazardous and will reflect more of the corruptive elements that exist within the Rift.
Although this is the main draw for this update, the developer has made significant advancements to the tactical elements of the game.
Act 2 will introduce more aggressive forms of blighted enemies who will appear more frequently than their predecessors and possess increased power. Additionally, it will introduce Scene Anomalies.
While similar to the previously introduced Battlefield Conditions and Environment Effects, Anomalies do provide additional challenges to managing position and adapting during battles. Unlike environmental effects, Anomalies affect the course of action taken during battle, including effects such as Void Pulses, Spatial Instability, and Portals.
Blighted Nodes will now pose greater risks when traveling throughout the map; thus, route planning may become more critical. Enemy Anomalies will also add additional layers of complexity to Act 2 encounters.
New status types such as Phasing, Reality Bleed, and Void Anchored are designed to add unpredictability to the actions of enemies and therefore increase the difficulty level of each encounter.
In terms of progression, there are significant additions. Three new Foundation Runes have been added to the top of the skill tree. Additionally, three new Enhancement Runes allow players to enhance their parties during runs. Although Blightstone is a game that emphasizes player build creation and party development, adding a third type of Rune enhances the sense of progression throughout Act 2.
Seven new Achievements have been created to challenge returning players to accomplish specific objectives while completing Act 2.
If it’s the first time you’ve heard about Blightstone, it is a dark fantasy-themed tactical roguelite that focuses on gridless battles, party management, and progressive advancement through runs.
Players navigate a party of heroes through corrupted regions, collecting skills, runes, and other enhancements as they attempt to survive a world ravaged by the spread of Blightstone.
Additionally to the new content included in this update are numerous bug fixes, balance modifications and visual updates. Several crashes related to dismissing heroes during combat, changing save slots, and positioning parties in certain Mountain Node locations have been resolved. A large number of bugs affecting various aspects of gameplay have also been corrected. Here you can find the changelog.
