Play Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled Online

Summary

Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled (often just called Black Sigil) feels like a love‑letter to classic console RPGs, but with a few DS‑specific twists. The game started out as a Game Boy Advance project under the working name Project Exile, only to be shifted to the DS when the handheld market changed, letting the Montreal‑based Studio Archcraft take full advantage of the touch screen and stylus alongside the traditional buttons. Combat is turn‑based yet tactical – you have to watch character and enemy placement, and while seven of the eight party members stick to preset skill‑sets, the eighth is fully customizable. Exploration is peppered with random encounters, but the world itself is surprisingly vast, boasting 50‑60 distinct locations and over a thousand maps during development, complete with vehicles for world‑map travel. Seven different endings, a slew of sidequests, and a quick‑save that works anywhere (though it’s a bit finicky) give the game plenty of replay value, even if critics gave it a mixed 58/100 on Metacritic.

Storyline

Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled takes place in the magical kingdom of Bel Lenora, where every citizen can wield magic—except for a few rare individuals. Fifteen years after the magic‑less warlord Vai was banished for leading demons against the realm, a calm swordsman named Kairu, also unable to use magic, arrives as a servant of Duke Averay, the man who once defeated Vai. Mocked by the populace, Kairu is exiled to the very cave where Vai was sealed, and the duke entrusts him with the Averay blade before closing the entrance.

Kairu’s adopted sister Aurora, a strong‑willed sorceress, follows him into exile. Along the way they meet Nephi, a smooth‑talking stranger obsessed with the Averay sword, and Isa, a white‑haired commander of the Genufan army known as the "witch" by the Sammarkans. Treasure hunter Rogurd, chasing a mysterious prize called "IT," and the summon‑using Ashen Eye Nym eventually join the party, while an optional companion, the customizable living Doll, can be recruited from a cloud‑top factory.