First Look: Vanguard Exiles (PC)

Alright, so here we are talking about Early Access games. Honestly, it’s like wandering into a half-baked bakery—but hey, I love it. There’s just something about seeing a game slowly piecing itself together from the ground up that gets me. Used to be this place was like a swamp of almost-games and devs who just… vanished. Not saying they all did. I mean, a lot of them were solid—just, you know, some didn’t quite hit the mark. But things have turned around, mostly. Fast forward, and we get gems like Vanguard Exiles.

Okay, so picture this: coming from the brainy team behind Magic: The Gathering. But this isn’t about cards, surprisingly? It’s a hex-based, tabletop fight club. And if it ends up in stores with shiny miniatures, you bet I’ll be first in line—no shame.

But let’s not jump too far ahead—this thing is still in Early Access. I might gripe about a few bits, yes, but they’re more like casual notes because stuff’s still evolving. This is all about trenches, mercenaries, and strategic plays. Rooms give you points, and you’re racing to 80. Oh, and gold, boosts, angry bears (yep). You can’t grab it all, so choose wisely, right?

So, why am I hooked? Even with the auto-battle stuff, where the game fights for you—might tick off some folks, but it works here. The balance between overwhelming your area with units and spreading them out is a dance you have to learn. Toss in some randomness, and you never know what you’ll face next. Keeps it interesting.

There’s a ton of units to get familiar with, but in typical game fashion, you’re not getting the whole buffet right away. You gotta earn that gold to snag more powerful picks. There’s always a freebie, so you’re never totally out of luck. But it’s not a card game gig—they’re just deployment tickets, to be honest.

And there’s this gray area, like shadows lurking at the edges. No story mode yet. Just factions being factions—dwarves, elves, cultists—they’re cooler than me, probably cooler than you too. But why are they fighting? What’s their deal? I need to know, otherwise it’s just cool for cool’s sake.

Balance is another hiccup on this bumpy ride. Some matches just feel… off-balance? Ever hit one of those where you feel crushed from the start? Yeah, that. And those stubborn, armored dwarves—I swear—like trying to crack a nut with a cotton ball. Need to fix that stalemate mess for sure.

Despite these bumps, I’m eager to see where Vanguard Exiles goes. With some tweaks here and there, it might just blow up in a good way for strategy lovers. The journey from Early Access to full release should be interesting—keeping my eyes peeled for sure. Dive in now if you’re curious, because trust me, there’s something good here simmering.

By the way, wrote this after playing an Early Access version they handed over. Just saying.