Blackwood Preview: John Wick-Inspired Indie Shooter Shows Promise, Needs Polish

Blackwood is set in New York in 2012. The player controls Anton Blackwood, a DVD store owner by day and an assassin by night who takes contracts while balancing two lives. The preview covered Act 1, the only act available so far. The game's combat is built around gun-fu, with players able to choose takedowns before missions and either rush enemies in a gung-ho style or take a more tactical approach from cover, aiming for headshots. That tactical route, the preview said, would suit the hardest difficulty.

The strongest element in the preview was the takedowns, which shift quickly back into gunplay. TechRadar wrote that these sequences repeatedly recalled iconic moments from the John Wick films. Weapon recoil also felt strong, and the design appears to encourage players to make every shot count. Ammunition must be purchased with dirty money earned from completing contracts.

Combat still suffers from jankiness, especially in hand-to-hand encounters. In multiple scenarios, bugs and stiff animations from Anton and enemies were difficult to ignore. Controlling Anton can be a struggle at times, with certain button prompts unresponsive while in cover. Because enemies can flank the player, that unresponsiveness can lead to frustrating deaths.

Aim assist at its lowest level felt like the reticle was fighting against joystick control, according to the preview, and the ultrawide field-of-view resolution needs adjustment. Some audio in combat and NPC dialogue also felt out of place, particularly during an early contract mission in a subway station. Animations, including Anton's run and other NPC movements, were cited as elements that hurt immersion. The opening street shootout made clear that enemies are unforgiving and that a reckless gung-ho approach carries risk.

Blackwood is not launching in early access, and its remaining acts will be released later for free to existing owners. Act 2 is planned for March 2027 and Act 3 for September 2027 on Steam. The preview concluded that Blackwood is a promising game with opportunities to stand out among indie releases, but that it remains rough around the edges and a few steps away from realizing its potential.

Editor's Summary

Blackwood, an indie third-person action game from AttritoM7 Productions, impressed a TechRadar preview with John Wick-inspired takedowns and gunplay but showed rough combat, unresponsive controls, and animation and audio issues. The game is set for a multi-act release, with Act 2 planned for March 2027 and Act 3 for September 2027 on Steam, and existing owners will receive later acts for free. Its success will depend on whether patches can address the problems identified in the preview.