Preview: Vanguard Exiles (PC)

We’re diving back into the glorious chaos of Early Access territory today. Honestly, it’s like getting a front-row seat to a wild experimental theater. You ever walk into something thinking, “This could be genius or a total train wreck”? Yeah, that. Once upon a broken keyboard, Early Access was kind of a junkyard, full of half-thoughts and projects left to rust. Not saying all devs were slouching off, but it kinda felt like that sometimes, right? Thank the blessed pixels, times have changed. Now, we’ve got actual gems popping out all over, like Vanguard Exiles. Spoiler alert: we’re sneaking a peek today!

So, guess what? Vanguard Exiles comes from the brains behind Magic: The Gathering. Mind. Blown. But here’s the twist: no cards. Like, what? Instead, it’s this brilliant hex-based street brawl… kinda. Feels like a tabletop game that should come with fancy figurines that I’ll probably want to buy while pretending it’s for “collecting.”

Let’s hit some highlights: remember, this is Early Access shenanigans, meaning things can shift faster than my mood on a Sunday morning. Any nitpicks are just me being my usual picky self, you know? The dreaded RNG is looming, but I’ll try not to complain much.

You’re leading a pack of mercenaries through some gnarly trenches, looking to hold territory. Every space you occupy affects your game points — some give you gold, others might turn you into the Hulk, or maybe you get attacked by a grumpy bear. Choose wisely, my fellow button masher.

Oh, did I mention auto-battling? I know, some of you might cringe. It’s all strategy — where you place units, which rooms to prioritize. Swamp the wrong spot, and you’ll hand the game over. Or, scatter your troops and watch ’em get squished. The auto elements blend in instead of feeling like someone hit the lazy button.

There’s a whole amusement park of units to play with, but not all at once. At each round, you snag cards — pick with your gold stash. If you’re broke, no worries, there’s the cheapo option. But gold means greater power, so stockpile, friends.

Right, to the gritty bits… I want a story mode! We’ve got dwarves and elves and those culty types, but what’s their deal? Need the background scoop. Also, balance can be wicked tricky. Sometimes, the matches feel as off-kilter as my uncle’s karaoke skills after three beers. Restart after a bad start, see if that helps.

Armor’s confounding too. Some dwarves are basically walking tanks — an early game bugbear. Need to tweak that so it doesn’t feel like banging your head against a brick wall.

Despite my ramblings, this game’s rolling out some serious fun. Watching how this evolves is like watching a caterpillar turn into a butterfly with a lifetime subscription to Game Developer magazine. Vanguard Exiles hints at greatness, and I might just be rooting from the sidelines with popcorn in hand.

Tested out this preview with an Early Access copy, just so you know.