The Banner Saga 2 Reviews
The Banner Saga 2 improves upon the original without reinvention, and it's just as brutal as the first. Like tactical strategy with a side of despair? Dig in.
The Banner Saga 2 is a mesmerizing and beautiful turn-based RPG with a deep and layered combat system while also delivering a strong narrative jammed with plenty of tough player decisions.
An ambitious and yet more elegant evolution over the first Banner Saga, The Banner Saga 2 fires on all cylinders and provides one of the newest and most enthralling strategy series money can buy with an absolutely belting middle act. Much like the horned, Norse warriors that make up the rank and file of its cast, The Banner Saga trilogy is shaping up to be a fearsome entity indeed; its place in the pantheon of great strategy games already comfortably established.
Where The Banner Saga stands head and shoulders above most other role-playing games is that the world created by Stoic Studio here feels truly on the precipice of collapse. So often when we play role-playing games we're given a rag-tag band of heroes who must join together to overcome a seemingly insurmountable threat. But for all the apocalyptic histrionics of games like Skyrim, Persona 4, or one of many Final Fantasy titles, there's always amusing side-quests to take part in or brief moments of levity to break up the tension. The Banner Saga 2 is a story about the end of the world, and few games do a better job of constantly reminding you of that fact.
If you're a fan of the genre and new to the series, The Banner Saga 2 is absolutely worth your time, just make time for its predecessor first.
While very much an extension of the previous title, there are several welcome enhancements that should put the game on the radar of any serious turn-based fan.
The Banner Saga 2 reaps all the benefits and foibles of strict continuity. It maintains the outstanding presentation and decision-based narrative highs of the first entry, but minor changes to mechanics are unlikely to sway opinion on the unique, but slightly peculiar, combat system.
The Banner Saga 2 is like moving through a still-life painting of swords and spears and ice and hunger. A few thoughtful gameplay tweaks make things a little bit better for players, and a whole lot worse for characters. Now I've got to see how this thing ends. Get here now, Banner Saga 3.
The Banner Saga 2 builds up on its predecessor and adds a greater variety of environments to an enjoyable tactical RPG with a marvelous visual component. The Banner Saga 2 also gives the impression that it could have gone much farther than what we're seeing here but rather it chose to be more of a layover than a destination, as it seems to open the ground for something greater.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The Banner Saga 2 captures much of what made the first game such a compelling fight for survival. It has a tendency to focus on the bigger picture and with the large number of characters that don't have much to say, some of the emotional engagement from the original is lost, but both the management side of things and the tactical battles have been lavished with improvements. The journey is bleak and savage, but the game is great.
The Banner Saga 2 expands on the series' existing foundations with more of the same. There's no drastic overhaul to the text-based elements or battle segments, and similar systems are in place when it comes to managing your caravan party, fighting enemies, and talking your way out of a tight spot. If you've played the original, you'll know exactly what to expect. Subtle refinements make this a sequel that truly lives up to the standards of the first entry, however, paving the way for the final chapter.
The Banner Saga 2 surpass the first chapter, thanks to a more enticing narration and some important tweaks to the combat system. Stoic's masterpiece is one of the best strategy games we played in years, with an unique and charming style.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The tiring exposition of the writing and the lack of visual coherence to the storytelling are obvious from the start.
The Banner Saga 2 picks up right where the Banner Saga left off and makes for a wonderful sequel.
If you played the first Banner Saga, this is a must buy. If you missed The Banner Saga 1, consider purchasing it just so you can give The Banner Saga 2 a chance.
The Banner Saga 2 isn't mechanically distinct from the first game and its story suffers second act syndrome, but it's nonetheless a cracking title that will both satisfy and leave players in desperate need of the trilogy's closing act.
While many reviewers will point to The Banner Saga 2's breathtaking art, or mention the sophisticated elevation of a turn-based strategy/RPG, the game's largest success is that it makes you feel like a true leader.
For every character's death etched in stone, The Banner Saga 2 informed me how fragile life can be. But on the battlefield or in branching, possibly deadly conversations, I want nothing more than to revisit this role-playing game's world and tug at the puppet strings again.
The Banner Saga 2 absolutely deserves the time of gamers looking for a narrative experience with challenging gameplay, and true gravity behind decisions made during nearly every moment of playing.