The Banner Saga 2 Reviews
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
One of the complaints levelled at the original was that it was too easy to muddle through without paying attention to how much food or morale the caravan has. That is not the case here, thus people in your caravan will die of starvation, or seek greener pastures elsewhere. While the first game looks at the emerging threat and initial impact of the Dredge, the second one examines the influence that this menace has on society,and whether it's possible to keep a band of humans and Varl together while the world falls apart around them. While new additions such as classes and barricades are nice to have, at six to eight hours long, it is a bit on the short side for the asking price. The physical release of the Banner Saga Trilogy offers greater value for money.
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.
Banner Saga 2 is here to show us how things are progressing and how dire things are becoming. It acts as a thankless bridge that’s often ignored yet fundamentally necessary. It may not have the glitz and glamour of being a beginning or an end, but it’s the workhorse that keeps everything together.
It’s the middle part of a story and at times it certainly feels middling. More polished that the first title yet nowhere near as enthralling or captivating, it feels like it was dragging the story along at times. Fans of the first title will still find plenty to enjoy, and I hope that the final part sees some of the choices pay off.
The Banner Saga 2 is a stunningly animated game that sets a new standard for both presentation and narrative outside of the AAA sphere. The game does stumble with a poorly designed combat UI, and a claustrophobic battle system that doesn't offer much breathing room for different strategies. While monotonous, combat is serviceable, and doesn't greatly detract from what is otherwise a defining narrative tale.
The Banner Saga 2 continues to deliver a refreshingly personal experience, and, while some of the unpredictable events that transpire will undoubtedly astound, it is the rippling consequences of your own actions that keep you transfixed to the point that you will fret over every decision that you are forced to make.
"Dive deeper into the viking world."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
Overall Banner Saga 2 is a game full of despair, heartache, and utter loss, and that's some of the best parts. There is always some hope as you push forward. You will become intertwined in a huge story based on Viking-type characters and lore and spend hours doing it.
Banner Saga 2 is another strategy tactics RPG that feels right at home on the Nintendo Switch. It improves on the great framework of the first game adding in some tweaks to the game-play mechanic’s and further polishing the visual’s since the first game. While it does begin to get repetitive towards the end of the game and it’s ending seemingly come’s out of nowhere, leaving much unresolved it does have me interested on jumping into the final entry in the trilogy when it launches later this month.
In Banner Saga 2, the creators manage to keep all the aspects that made me fall in love with the first game while tweaking enough elements to make this title feel even more polished, challenging, and beautiful.
The Banner Saga 2 is well worth your time.
Quite simply, The Banner Saga 2 is one of the finest games I’ve ever played and continues one of the very best stories ever told.
Much like its predecessor, The Banner Saga 2 finds an excellent spot in the Switch's library. It's a sequel that refines rather than evolves any of the key gameplay elements, but still manages to feel like an important piece of the series' narrative puzzle.
It doesn't thrust anything new and shiny onto you, nor does it have to beat the same drum by picking from a pot of clichés. It's more of the same: more of doing what it takes to survive, more of learning to live with yourself when you can't save everyone, and more of making the most of a worsening situation.
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.
The music is positively sublime especially when paired with the gorgeous art and animation. If you're craving a good fantasy story and are down for some fun tactical turn-based fare, this series is one to follow through on. The finale can't come soon enough even if the battles and story segments along the way might thin the party in tragic ways.
Now available on the Nintendo Switch, The Banner Saga 2 retains the excellent foundation of its predecessor without any major upgrade of the formula, but that's not a bad thing. Fans of the series should not skip this, and it's a definitively needed chapter before the upcoming end of the trilogy.
Banner Saga 2 picks up after the first, so start there if you’re able to. With more classes, slightly enhanced visuals, and an expertly crafted story, there’s a lot to offer here. Fans of strategy RPGs should definitely consider this series.
The Banner Saga 2 is thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end, and it is the sort of title that anyone with even the slightest interest in the genre should enjoy.