The Banner Saga 2 Reviews
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.
The Banner Saga 2 is an actual testament to what a great game can achieve, regardless of its precedence. On top of that, the game feels extraordinarily well written, actions actually do matter, decisions carry on and the graphics and music are amazing.
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.
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.
"Dive deeper into the viking world."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The game is a present packed into a tidier gift box than the first game came to us in.
Overall, The Banner Saga 2's story is simply fantastic and is filled with beautiful animation. This game needs to be seen and heard.
The Banner Saga 2 is more of everything good about the original, plus plenty of tweaks and improvements that make it even better than the first.
All this and what I'm saying is if you don't have this game already installed on your PC or Xbox One, you should, especially if you're an Xbox Live Gold subscriber. After the final cutscene faded to black and I saw the game logo, I couldn't help but jump for absolute joy, as The Banner Saga 2 has achieved what many games have tried and failed time and time again to do: Provide true player choice, make them matter, and make you care about every single person in your caravan. I felt like I truly accomplished something great in a video game, a feat, almost, which is a feeling I haven't felt for years.
Overall as much as I enjoyed the first Banner Saga I enjoyed the second even more so. With the small adjustments to the graphics and the visual elements in general, it felt like an even better packaged experience. I don't think that I need to mention it, but, I'll be eagerly awaiting the release of the third and final entry into the Banner Saga.
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.
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 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.
Superb writing and a unique combat system combine to make The Banner Saga 2 something quite special, in the same way it did back in 2014. The larger variety and frequent introduction of enemy types stops The Banner Saga 2 from becoming dull and repetitive. The Banner Saga is fast becoming one of the best series in modern games, with some of the strongest characterisation and world-building in years.
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.