The Banner Saga 2 Reviews
If you enjoy a weighty narrative and a challenging turn-based strategy system, there is no reason not to give this Nordic themed title a chance.
It's the decisions that bind the experience; enabling The Banner Saga 2 to transcend its videogame construct. You're left with an experience that feels not only alive, but alive with the complexities of the real world.
Following up on their BATFA-winning tactical RPG, indie studio Stoic returns to continue the saga and improve on perfection.
It's clear that the combat is secondary to the story and serves as a feature rather than an integral mechanic
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 game is a present packed into a tidier gift box than the first game came to us in.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
"Dive deeper into the viking world."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
