The Banner Saga 2 Reviews
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.
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.
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.
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
The Banner Saga 2 doesn't change much of the experience that made the original such a well-loved surprise two years ago, and that's a good thing. The improvements may be small, but they're also substantial: the new combat units, the introduction of a second caravan story to follow, and the obstacles in the battlefield add up nicely. While beautifully written and populated with memorable characters and twists, the story does slightly suffer from a case of the "middle episodes" that may leave you eager for more. On the bright side, we know that more is on the way in a third and final installment.
A handsome and brutal strategy sequel that benefits from a range of intelligent improvements
A solid follow-up, but it gets bogged down in plodding encounters in battle and on the overworld
Too often RPGs and turn-based tactical battle games are the domain of knock off Middle-earths. Of poor fantasy pastiches stitched together with wizards sporting wispy gray beards, dwarves slurring cheap Scottish accents, and knights brandishing impractical shoulder pads. It is a joy and a treat to spend time with a world so different, so unique and intriguing. Even if it is a dying and depressing one.
Like the first one, just a bit better: more units, more enemies, new tactical situations. Choices and consequences are soul-crushing as ever, but it's all part of the fun.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Banner Saga 2 may be just the next part of Stoic's ongoing tale but basically everything has been improved.
The second episode in The Banner Saga retains the gorgeous artwork, strong characters and agonising choices that made the original a success, while adding depth, variety and clarity to the combat.
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.
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.
The game is a present packed into a tidier gift box than the first game came to us in.
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 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 continues the tale in splendid fashion. It's dark, beautiful, and impressively written.
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.
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.