![]() The game tells a bleak and relentless tale, depicting a group of dwindling refugees trying to escape the end of the world. It’s tempting to say that The Banner Saga is like a long-lost, early Disney film about Vikings, except of course for the fact that Disney would never touch this narrative. Alongside all that, you have Austin “holy crap he did the music from Journey” Wintory providing a score full of nomadic violin and throaty choral Vikings. The face-to-face dialogue scenes can sometimes seem a bit static (even with the odd bit of beard wiggling,) but that’s being super picky. Combat animations in particular add a really dynamic aspect to the turn-based action, as you see fighters struggle to maintain balance after a heavy blow or pull a bow from their back to loose off an arrow. I’ve mentioned the magnificent landscapes already, but it’s worth reiterating that the art and animation are terrific throughout. If the first charge goes well in a war situation, you’ll be offered the chance to chase down even more foes and trigger an immediate second skirmish. It feels a little like a budgetary compromise for including larger battles while still using the same turn-based skirmish model, but does give you further opportunities to earn renown. During these ‘War’ situations, you can opt to lead a personal charge (triggering a regular skirmish battle) and perhaps reduce your casualties, or just stand off and oversee the battle with text commands but inevitably lose more troops. Occasionally, your entire caravan will be engaged in conflict, pitting whatever remaining fighters and Varl you have with you against a horde of (usually) Dredge. It does at least make you confirm the choice, which saved me more than once. The interface is relatively unobtrusive and simple too, although having the “end turn” button right next to “attack” isn’t great. Both affect your ability to fight further battles effectively, and could send your journey into a death spiral from which it cannot recover.Īll that strength/armour stuff probably sounds more complex on paper than it really is in-game, and it’s a system that manages to be fairly straightforward while offering a fair bit of tactical flexibility and mid-battle pondering. It’s important not to neglect that last option, because a caravan without supplies will start losing people and morale rather rapidly. You can use it for levelling up (promoting) characters, purchasing magic items that will aid you in battle and for purchasing caravan supplies, but will never have enough. ![]() It’s earned through fighting battles and occasionally given as a reward for making certain choices. The ‘renown’ mechanic is a fine example of this. Three distinct branches of gameplay, all of which feed back into one another. Your role as player is to make dialogue choices in face-to-face meetings with other characters, text-based decisions that pop up as your caravan is making its way across the exquisite, Eyvind Earle inspired landscapes, and handle the turn-based battles that may arise as a consequence of those decisions. Progression through the story is linear in the sense that everyone will see the same key moments in the same locations, but certain actions will result in a rather different journey. The characterisation is strong enough throughout that the majority of the named heroes feel like actual people, rather than walking skill-sets to be deployed in combat. If a particular character is an arrogant oaf, you’ll know because that’s how they act, not because an in-game encyclopedia or cinematic voice-over told you so. Stoic don’t always manage to abide by the vital rule of “show don’t tell,” but it’s clear they’re trying to do so whenever possible. That world is revealed with as little unnecessary exposition as possible. It has echoes of the great King of Dragon Pass, both in the domestic and community dilemmas it presents the player with, and its depiction of a mythological world that’s grounded in the familiar but still has much to discover. ![]() Traditional in some ways, making use of turn-based tactical combat and windows of text to outline certain situations, but in a manner that feels refreshing rather than purely nostalgic. There should be, because The Banner Saga is a splendid RPG.
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