The Banner Saga is one of those games I picked up on sale a long time ago and just ended up in my backlog of games. I actually got this and the 2nd one which I also haven’t played obviously. I have no real reason why I haven’t played it, I have always heard good things and I enjoy tactical RPG’s. So I finally got around to checking this bad boy out and I have to say I wish I did it much sooner. The story is great and involves a sort of Viking mythology only the gods are very real and very dead. They also created a race called the Dredge, specifically to make the Humans and Varl stop fighting to join forces and fight them. This game takes place just before a 3rd great war breaks out, one no human alive remembers but some of the oldest Varl fought in, as nobody actually knows how long they live. The game is interesting and has plenty of twist and turns, but does have its issues.
For starters, the game was designed PC and Mobile phones, and it shows. Even when it released the graphics weren’t that great and the game was short, you can beat it in under 10 hours tho for the price this isn’t a big deal to me, tho it is there. Some aspects of the leveling system also are not very well explained and having to use renown to both level characters and buy supplies and items was an interesting idea and with more renown or making it slightly easier to get maybe would have fixed this, as it stands it is rather annoying more than a challenge.
The game, however, is worth buying. You do have to know going into it tho that it is called a saga for a legitimate reason. The 1st one has a legitimate ending and you won’t really be left hanging, but it is not the end of the story. It carries over into the next game, and while you are perfectly capable of just starting with the 2nd, they are very much connected and the decisions you make in one will carry to part 2. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
Savior Gaming 