The Banner Saga 2
Overview -
'The Banner Saga' is a trilogy in development by Stoic, a three-person team of former BioWare alums. Like many great indies these days, it came to life via crowdfunding. The first volume was released on PC and mobile in January 2014, with PS4 and Xbox One ports earlier this year.
Video Review
'Banner Saga 2' has the same awesome, old-timey animation that made its predecessor so pretty. The hand-drawn technique itself has not really changed, but many new models and animations have been added, as well as some dramatic set pieces I wasn’t expecting.
Audio Review
'Banner Saga' has a score far better than that found in many games with exponentially larger budgets. It is dark and choral, a bit on the depressing side, but it perfectly illustrates this dismal Norse landscape. There’s not nearly as much voice acting as I would like, but the writing still makes it easy to relate to the characters.
Final Thoughts
The two year plus wait for 'The Banner Saga 2' was well worth it. Stoic has managed to improve on its formula, adding new wrinkles to the admittedly limited gameplay and telling an even more absorbing story in the process. The saga is better than ever and I’m very excited for the next installment.
