10/10 - I Guess You Can’t CAN Improve on Perfect.

It’s always nerve racking when I begin a sequel of a series I adore. I believed this high standard that was established couldn't be lived up to… and it wasn’t… it was exceeded!! Your choices from the first offering can be uploaded and change the dynamic of the second game, but it’s not required to enjoy this title.

The story picks up where the other left off, following our heroes as they continue to battle against impossible odds in an attempt to circumnavigate the ever deteriorating wasteland. Making matter worse; our heroes must stay ahead of a deadly enemy that is sweeping through the world destroying everything in it’s wake.

The most notable improvements on the first game include a pretty sweet survival mode that consists of 40 waves; any characters you have unlocked during the campaign can be called upon to form your army. This is straight waves of turn-based combat but definitely worth a go… and it’s in beta so it will continue to evolve.

Next, I was impressed with the combat improvements. I felt the AI was much more intuitive and found myself struggling to survive in the beginning; since survival of your group is the only objective this can cause some tense moments and cause you to carefully plan for combat.

Overall, this game really improved on an already stellar offering. You get another 10-14 riveting campaign and a fun survival mode which just adds to the depth of content. Worth full price; usually on sale now so grab it!

(Vacation Review #4 of 28)

Similar to the first one, I got this game under several friends recommendations.

I really enjoyed the experience of the second game, similar to the first. It felt like they took a majority of what they did right in the first, and built on top of it. Even better, they added a Survival Mode (which is eating up all my time, the achievement goals for it really make it challenging too, if you're into that). I like how you are also rewarded for actually trying to get the achievements in the game, that's something that is quite rare, but was a nice feature for someone who likes to try and get them all anyways!

I've played through the story twice, though I probably won't play through it again, if only, because I find survival mode more entertaining. (Not to take away from the story / campaign, it was awesome!)

For those who want to try Survival Mode, I do suggest you at least complete the story once, so that it does not spoil anything for you! (If you don't care, then by all means, go ahead and play it)

Overall, I think this game was incredible, and I can't wait to see what other RPG games Stoic can develop. (Fingers crossed for a Banner Saga 3!)

As a fan of a genre that typically features substance over style, this is one of my all-time-favorite TBS mostly because of the presentation. I get immersed in the surreal setting and strange viking characters and creatures. The visual presentation is artistic and often stunning, and the minimalistic animations and sound effects work brilliantly. The music and chanting is wonderful, though it didn't quite raise the hair on my arms like the first one.

The gameplay is challenging and slightly stressful, but with a bit of skill and/or patience it is fair. I find that most of the unusual design decisions are fresh and add depth and flavor, with a small dash of pain. E.g. I would rarely condone a limited save system as the one presented here, but if you play along, the inability to save-scum can be quite rewarding.

I recommend playing though once on normal or easy (depending on skill level), and accept all good or bad things that happen, and then up the difficulty for the second playthrough while maximizing rewards. There's not much replay value beyond that for either the story mode or survival mode.

Which leads me to my one major gripe with this franchise - BS: Factions was/is fantastically replayable, but it was eventually abandoned. I generally understand that the obligation to the kickstarters necessitated a return of focus to the trilogy, but damn, you had a glorious thing going there if you had just followed through. All it really needs for now is a randomizer with maybe a couple of trinkets thrown in, and perhaps a pre-fight 2-minute setup mode. If you could apply the same amount of effort to Factions that you applied to Survival Mode, I'd be back in a heartbeat. The additional units presented in BS2 make this wishful thinking even more painful.

If you liked BS1, you should like this one as much or slightly more, mostly for the increased variety in units and foes.
If you hated BS1, you're not reading this.

If you played the Banner Saga, you will enjoy this one. There is not a lot of changes, but the ones implemented make the game more enjoyable (for example, the amount of renown to level up your characters is not that punishing, and now you feel that training in the camp is more rewarding...). The story and the soundtrack keep the level of the first game . Let's see now what the third installment of the Saga brings us.

This game is a rare gem.
The story, characters, art, soundtrack, environment - All absolutely amazing!
I cannot compare it to other games as for me this was (actually still is as the saga continues..) a unique experience.
It doesn't matter what game genres you usually play, I believe this is something no one would want to miss.


I wish I could brag being one of the backers that first founded this masterpiece.. but alas, I missed it at the time.

The story,the gameplay,the artstyle, and even the music is totally a masterpiece.

9.2/10

I don't understand how people could complain about this game being the same as the previous one. I think it's obvious that it's a direct sequel to Banner Saga.

The game is great, the characters and their abilities are even more original in this one. And I hope we will see Banner Saga 3, even if it's going to be "the same" - I will still play it.

PS: One of the characters is literally based on Thomas Middleditch's face. How about that huh?!:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BAz87Y8xDpO/

Banner Saga 2 is finally here and it carries on where it left off. This review will analyze the amazing amount of fun I had in my first playthrough (many more to come) of TBS2 and the moments that were less than pleasant. I aim at comparing the second game's structure to TBS1, and measuring the good, bad changes. Alright lets break it down.

Very much drawn up like a Tolkien-esque world, Banner Saga 2 plays out like the Two Towers of Tolkien, great fantasy writing accompanies the 2nd novel in a great trilogy that builds up to an upcoming climax in the third. Although it stumbles in a few places, the story proves to drive this epic adventure well into its second episode. The story starts off at a meager pace and suffers from bogged down streaks of fighting(explained in gameplay section). However, these negative aspects are QUICKLY and STRONGLY forgotten when thrown into the heat of the carvan's struggle of getting to one story sequence after another. Tolkien's Two towers is the worst of the best and the same can be said for this game. The first Banner Saga had a more complete narrative that was well supported by its characters and driven by tension from one scene to the next. Banner Saga 2 struggles to build tension or as intense interest in the beginning than the first game did, but with the option to start where your clan left off, this breathes continuity in the epic and gives it a semblance of being one game. Because of this, the first saga helps drive the second extensively. It does not fail to set up a Banner Saga 3 to outperform this entry in the series.

+Great story is continued
+sets up for a climactic finale
-story does drag in the beginning
--- 8.5/10 ---

The old group is back headed by the two protagonists Rook and Iver. These characters that are brought about from the first installment led with remarkable chemistry prompted by great writing. Unfortunately, many supporting characters don't get the screen dialogue time to continue developing themselves and create the sense of a united clan that was present in the first game. This is because the cast of characters grows too huge during this game and many characters were left behind either too late in the game or appeared not enough. Many new characters are ho-hum and plagued with some poor character designs that mimic the original cast slightly. Its only a select few of new characters that shine through and represent the new regions visited. These select new characters bond and become a part of a character driven exchange that works well with the story.

+Original characters are great
+A dynamic interplay between characters
-Too many new dull characters
-lack of further development in some older characters
--- 8/10 ---

The gameplay consists of leading a clan across the tundra and forest making decisions that effect the outcome of the story and the survival of the clan. When battle ensues, characters can be chosen to fight in a tactics style form of combat. Gameplay differs from the original in a few good ways and many uncessary ways. Firstly, the caravan system is now unbalanced. With the ability to find food far more easily and obtain renown especially too easy, management of food is almost never a problem. More renown is gained every battle, almost exponentially as the game goes on and this plays to TBS2's detriment. This leads to mass upgrading of characters and not as great care to tactical upgrading. The renown needed for upgrading is also designed incorrectly. The satisfaction of leveling up a character and feeling as if a distinction exists between levels is muddled. I found myself with the majority of my characters being able to level up 3-4 times in a row because of the previous kills that carry over to the next level. This also led to most of my characters being OP throughout much of the game and very little difficulty in combat. Combat soon became tedious at parts because battles would consist of enemies that presented no challenge at all for stretches of the game. The great aspects of the combat are still there however, and thats what makes this game's battle system amazing despite the related shortcomings.

EDIT: I played this game on normal and that should represent the adequate balance of difficulty and story telling. But in the end, the combat was too easy.

+original combat has not changed
-leveling and character progression is shoddy
-difficulty has been nerfed from the last Banner Saga
-last fights proved to be far too easy
--- 7/10 ---

The main aspect of this game that makes it great and separates it from every other game is and always has been -- its presentation. The atmosphere created by its authentic Celtic/Nordic music and a throwback art style that is captivating and adds so much to the game. The art is beautiful and haunting when it needs to be. The characters are represented well save for a few new characters that look awkward.

+Music is perfect
+animation is classic and unique to games of this day.
+Creates an atmosphere that is an ensemble of perfection
-New characters have questionable designs
--- 9.5/10 ---

The second Banner saga was amazing and amped up the story to an amazing height that can only get higher in Banner Saga 3. It was easy to tell when the first Banner Saga came out that it would turn into something awe inspiring and it has. A game I immediately want to play after beating it is a rarity for me, but now it just seems ritualistic to me with Banner Saga. Don't hold out on this one, it is one of my favorites and the game is truly a gem.
--- 8.25 --- TOTAL SCORE

EDIT: TBS2 is by no means a perfect game, and the story is very well constructed, its gameplay is poorly integrated at times and the 2nd game is a step down from the previous. This game deserves more criticism than it is getting and the amazing story should not blind the analysis of the game as a whole

Superb improvement over an already decent original. The combat is more interesting with a greater variety of both allied and enemy units and more in the way of battleground terrain and structures. The storyline is also improved over the original and the better quality of writing is almost instantly apparent. The training tent is also not so much of a white elephant and now periodically contains training puzzles which boost reknown on completion. The somewhat boring travelling sections have also been given an overhaul and creating a good balance between fighters and clansmen is no longer just random as clansmen can now be trained into fighters at the training tent. These fighters will consume twice as much food as clansmen and clansmen will now actively scavenge making them more than just the dead weight they were previously.

It's certainly an advantage to have played the original (and the final save from your previous adventure can be imported) as continuity is maintained with regard to storyline and base mechanics. But despite this BS2 remains a better and more well rounded game than the first making it a must-buy for story driven TBS fans. The only valid reason I can see for not getting hold of BS2 is if you absolutely hated the original - and why anyone would have is beyond me.

Well color me impressed! Actually used my previous save data to continue the tale. Seriously this team is making a great series here.