With God of War: Ragnarok releasing this month, I’m sure many people have acquired a greater appreciation for Norse myths and culture. Keeping this in mind, I’d like to recommend another title that delivers a solid Viking adventure. The Banner Saga is an indie tactical RPG developed by Stoic studio and is one of my personal favorite PC titles I’ve played recently. Published by Versus Evil, the game launched on PC in 2014 and since that time has received two sequels released in 2016 and 2018 respectively.

The world of The Banner Saga is deeply inspired by Norse and Celtic mythology. Players take the role of a caravan leader as they struggle to survive in a broken world, hunted by a monstrous race of armored creatures known as The Dredge.  The gods, who once looked after humanity, are long dead and the sun has now stopped in the sky leaving the world gripped in perpetual twilight. This is clearly a world that is slowly dying and the landscape is strewn with monuments and ruins of civilizations passed.

I adore the somber nature of this setting. It perfectly encapsulates the culture, which heavily utilizes themes of impending doom, struggle, and tragedy in literature.

The main story places you in the shoes of two main groups. The first is a large force of giants called Varl, who are tasked with escorting the human, Prince Ludin to their capital in order to solidify an alliance. The second group is the population of a small village named Skogr. After an attack by The Dredge, the people are forced to flee their homes and search for sanctuary elsewhere. Taking on the role of leader is the village hunter, Rook.

Many of the characters you encounter on this quest are extremely well-written and fleshed out with distinct motivations, personalities, and hopes. I was certainly attached to most of them throughout the story, though there are a few that do come across as a little bland. I also enjoy how the story manages to feel non-linear despite being mostly conveyed through 2D backgrounds and dialogue scenes. Additionally, though the story utilizes many familiar tropes, it manages to play with them in clever ways that ensure you won’t be bored.

Gameplay consists primarily of tactical grid-based combat. Similar to many other titles in the genre, you select a team of heroes and employ proper spacing and abilities to defeat your enemies.  However, the main difference comes in the form of the armor system. Whenever you attack an enemy, you can choose to not only damage their health but instead break armor. Doing so can increase the damage your future attacks will deal. Every character can also expend focus points in order to increase damage or use powerful skills. However, certain weapons or abilities can bypass armor, which further emphasizes smart combat decisions. Additionally, losing units in combat will cause them to suffer from lingering injuries in future battles, leading to reductions in stats and HP.

The next major gameplay feature is resource management. As you traverse the landscape, your caravan will encounter a variety of challenges such as food shortages, sickness, natural disasters, etc. You must navigate these issues carefully in order to best ensure the survival of your people. It’s very similar to the classic Oregon Trail game and provides a lot of avenues for further characterization of your companions. Choices certainly have an impact here and can affect how the story plays out drastically. I was actually shocked at the severity of some of the consequences present in this story, and it helps to increase the realism of this world.

The Banner Saga also excels in both the graphics and soundtrack departments. Every character and background looks hand-drawn, and there are some truly stunning scenic landscapes throughout the game. The music is similarly beautiful, and each track further emphasizes both the somber tone and the theme of loneliness within nature.

There is a lot to love about The Banner Saga. Though I do like the combat, it can get somewhat repetitive, and there are a few characters that feel a little too similar in playstyle. As a result, it can be easy to face a group of enemies that can easily defend against your primary units. This can lead to some frustrating encounters where you might feel as though there are not enough tools to counter specific matchups.

I would highly recommend The Banner Saga to those who enjoy a story-driven experience. Amongst tactics games, it manages to add just enough spice in order to stand out and is certainly worthy of future sequels.

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The Banner Saga

$24.99

7.5

Score

7.5/10

Pros

• Gorgeous Hand-Drawn Art Style
• Impactful Choices
• Well Written Characters

Cons

• Skewed Party Compositions