Editor’s Note: The following article contains spoilers for The Banner Saga and The Banner Saga 2, read at your own discretion.

Keeping with the Norse mythology theme this month, I’m discussing the sequel to last week’s Banner Saga review. The Banner Saga 2 was released just two years after the initial title and is a direct continuation to the story of the first game. As a sequel, it maintains much of what worked in the original game while adding additional gameplay features that keep things relatively fresh.

The storyline picks up in the aftermath of the climactic battle at Arberrang between our heroes and the powerful Dredge known only as The Bellower. Depending on your final decision in this fight either Rook or his daughter, Alette will have perished. As a result, this game places you into the perspective of the surviving family member. The second main character is Bolverk Bloodaxe, A Varl who leads the mercenary group known as the Ravens. He is tasked with transporting precious cargo by Juno, a powerful mage.

Though the story in the first game was quite satisfying for me, the writing has only improved in this sequel. Both storylines are equally enjoyable with dramatic stakes and genuinely difficult decisions. I also loved all of the new characters that were introduced. Bolverk provides a fantastic contrast to the main group with his harsh, no-nonsense personality. Additionally, the original characters receive further characterization with special attention given to some of the more forgettable party members. I particularly enjoyed the storylines of the brothers Hogun and Mogun as well as Eirik.

The gameplay remains relatively similar to the original. Tactical combat provides the core with the return of the armor and health system. The major additions come in the form of additional classes, enemy types, and skills. The most notable here is the inclusion of the new Horseborn race, who provide some exciting mobility to your forces. The maps are also much more interactive with the inclusion of environmental features that can be utilized in order to provide additional attack and defense options.

The new features provide just enough to spice up combat encounters and ensure each battle feels fresh. Because of the bigger cast of characters, each party feels more evenly balanced this time around with a variety of different class options. This was one of my biggest issues with the original so I’m glad to see it improved upon here.

In terms of art style and music, The Banner Saga 2 remains top-notch. There are some absolutely stunning areas such as the Old Wood or the deep caverns of the Wrymscale mountains. Just like the first game, every locale visited only serves to further emphasize the somber, bleak tone of a world on the brink of a cataclysm. Austin Wintory returns as the primary composer and his score is quite solid. I enjoy how this soundtrack revisits many similar melodies but remixes them slightly with a more urgent tone in order to further emphasize the bigger stakes.

There is certainly a lot to love with this sequel, but by far my biggest issue with this game is the lack of ability to grind up my characters outside of major story battles. I’m the type of player that loves to use lots of different characters in tactics games. However, with only a limited amount of experience to go around, I often felt discouraged from doing so within the main story. As a result, there were a good batch of characters I was interested in building around, but many were sadly left unutilized throughout my initial run. I’m hoping the final game will allow for additional combat encounters or a customizable arena mode that can allow lower-level characters to catch up with the current party level.

Overall, this is a strong sequel to the original series. I’m excited to see how the story will continue to evolve in the final confrontation. Much is left unresolved, but the journey has been so engaging that I’m never left unsatisfied.

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The Banner Saga 2

24.99

8.5

Score

8.5/10

Pros

• Great story
• Art Style
• Intriguing character arcs
• New classes and enemies

Cons

• limited grinding options