The Banner Saga

 PC
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 833 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 606 out of 833
  2. Mixed: 166 out of 833
  3. Negative: 61 out of 833

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  1. DemKin
    Feb 20, 2014
    9
    The Banner Saga is a great game.
    Beautiful and inspired design, great story implying a lot of cool lore and ( sometimes unforgiving ) choices from the player, breathtaking for the genre,... It's one of the most original T-RPGs out there, and arguably one of the best.
    The game lasts for about 12-18hrs depending on the difficulty you play on, and there are chances that you come back to it    The Banner Saga is a great game.
    Beautiful and inspired design, great story implying a lot of cool lore and ( sometimes unforgiving ) choices from the player, breathtaking for the genre,... It's one of the most original T-RPGs out there, and arguably one of the best.
    The game lasts for about 12-18hrs depending on the difficulty you play on, and there are chances that you come back to it at some point due to the different paths you can take in the story.
    The dificulty and some plot twists might make some people cringe or leave to never return, but it has some very powerful moments that constantly encourages you to go on on this adventure, and even though the quality of the game kinda decreases after a while, it's still a very good and memorable experience.
    Tactical-RPGs players will probably love it. I sure did.    … Expand
  2. DemonSoul
    Feb 19, 2014
    8
    I will try to be very objective, yet factual, and detailed in my review. I've put in about 40 minutes so far. Having played many turn based strategy games, I feel I can in one sense be highly critical, and one sense favoring of this genre. I have played D&D 1st, 2nd, and 3rd edition, all the fire emblems (liked), advance wars (liked), xcoms (liked), chesses (liked) i have played most ofI will try to be very objective, yet factual, and detailed in my review. I've put in about 40 minutes so far. Having played many turn based strategy games, I feel I can in one sense be highly critical, and one sense favoring of this genre. I have played D&D 1st, 2nd, and 3rd edition, all the fire emblems (liked), advance wars (liked), xcoms (liked), chesses (liked) i have played most of the turn based strategy games on the iphone and ipad, and there are too many to list but my favorite is hero academy, i liked warhammer quest, but i did not like skulls of the shogun, i thought "great little war game" was ok, From what I have seen so far about this game, I have a strong feeling this game is going to be good. The voice acting is unique impressing with me a voice and accent I have rarely heard, the story seems lengthy, complex, with much dialogue perhaps to the point of convoluted, but its cartoon presentation balances the serious depth of the story to a temporarily agreeable amount. During my first battle I found that combat to be relatively complex in a good way, taking into size of giants into account to cover four tiles on the battle field while humans take up one space. I was able to attack an opponents armor or strength initially both have different yet significant effects. The attacks among the two units I was able to use at the time was varied and intrigued me further. I also found the art work to be compelling for the size of the game (less than 2gb)...to elaborate, I can tell the developer did not appear to have a lot of funds, but they made up for in by creating a detailed world that is pleasing to a video gamer, who's emphasis is on fun and a good story, instead of games with PS4 graphics with little challenge in thought nor skill. For now I recommend this game...I will be encouraged to send more updates with more likes on this message.… Expand
  3. Bigern
    Feb 15, 2014
    7
    Liked the story but even on normal difficulty the dredge were taking huge mechanical **** all over my guys and killing them in 1-2 hits constantly. Not sure what I was doing wrong as I am an RPG veteran and skilled player (Silver in LoL and beat Skyrim on medium hard difficulty) so I usually do quite well at this sort of thing.
  4. seeinbytes
    Feb 12, 2014
    5
    I've never played a game with more unfinished brilliant ideas than the banners saga. It's unspectacular by every metric as a stand alone game, but I look forward to seeing if the sequels can pull something together.
  5. Herkar
    Feb 12, 2014
    10
    Some one needs to make Peter Jackson play this game. Because this is game needs to become a movie! Directed by Jackson it will be the next LOTR. YES THE STORY IS THAT GOOD!
  6. Type4101
    Feb 11, 2014
    9
    A great, stylish game for a reasonable price. At heart, Banner Saga is a turn-based tactical combat game, and it has solid mechanics that feel comfortable but also unique (not just wailing away on hit points). The icing on the cake is the bleak story it tells, about a world on the brink of disaster, as the sun has frozen in the sky. Also worth noting, this is a full game for a fairA great, stylish game for a reasonable price. At heart, Banner Saga is a turn-based tactical combat game, and it has solid mechanics that feel comfortable but also unique (not just wailing away on hit points). The icing on the cake is the bleak story it tells, about a world on the brink of disaster, as the sun has frozen in the sky. Also worth noting, this is a full game for a fair price....no awful DLC or micro-transactions. That alone makes it worthwhile.… Expand
  7. Muuvinki
    Feb 11, 2014
    5
    There is more reading than actual fighting and developing your skills as a strategist and as a fighter.
    After few hours you will find this boring and annoying that you actually spent 20$ on it.
    I don't find even a single character to be fun or interesting and that tells me that these characters don't have much depth in them. You are probably better off trying some other game than this.
  8. dakkra
    Feb 8, 2014
    4
    - terrible saving model
    - inability to skip cinema tics
    - bad keyboard support
    - bad UI design decisions, for example place where you can't cancel action until you proceed deeper in choices
    - weak story line
  9. Blacknsilver
    Feb 7, 2014
    3
    Combat- lacks depth, doesn't feel satisfying, very little choice in ways to approach a situation/RPG stat-spending, never gets anywhere (almost every battle plays out the same exact way).

    Story/characters- the story has a lot of depth but is also incredibly depressing and bleak. Characters are a mixed bag but even the well-written ones have the habit of dying very unexpectedly. As far    Combat- lacks depth, doesn't feel satisfying, very little choice in ways to approach a situation/RPG stat-spending, never gets anywhere (almost every battle plays out the same exact way).

    Story/characters- the story has a lot of depth but is also incredibly depressing and bleak. Characters are a mixed bag but even the well-written ones have the habit of dying very unexpectedly. As far as the "choices" during dialogue (80% of the game), none of them have any weight or change the game in a meaningful way.

    Graphics- these look outdated, even for a turn-based game. You can expect the same 5 "overworld" screens, the same 10 paper cutouts for the characters and the same 5-6 arenas for the battles. Thankfully, the cell-shaded art-style helps drag the game out of uncanny valley range.    … Expand
  10. wiltshiregh
    Feb 6, 2014
    9
    This game is amazing. Compelling story-line, difficult choices with tangible consequences, interest and tactical combat, outstanding music. The music might actually be the best part of this game. It just takes all the other elements, which are great in their own right, and ties them together in a powerful way.

    With all that being said I hope to see some enchantments as more episodes    This game is amazing. Compelling story-line, difficult choices with tangible consequences, interest and tactical combat, outstanding music. The music might actually be the best part of this game. It just takes all the other elements, which are great in their own right, and ties them together in a powerful way.

    With all that being said I hope to see some enchantments as more episodes come out (I think this is an episode based game? if not then it certainly ends abruptly). The leveling system is good but perhaps a little basic. It stood out to me as a feature that could easily be improved.

    TLDR: I made a metacritic account to rate this game because i was pretty much blown away by how entertaining it was.    … Expand
  11. motocrtc
    Feb 6, 2014
    8
    The Banner Saga features some of the best writing in an RPG ever, with a story that forces you to make plot-affecting decisions beyond simply what to say. Unfortunately the combat system is lacking and makes fighting awkward. Most notably, the almost chess-like turn system where the player and the AI take turns moving one unit each encourages the player to reduce enemies to 1 hit pointThe Banner Saga features some of the best writing in an RPG ever, with a story that forces you to make plot-affecting decisions beyond simply what to say. Unfortunately the combat system is lacking and makes fighting awkward. Most notably, the almost chess-like turn system where the player and the AI take turns moving one unit each encourages the player to reduce enemies to 1 hit point instead of killing them, forcing the AI to waste its turn moving crippled units that pose no threat before it can move the useful monsters again. While it adds a bit of strategy, it mostly makes combat absurd and causes fights to drag on unnecessarily long.

    The game also has little voice acting and most of the gameplay consists of reading text and watching your caravan march. As mentioned, the writing is excellent and the overall experience is enjoyable, but at times it feels more like an interactive novel than a computer game.    … Expand
  12. Boyinleaves
    Feb 6, 2014
    9
    The Banner Saga is an utterly unique undertaking in the gaming world. A beautiful, visually and auditorily driven tactical combat game that also incorporates strong decision making and a moving story.

    Much of the presentation of the Banner Saga is simple and intuitive, but allows for great depth. The character development is lean but allows for diverse tactical options. The combat is    The Banner Saga is an utterly unique undertaking in the gaming world. A beautiful, visually and auditorily driven tactical combat game that also incorporates strong decision making and a moving story.

    Much of the presentation of the Banner Saga is simple and intuitive, but allows for great depth. The character development is lean but allows for diverse tactical options. The combat is heavily focused on tactical positioning and clever combinations of character abilities.

    Many of the decisions regarding the game's development have clearly been directed at creating a strongly evocative experience.

    If you are interested in turn-based, tactical combat, and have a preference for roguelike games, give the Banner Saga a shot, and do your very best to continue playing without ever loading from a poor combat performance or a decision that wreaks havoc upon you. It will be an experience unlike any other game.

    Also, a unique setting and some of the most mature thematic writing I have seen, even if some of the content is a little hamfisted at times. The only reason it's not a straight 10 is that they dropped the ball with a few of the travelling and choice mechanics. Everything else is awesome.    … Expand
  13. BatFat09
    Feb 3, 2014
    1
    Awful game is awful... The combat is slow, graphics style is ugly, and worst of all, I have to pay for a game I could already play for free... just plain dropped the ball on this one!
  14. UngodDeimos
    Feb 3, 2014
    8
    I'm about four hours into the game and I am loving it. The art style is beautiful (and I'm running this on a low end pc), the story is pretty solid, though I find the lore and history of the world more interesting, but that kind of adds to it. This is a very, very well thought out game. I find myself sometimes wanting to go back and do something over because someone may die, or I lose aI'm about four hours into the game and I am loving it. The art style is beautiful (and I'm running this on a low end pc), the story is pretty solid, though I find the lore and history of the world more interesting, but that kind of adds to it. This is a very, very well thought out game. I find myself sometimes wanting to go back and do something over because someone may die, or I lose a lot of followers as a result of my actions. My only real complaints are the lack of options in the options menu. I would like to be able to do more than just change the resolution and the audio. My other complaint is the lack of an ability to save whenever I want, thereby forcing me to continue when I have messed something up. Overall amazing game so far.… Expand
  15. armoredchimp
    Feb 2, 2014
    10
    I made an account on this site just to say this is one of the best games I have ever played. I have been playing games since the early 90's and I would probably put this in the top 10 games of all time, it's that good. Perfect blend of gameplay + story. The game play is easy to pick up, but addictively complex and will make you want to keep playing to level up your heroes. Similar to FinalI made an account on this site just to say this is one of the best games I have ever played. I have been playing games since the early 90's and I would probably put this in the top 10 games of all time, it's that good. Perfect blend of gameplay + story. The game play is easy to pick up, but addictively complex and will make you want to keep playing to level up your heroes. Similar to Final Fantasy Tactics but simpler, which for a game of this style and length is appropriate. And the story....simply wow. I have not seen storytelling like this in a game in a long time, possibly ever. The artwork is simplistic but stunning, and the music fits perfectly. I was pretty sure I would like this game after watching the trailer and playing the factions multiplayer but this completely exceeded my expectations. Hopefully they will bring the gameplay in factions up to par with this, because as of right now the single player is much deeper.… Expand
  16. Docsis
    Feb 1, 2014
    1
    BORING. 99% text reading... No voice overs.... well, occasionally, the narrator speaks, but the whole dang game is like reading a novel... all text and no action. I got bored with the story line after awhile because I wanted some kind of ACTION... something to actually DO instead of just reading and clicking continue. According to Steam, I played for about 6 hours... guess how many battlesBORING. 99% text reading... No voice overs.... well, occasionally, the narrator speaks, but the whole dang game is like reading a novel... all text and no action. I got bored with the story line after awhile because I wanted some kind of ACTION... something to actually DO instead of just reading and clicking continue. According to Steam, I played for about 6 hours... guess how many battles I actually played in that time..... Well, I can count them on ONE hand! The other 5 1/2 hours was reading... If I want to read a book, I will load up the Kindle app. Yeah, you get to make choices occasionally, which is supposed to affect how the story goes, but whoopie. I won't be playing it long enough to actually see if my choices really made a difference or not.
    This game is 99% story, 1% battles. I like the battles, but they are VERY few and extremely far between.
    I feel like I spent $25 on a BOOK, not a game.
    ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..........................    … Expand
  17. JohnWitten
    Feb 1, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Concept: An enriching, tactics heavy turn-based role-playing game through a grim world, with interesting characters, battles, and a pretty bleak story as well. Also, vikings.

    Graphics: Makes me think either of the old Legend of Zelda cartoon or the animated movies such as The Hobbit and The Black Cauldron, in terms of the visual presentation. Whatever it is, it works.

    Sound: The voice work, haunting sounds of battle and melodies, and clash of weapons and twang of arrows all work well, sound great, and seem pretty realistic for the setting.

    Playability: You might not always get used to the unforgiving difficulty and the necessity of balancing so many tactical readings, but the controls and unit response work like charms and together resemble a well-oiled mechanic. Oh, and there isn't really a tutorial, so get ready to bring the pain or feel it.

    Entertainment: This is definitely a shining example of what a Kickstarted final product should resemble, as it's been pretty well-received, is pretty good in my mind, and is a fairly decent length for an experience as rich as this as well. It's no forty hour role-playing game by any stretch, but the replayability and grim outlook on decision making will have you wanting to replay it, or cowering in fear.

    Replay Value: High.

    Overall Score: 8.0    … Expand
  18. GLaforte
    Feb 1, 2014
    7
    The Banner Saga tells a sad story, based on Norse legends. The graphics and music are beautiful. There are a few innovative elements in the battle gameplay, but overall, it just gets in the way. I started on Normal difficulty, but dropped to Easy once I realized that the story is what I cared about in the game. It provided about 12 hours of enjoyment.
  19. usernamesux
    Jan 31, 2014
    2
    This game sucks!!!!! You start having no idea who you are or what you are doing. after 10 minutes, you just randomly fight people for no reason. No story development or tutorial where they could give you some background. Save your time and buy something better!!!!!
  20. Ninjapixel
    Jan 31, 2014
    7
    Slow game, good story and awesome graphics. I enjoyed the tactical battles very much.

    It does somewhat fails at the game-play - I am not a fan of linear games. I am sure the dev's next title will be worthwhile.
  21. Soujirop
    Jan 29, 2014
    8
    The Banner Saga is not a brilliant tactical game. There's little variation of jobs, little variation of enemies, and the game is overall not very innovative. However, as RPG it is a pretty good experience, with a good plot that changes with the tons of decisions you make, which adds a very funny component to the game.

    The visual aspect and the music are probably the best of the game.    The Banner Saga is not a brilliant tactical game. There's little variation of jobs, little variation of enemies, and the game is overall not very innovative. However, as RPG it is a pretty good experience, with a good plot that changes with the tons of decisions you make, which adds a very funny component to the game.

    The visual aspect and the music are probably the best of the game. And as a counterpart, when the story starts to become interesting, it suddenly ends, leaving room for a sequel.    … Expand
  22. Sky-Moondrift
    Jan 28, 2014
    8
    For a Low budget title, you won't get much better than this. It has imo the best grid-based combat system of any game which is really fun just by itself, but add great music, artwork and sound along with a heavily engaging story line and you get The banner Saga.

    The only drawbacks being some game mechanics haven't been fully implemented, which is a little confusing for a new player. TBS    For a Low budget title, you won't get much better than this. It has imo the best grid-based combat system of any game which is really fun just by itself, but add great music, artwork and sound along with a heavily engaging story line and you get The banner Saga.

    The only drawbacks being some game mechanics haven't been fully implemented, which is a little confusing for a new player. TBS would benefit from a more open world design and/or a less linear progression system.

    With some additional game modes and systems to support them, this game could be worthy of a full 10.    … Expand
  23. samgiga
    Jan 27, 2014
    10
    pro:
    + beautiful art and music
    + well-designed combat system
    + your choices DO have consequences
    + immersive story
    + not post-apocalypse, but the beginning of the end

    con:
    - lack of voice acting
    - very hardcore (some might consider it a pro)
  24. ChaosWolffe
    Jan 26, 2014
    10
    The Banner Saga is a compelling tale following close knit to Norse Mythology. The Viking-esque feel is excellent for the type of story. The cause and effect style to the story really makes the player (myself) think long and hard about choices before rapidly doing things. Slow to start, Chapters 1 and 2 introduce you to the two main stories, which, by the end of the game merge to become oneThe Banner Saga is a compelling tale following close knit to Norse Mythology. The Viking-esque feel is excellent for the type of story. The cause and effect style to the story really makes the player (myself) think long and hard about choices before rapidly doing things. Slow to start, Chapters 1 and 2 introduce you to the two main stories, which, by the end of the game merge to become one story, which I quite frankly love. The game on normal difficulty, is not hard, but does not baby you past the initial tutorial, some battles, especially the last, can prove to be a struggle, and may cause losses, injuries, or a need to rethink your strategies for later battles. The game is quite... real, it doesn't beat around the bush with the story. It really feels like the end of the world. When you have maybe 350 clansmen, 140 warriors and 60 varl in your caravan, with limited supplies running, you're forced to be conservative at most times and on occasion, be the polar opposite, offensive and assertive, to gain supplies from meek farmers. The characters really interact with your decisions too and tug on how you want to convey yourself as a character to those close to you. All in all an excellent game. 10/10 Gameplay, 11/10 story and I absolutely love the 'cause and effect'-esque mechanics. Nothing like having to really think before performing actions. The replay value is excellent as well, to see how you could play differently to get different reactions from characters, the caravans, or to earn new heroes from placing yourself in more "immediate" danger.… Expand
  25. Dkong08
    Jan 26, 2014
    8
    The story is a bit formulaic but with superb delivery. Visuals are great; Soundtrack immerse; and game play very fun indeed. The Banner Saga is a great game - go buy it.
  26. deadspacer47
    Jan 26, 2014
    8
    -GREAT gameplay and tactics with good items and well done heroes.
    -Awesome artistic design and soundtrack that leads to an Epic atmosphere.
    -Just looking at your caravan moving and travelling through towns,seeing godstones is something epic. -Good choices that affects the story. -Combat is really challenging with good variety of enemies and abilities. the bad things are: -the story    -GREAT gameplay and tactics with good items and well done heroes.
    -Awesome artistic design and soundtrack that leads to an Epic atmosphere.
    -Just looking at your caravan moving and travelling through towns,seeing godstones is something epic.
    -Good choices that affects the story.
    -Combat is really challenging with good variety of enemies and abilities.
    the bad things are:
    -the story sometimes is not explained well.
    -Lack of cutscenes.
    Totally this game is really good and brings new ideas and it's better than stupid RPG games like kingdoms of amalur.
    The game is 7 chapters and takes about 10 hours or maybe more to complete.    … Expand
  27. Lokiliesmith
    Jan 26, 2014
    7
    It's a pretty good game, but pick it up on sale. $25 is a bit much.

    The good: - Tactically it's a challenge to get through battles without taking casualties. - Caravan's need food and food gets scarce real fast - Decisions have a variety of consequences and vary in importance: sometimes you can make the wrong choice and people just shrug it off, or the right choice and get only a    It's a pretty good game, but pick it up on sale. $25 is a bit much.

    The good:
    - Tactically it's a challenge to get through battles without taking casualties.
    - Caravan's need food and food gets scarce real fast
    - Decisions have a variety of consequences and vary in importance: sometimes you can make the wrong choice and people just shrug it off, or the right choice and get only a small boost to morale. Other times it could be the difference between life and death for a well developed character. I like it because I appreciate a bit of triviality in world building.

    The bad:
    - Supply management is largely meaningless. There's no reason not to let a few folks starve if it means leveling up or getting a new item. Hell, by the end people are marching along the Trail of Tears anyway.
    - Alternating turns in combat. It's not too bad, and it certainly can be viewed as just another strategic element, but the more I think about it the less I like it.
    - Game length is short. Like... really short. I was expecting a lot more for the price and the hype.

    The Ugly:
    - There's very little replay value in this game when it comes to plot, decisions, etc. You've got 2 possible endings and it's pretty obvious how they play out.
    - There's also no post-finale game play. No roaming the world trying to visit other villages, no going back to places you've been, nothing. It's linear as hell.    … Expand
  28. vivoxaxon
    Jan 26, 2014
    7
    I'd been waiting for this game since the kickstarter. The Scenic backdrops are really beautiful though i think the character art leaves something to be desired. Its kinda like Oregon trail with turn based fights. The story is good though i was expecting it to be better. The actual turn based fights are getting pretty repetitive (fighting the same enemies over and over), but they are stillI'd been waiting for this game since the kickstarter. The Scenic backdrops are really beautiful though i think the character art leaves something to be desired. Its kinda like Oregon trail with turn based fights. The story is good though i was expecting it to be better. The actual turn based fights are getting pretty repetitive (fighting the same enemies over and over), but they are still pretty fun and the additional strategy elements involving enemy and character placement on the board is interesting. All in all, the game is a solid good play, with a good story, and some good strategy.… Expand
  29. 1nsider
    Jan 25, 2014
    9
    Beautiful journey into Nordic world in a game of quest/rpg/tactics fused together on a whole new level of quality, never experienced before. Simple, yet so powerful - the way the proper PC game is supposed to be. More, please.
  30. gorfmc
    Jan 24, 2014
    10
    This is the best mobile match 3 game I have ever played. They are always releasing new content and I love the way the narrator says "Sweet!" and "Delicious!" as you match candies. I just hope that no one releases a 2D animated turn based tactics game with saga in the title anytime soon, because that would just be really confusing.
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Awards & Rankings

64
#64 Best PC Game of 2014
35
#35 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
51
#51 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 74 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 59 out of 74
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 74
  3. Negative: 0 out of 74
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    May 11, 2014
    85
    Banner Saga is a fine - but towards the end a bit repetitive - turn-based viking adventure. [Feb 2014]
  2. games(TM)
    Mar 12, 2014
    80
    It's an outstanding start for a trilogy, and one that we can't wait to see to its end. [Issue#145, p.116]
  3. Hyper Magazine
    Mar 9, 2014
    80
    A fantastic combination of fantasy storytelling and RPG tactics. One hell of a debut from Stoic. [Apr 2014, p.62]
See all critic reviews »