The Banner Saga

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. GameGrin
    Feb 4, 2016
    70
    Despite spending most of my play time watching characters talk or travel from one side of the screen to the other, The Banner Saga includes an enthralling narrative and makes use of some inventive combat mechanics.
  2. VideoGamer
    Jan 13, 2016
    70
    I certainly found more here to enjoy than I expected, and at times it's riveting stuff, but my interest frequently dwindled as turn-based fatigue rose.
  3. Metro GameCentral
    Jan 12, 2016
    70
    Some of the most difficult decision-making in gaming, both tactically and morally, but occasional rough edges betray the game’s small budget and short development time.

Awards & Rankings

74
#74 Best PS4 Game of 2016

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 128 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 85 out of 128
  2. Mixed: 32 out of 128
  3. Negative: 11 out of 128
  1. GreenMachineG
    Jan 17, 2016
    7
    The Banner Saga has an amazing art style that reminded me of a classic disney-esque or 80's cartoon type style. The game is drawn beautifully.The Banner Saga has an amazing art style that reminded me of a classic disney-esque or 80's cartoon type style. The game is drawn beautifully. Dialogue is well done, and having choices is always a plus. XCOM-style strategy/tile turn-based combat is one of my favorite types of combat so that being in this game was a blast. The only knock on the combat is it didn't feature much in the way of obstacles like XCOM, it was always just an open square where you had to just place your guys in the right places and hope you didn't get surrounded. This also made retreat almost useless, so really all you could do is line them up and smash each other until you won or lost. Great story though, and a truly solid game overall. I would recommend The Banner Saga to anyone interested in Norse mythology/history, or to anyone who is a fan of turn-based RPGs or strategy type games.

    7.8/10    … Full Review »
  2. siphus007
    Sep 8, 2018
    9
    Great game, and if I had more than a 10 point system, I would probably say 8.5 honestly, but it leans higher so I will go with a 9. Be warned,Great game, and if I had more than a 10 point system, I would probably say 8.5 honestly, but it leans higher so I will go with a 9. Be warned, this game starts off dreadfully uninviting. They immediately dive into confusing conversations, imagining that you 'read all the books already' to the game's lore, which don't exist. It is a major turn-off, but I'd highly suggest that the first time you start the game, commit to 2-3 hours out of the gate. Once the battle system begins, you'll never look back.

    With a great and enjoyable cast of eccentric and beloved or hated characters, and a punishing system of choice where each simple caraven choice has the potential to deal you great damage, and one of the most enjoyable and addicting battle systems I've ever played, Banner Saga is an underrated gem in my opinion. For an indie kickstarter game, you get 10 or so hours of gameplay on 1 run, and there is never a dull moment for 5 minutes where you don't feel like a choice, a character upgrade, or a battle move is unimportant. There is replay value, but that's not usually something I go for. Great music, and an impressive art style that keeps the game above the 2D, sucky-graphics-are-retro indie look we see so often now, and did I mention the complex, fully-baked, strategy-heavy battle system? The main drawback is a lack of regular voice acting and.... well... I guess a slow start? Overall this is a superb game.    … Full Review »
  3. RPG_Fanatic
    Jun 20, 2023
    9
    A hidden gem of PS4,i love this tactic game,love the battles ,OST and amazing art style.
    Very fun Tactic RPG
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