The Banner Saga is remarkable example of humble game that knows its limits and thus provide a consistent gameplay that shines at every presented aspect. Is this a BioWare experience or something else but Stoic Studio managed to create THE only game that worths more than Kickstarter crowd has invested in it.
TBS tells us the first part of trilogy about ‘End Times’. Set in fantasy NorseThe Banner Saga is remarkable example of humble game that knows its limits and thus provide a consistent gameplay that shines at every presented aspect. Is this a BioWare experience or something else but Stoic Studio managed to create THE only game that worths more than Kickstarter crowd has invested in it.
TBS tells us the first part of trilogy about ‘End Times’. Set in fantasy Norse world, we follow the journey of two characters as they travel across the continent. On the west, Varl Vognir and his troupe escort human prince to the capital to make an alliance between races. The Varl are horned battle-hardened giants that are slowly dying out. On the west, huntsman Rook leading his villagers away from the horde of dredge, another race, that for unknown reason commenced a large-scaled assault on varl and humans.
All and all story of the Banner Saga is gorgeous and elegant. It does not try to be pretentious and yet it build a fabulous realistic epic full of mystery and lore. But this is subjective. What is objective is that TBS knows the measure. It does not flood you with oceans of text pouring from any edifice. Dialogues are short and meaningful merging perfectly with ongoing events.
The visuals are adding up to this effect. Well, sure, it is a mostly text-based game: you will be watching the caravan movement from portrait view and reading event texts and dialogues, sometimes accompanied with closeup view. But the drawing is beautiful and stylish. At certain degree it delivers more pleasure than another 3D world with its limitations. What does NOT deliver me any pleasure is the lack of voice acting. At first, the silence of closeup dialogues was even getting on my nerves, somehow.
Gameplay is split between caravan-story mode and tactical turn-based combat. Caravan mode is a survival text-adventure with emphasis on choices-consequences. The player is watching the caravan movement and observe the state of three parameters: morale, population, and supplies. Each day the caravan consumes supplies. If supplies run out people will start to die. Morale decreases with time and improves on resting (if people not starving). It affects events and willpower in combat. To tell the truth, population does not affect gameplay much. You can let your clansmen die and it won’t hinder your walkthrough. But nevertheless I label the caravan management good because it entertaining purely by itself. It fits with into the story so nicely that you just starting to care about these non-existing countrymen as the game progresses.
But the gem of the caravan mode is events. Regularly you, as leader, will have to deal with numerous kinds of situation that occur during travels. The treasure wagon is falling down a cliff and your faithful bodyguard is the only force pulling it back. Let go? Help him? Believe in him? Think of other solution? Let me tell you: the choices are very ambiguous. In fact, sometimes they are so ambiguous that outcomes may look artificial, and thus - frustrating. But still, TBS choice and consequence event system is the best implementation out there, far superior than, say, precursor the Walking Dead. It is because it is realistic and genuine. It rewards prudent actions with goodness and shortsighted - with meaningness.
The foundation of combat is armor-strength(health) system. You can hit strength but damage number will be reduced by armor value. One interesting detail that strength servers both as attack value and health value. Experience is called renown and goes into leveling up, which gives points for distribution. Renown is earned via combat and events. It also serves as currency to buy supplies and artifacts. Ah! Who are heroes? Heroes are various companions who can join you as playable NPCs. Each hero has unique active ability and class, which provides a common passive ability and define a general role.
The system was outlined. Is it good? Yes. The “strength is both attack and health” adds incredible depth to the combat. The fight are well designed. There are (almost) no cheesy tactics. There are many heroes so there are many team setups. Some of them are completely opposite in playstyle, none of them are OP. There are no useless skills. The AI has incredibly good implementation of “general” actions. It all (especially first clause) results in fun, enjoyable and challenging combat. But there are downsides too. Firstly, AI does not take into computation skill effects and items at all. It can be exploited heavily. Secondly, there are very few types of enemies. Thirdly: round-robin. Specifically in TBS it turn the end of the battles into total mess.
The Banner Saga is fresh experience, made with care and passion. It based upon existing devices but, at the same, time remains independent and proud. But the most remarkable achievement of Stoic Studio is ability to cross off: they don’t tell you nothing about nothing, they only tell you the truth.
8/10… Expand
The Banner SagaYour Score0 out of 10User Score
