The First Banner Saga was a brilliant Game and was loved by many when it released on PC in 2014. A year later The Banner Saga released on consoles to critical acclaim. The Banner Saga 2 picks up exactly where its predecessor left off, with either Rook or Alette leading the remainder of your clan. By and large, everything about The Banner Saga 2 is better than the original title. The combination of deeper, more exciting combat, a story with stronger twists and turns, and the same breathtaking art design make this a sequel one not to miss.

First off, finishing The Banner Saga first is recommended. Otherwise, just know the Varl were created by the heavens as a race of horned giants, the Horseborn share a semblance to centaurs, and Dredge harass cities and emigrants while they flee.

 

The Banner Saga 2 picks up after the tragic ending of the original, assuming the role of the character who survived. If you played the first game on the PS4 or Xbox One, all of your choices will carry over into the sequel, so the character that fell to the Bellower will remain dead. You get to choose whether to start with Rook or Alette as you make your way to the city of Aberrang, struggling to cope with the loss of your loved ones, trying to lead an army and keep your people safe.

 

Training fighters will help fend off any ambushes which may lie ahead, while the rest of your followers act as clansmen, replenishing your dwindling supplies with each passing day. A constant bombardment of narrative events threatens to unbalance the books at which point you will have to make difficult decisions which could see sacrifices being made for the greater good.

 

The Banner Saga 2 favors survival and tending to refugees. On one side you have Rook or Alette doing everything it can to reach Arberrang, the human capital untainted by a world-consuming darkness. On the other, you have Bolverk, a berserk Varl and overseer of the sellsword Ravens, who must escort a casket to the city of menders at Manaharr.

One of the crowning achievements of Stoic’s development on this gorgeous series is your choices feel like they matter. From deciding whether you should spend your Renown on upgrading your characters or food for your clan, all the way to deciding whether to help villagers who seem to be in need, there’s a decided weight to every one of your actions.

 

Luckily, there is plenty of opportunity to train your heroes and upgrade their statistics, with markets giving you the option to buy items harboring additional skill points for the ones you choose to award them to. You can also rest along the road so your clansman, fighters, and varl gain more morale, but this takes up supplies so it can be tough to know what is for the best.

The battles take place on a grid, with each square translating to one unit of movement. Characters are generally allowed to move once and attack once per turn, and while it might seem like a simple approach, the gods of fate can turn against you quickly, so a careful approach is a must. Health and armor stats for each hero not only represent how much damage they can take, but also how much they can dish out.

Combat remains relatively unchanged, with each hero having allocated health, armor, and willpower points to use. You will get to set your formations before battle and depending on the statistics of your heroes, you will be able to move further or attack at long range, with the willpower ability letting you push the limit of your move. Once an enemy dies, you will gain an additional willpower point which you can add to any of your heroes.

 

Each battle is different and every enemy has various ranges of armor and health, so each fight remains completely unique. The thrill of victory is thoroughly enjoyable, especially when you’ve put a good 20 or 30 minutes into a single encounter.

Of course, the price of war can be high and if you’re lucky to escape with your life, you will still need to rest up damaged characters between fights. Kills and win convert into renown off the battlefield, which can then be used to level up your heroes and improve their stats, while items can be bought at the market to give your favorites some bonus attributes, such as increased defense or attack power.

Even though there’s a lot of doom and gloom to be found throughout The Banner Saga 2, one thing you can’t help but enjoy are the beautiful hand-drawn visuals which essentially make up every aspect of the game’s graphics. Inspired somewhat by the pre-computer generated, golden age of animation, it makes the most out of the 2D approach. Every character looks unique, adding some much-needed heart to a story which is so focused on survival and fear. Even the battle sequences are absolutely gorgeous, with character models animated right down to the finest detail in their actions. Sound track by Austin Wintory which feels grand and epic in every scale.

 

REVIEW OVERVIEW
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review-banner-saga-2-ps4The Banner Saga 2 plays its cards well, pushing the boundaries of a person’s leadership. The Banner Saga 2’s growth sounds incremental, not monumental, but as the sequel to many people’s “Game of the Year,” this still leaves a lot to love. HGunified recommends Banner Saga 2 as it is a brilliant sequel to the original game.

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