The Banner Saga Review

If I were to write my review of The Banner Saga on an actual banner, the signet would be me looking very anxious. Such is the weight behind the decisions and battles of Stoic Studio’s 2014 strategy game. Addictive turn-based battles are just the icing on the cake. The Banner Saga fully immerses you in the struggles of its highly-detailed and gorgeously hand-drawn world. The Banner Saga’s meaningful interactive story and engrossing strategic battles make for an addictive journey through this Viking RPG.

Story

From its opening chapter, The Banner Saga grabs your attention thanks to its confident Viking-based world-building. Best of all, The Banner Saga manages to build its world without a giant-sized exposition dump. Instead, worldbuilding comes from the interactions between characters and lore that doesn’t feel forced down your throat. The story of how the humans and the Varl — a race of giants — find an uneasy peace after the disappearance of their gods is presented organically.

Within this world is the tale of two human: Rook and his daughter Alette. After their village is attacked by the monstrous Dredge, they find themselves leading a traveling caravan across the land. However, a potentially apocalyptic threat is looming in the shadows.

I never escaped a feeling of dread as I played through the game. The interactive storytelling forced me to face a revolving door of scenarios which will surely accelerate the greying of my hair. Managing resources, choosing when to rest, and defusing infighting all made me feel the burden of leadership. I lamented every time I had to leave a clansman behind. I despaired when my poor resource management resulted in some starving to death. Even if they were just numbers on a screen, I genuinely felt the gravity of every choice I made.