The Banner Saga Review

I’ve been hearing about The Banner Saga since it’s initial PC release back in 2014. I’m not the biggest PC gamer but I love hearing about all the new games that come out. So when I found out that The Banner Saga was coming to Xbox One and Playstation 4 I was thrilled that I, and other console gamers, would have the chance to finally play it.

Now the big question is, is The Banner Saga for Xbox One worth picking up? Let’s find out on my review below.

The Banner Saga is touted as “a mature game for adults” in which the game focuses heavily on relationships made through dialogue choices. From what I have seen so far this is absolutely true. There are three main races in The Banner Saga: Humans, The Varl – Viking race, and The Dredge – a warlike race that despises humans. While this is a really good concept it was very interesting to play. The very first thing that stands out in this game is the animation and art style. Part Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, part 1978 Lord of the Rings the hand drawn semi-realistic style is visually striking. It has a very nostalgic look to it and it works.

The Banner Saga is a tactics game with some key decision making. I would share of these decisions with you, but anything I share will give away some key plot points. Let’s just say that there will be times that you sit and think for a while before making a choice. Unlike TellTale games, you’re not limited in your decision making time. The relationships are strong right out of the gate and at times I felt like made a decision that I didn’t want to make, but had to for the greater good. Characters can level up and get stronger giving them access to more attacks.

When it comes to the controls of the game it’s very simple and anyone new to the game will catch on very quickly. If you’re new to tactical games there is no need to worry since most of the time the genre is easy to learn, which is always a plus. As for myself I didn’t care for much of the tactics elements so much. I like some tactics games but as a whole I found myself wanting to know more of the story, which isn’t bad. I could have sat and watched relationships get stronger or crumble for hours based on my decisions. It’s not often you’ll get a game with this idea that really has you thinking about the choices you make.

Overall, The Banner Saga is a good game and with it finally on Xbox One it’s something you shouldn’t pass on. Hopefully, we’ll see more games from Versus Evil in the future. If you never played The Banner Saga on PC this is your chance to play a great tactics game with some deep stories and connections this will be the game for you. While the game is only $19.99 it’s a pretty decent value for the time you’ll spend playing. You can find the game on your console or of course click here and pick it up.