Banner Saga 2 review

Game

Combat in The Banner Saga 2 sees a marginal improvement over its predecessor, mostly in the form of a larger list of enemy types and abilities. As a tactical RPG, Stoic Studio has created a competent if unspectacular package. It’s accessible but lacks a lot in terms of nuances. Allowing up to six warriors to be brought into battle, the combat uses a grid-based system, which assigns each character a certain amount of steps for their movement. Along with strength (which doubles as a character’s HP), fighters have a shield that often needs to be shattered before a significant amount of direct damage can be afflicted. A degree of strategy comes in the form of skills, both passive and active. Assuming the difficulty level is set to something higher than “Easy”, these skills become crucial to achieving victory. Opponents can be quite evil.

Instead of accumulating XP, a character’s reputation improves if they happen to kill a dredge. Consequently, planning ahead to allow a particular fighter to score the final blow becomes important. Winning fights or making popular decisions improves the reputation of the caravan, which essentially serves as a monetary system. Players can use reputation to purchase supplies or items, or to upgrade a character’s stat points. Once again, The Banner Saga 2 instructs the player to compromise and accept the consequences.

Final verdict

Although the game includes a recap of the first chapter, players should try The Banner Saga 2 right after the original game. The game brings many new faces into the mix. However, it doesn’t give much development to the previously introduced characters. As a sequel, The Banner Saga 2 doesn’t seem like an improvement over the original. The fight eventually begins to weaken, especially if played right after the previous entry. Although a slow start dulls the experience somewhat, the narrative gradually blossoms into something truly special and becomes a worthy continuation of The Banner Saga.