The Banner Saga

The Banner Saga is a turn-based tactical RPG about a dangerous journey through a fantasy world inspired by Norse mythology. A caravan of humans and the horned Varl must escape a war and an overwhelming threat. Decisions about the route, the survival of the group and the use of individual fighters change how the story unfolds.

The Banner Saga came out on Jan 14, 2014 for PC. iOS followed in October 2014 and Android in November. The PS4 version released on Jan 11, 2016 in Germany, and the Xbox One version on Jan 12. The Nintendo Switch version followed on May 17, 2018.

In the UK, Jan 12, 2016 is given for PS4. The Banner Saga 2 and The Banner Saga 3 continue the story in standalone games.

The Banner Saga came out for PC, iOS, Android, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. The PC version supports Windows and macOS. On mobile devices, the controls were adapted for touchscreens. The console versions can be played with a gamepad.

The campaign is a single-player adventure. The separate free title The Banner Saga: Factions offers tactical multiplayer battles, but it is not a mode of the actual campaign.

The journey alternates between conversations, decisions about the caravan and turn-based battles on clear grids. In combat, the order of turns, the position of characters and the abilities of the different classes matter. The outcome of a battle can also have consequences later. Between battles, you need to keep an eye on food, companions and the progress of the travelling party.

On the world map, a large group moves through a hostile landscape. The caravan needs supplies, has to find places to rest and, along the way, faces decisions that can cost companions or bring new allies. The safety of the community is therefore just as important as the victory of individual characters on the battlefield.

Conversations and events often offer no clearly good solution. Trusting one person, leaving someone behind or sharing supplies differently can have consequences you only experience much later. Stoic designed the save system deliberately so these decisions become part of your own story, rather than being constantly swapped out by reloading.

More than 25 playable characters from the two peoples, humans and Varl, join the travelling party. They are spread across seven classes with different abilities and development options. Which companions go into a battle decides more than just the tactics: losses can permanently remove characters from the story.

The landscapes, characters and combat animations are hand-drawn. Art director Arnie Jorgensen drew inspiration, among other things, from the illustrations of Eyvind Earle. The soundtrack comes from Austin Wintory and shapes the oppressive mood between battles as well as their dramatic highlights.

The PC version offers German menus and subtitles, but no German voice acting. English is available for the voice-over. German text is also included on Nintendo Switch. The mobile versions use touch controls for combat and travel, while the console versions are played with a gamepad.

On Windows, Steam lists at least 2 GB RAM and 4 GB free storage space. 4 GB RAM and 6 GB storage are recommended. The historical system requirement lists Windows 7 SP1, but the current Steam client only supports Windows 10 and newer versions.

The Banner Saga kicks off the trilogy. The decisions from the first journey and the surviving characters can carry over into The Banner Saga 2. The two sequels are standalone games and are not additional chapters of the first game.