The Banner Saga 2 is an excellent sequel that improves on the original in many ways. Starting a new game allows you to choose which of the two characters you want to play as, with both giving you the same starting companions, items, renown, etc. The better option is to import your play-through of the first game, doing so causes the game to remember many of the choices made, the characters you have with you, the items you have gathered, renown you saved, experience of your characters, and it even carries over how many NPC clansmen and fighters remained with your former group.
Characters can gain higher levels and learn passive chance based abilities that I mostly just ignored, stat caps remain the same however, promotions now cost less renown and allow you to learn a second ability of their class while some of the main characters learn unique skill. The game has the same great art and music as the first title with backgrounds during travels getting more detailed and being more varied. Battles have been improved with new enemies, new classes, obstacles, objectives, etc.
Different events and conversations happen based on who your main character is and you see the other characters taking a more active role in events. Clansmen now can help by actively foraging for food and they can be converted into fighters by spending some time at your trainer. There are no more poorly done war sections where you choose the obvious choice to save more people, instead clansmen saved is based on your number of fighters and you get bonus renown depending on how many you are protecting. Items have also been made affordable in markets though you can still ignore them.
The game has you controlling two separate caravans with one being lead by either Rook or Alette and another being lead by a character who was only introduced near the end of the last game, a character with a very different way of doing things than either Rook or Alette. The Banner Saga 2 ends up being even better than the first game and I look forward to the finale.
Screenshots: https://twitter.com/Legolas_Katarn/status/723263912414613504
https://twitter.com/Legolas_Katarn/status/726575148262789120
https://twitter.com/Legolas_Katarn/status/726953732202590209
Characters can gain higher levels and learn passive chance based abilities that I mostly just ignored, stat caps remain the same however, promotions now cost less renown and allow you to learn a second ability of their class while some of the main characters learn unique skill. The game has the same great art and music as the first title with backgrounds during travels getting more detailed and being more varied. Battles have been improved with new enemies, new classes, obstacles, objectives, etc.
Different events and conversations happen based on who your main character is and you see the other characters taking a more active role in events. Clansmen now can help by actively foraging for food and they can be converted into fighters by spending some time at your trainer. There are no more poorly done war sections where you choose the obvious choice to save more people, instead clansmen saved is based on your number of fighters and you get bonus renown depending on how many you are protecting. Items have also been made affordable in markets though you can still ignore them.
The game has you controlling two separate caravans with one being lead by either Rook or Alette and another being lead by a character who was only introduced near the end of the last game, a character with a very different way of doing things than either Rook or Alette. The Banner Saga 2 ends up being even better than the first game and I look forward to the finale.
Screenshots: https://twitter.com/Legolas_Katarn/status/723263912414613504
https://twitter.com/Legolas_Katarn/status/726575148262789120
https://twitter.com/Legolas_Katarn/status/726953732202590209
Reviewed on May 23, 2021