The Banner Saga 2 Previews
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I finally had the time to round up a batch of previews for The Banner Saga 2, the sequel to last years' Kickstarter-funded tactical turn-based RPG from Stoic Studios. Almost all of the pieces are hands-on previews that were penned based on the experiences with a build of the title that was present at this year's E3.
Although Drew McGee is new to his position as head writer, he had been heavily involved in writing the previous game and assured me that his main priority was telling a contiguous story across the entire trilogy. I was pleased with the writing, particularly with dialogue options giving me a choice in how to express my character while still feeling true to the situation.
Speaking of, the situation of the caravan remains dire in the sequel; the survivors of Boersgard are attempting to reach the human capitol while fending off the dredge at every turn. McGee hinted that this installment would focus heavily on understanding who the dredge are as a people and how they fit into this world. The centaur-like horseborn will also make an appearance, but I did not get a chance to meet any in the demo.
Programmer John Watson told me that while the story and art direction are more or less a continuation of the previous game, the team tried very hard to beef up the combat and create even more variety in the gameplay. From the very first fight they introduced destructible obstacles on the battlefield and a new unit that is essentially a bard; his ability will buff an ally to allow them to deal extra damage when attacking a stronger enemy. His passive ability will earn extra renown when he is adjacent to an ally that kills an enemy. Another new unit that I saw, but did not get a chance to use, was the Shield Maiden, who can reduce an enemy's armor at the expense of her own.
Speaking of player choices, there will be many to make in The Banner Saga 2. These can be as simple as conversational options and as difficult as whether to save those in need at great personal risk or continue your journey. Unlike Telltale's The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us, which McGee cited as games the developers enjoyed, there's no notification letting you know when you've made a decision that will affect you later. The developers want the player in the dark about how impactful those choices are, much like real life.
Battles require thought and skill, as is usually the case in the genre. The early battles I played serve as a tutorial to the uninitiated, but didn't feel tedious or over-explanatory. Skirmishes take place on a grid of squares, and you're responsible for taking out all enemies by thoughtfully moving your line-up of melee fighters and ranged weapon users. The battlefield may also have precious resources, but is it worth using a turn and potentially putting someone in danger to grab them? That's a choice you'll have to make.
I played the game for maybe 30 or 45 minutes, and I was already hit with a barrage of hard decisions and a battle that wiped out three members of my squad that would have forced me to boot up an old save. The difficulty curve of the first? Ha, no, that's gone. That line continues after a quick (hey, remember how to play this) segment.
The fact that all the strife and anxiety I felt a while back when playing the first game returns within minutes of starting this sequel is huge for me. No game really relaxed and stressed me out quite like The Banner Saga, and as someone who loved that about the first, I'm excited to say that's returning for the second.
Like most strategy RPGs, combat is about placement and timing. Aligning your team in the correct position to quickly dispatch a foe before he can counterattack is key. When striking an enemy you can choose to damage his armor, which opens up his strength for more damage later, or simply hack at his strength, which doubles as both his attack strength and health. You have humans and horn bearing Varls, the latter of which take up four spaces on the map.
When combat is all over, you will return to town to talk amongst the rabble and purchase supplies for the days ahead. You never have quite enough to cover all your bases, as your company is always in need of something beyond reach. Conversations also never yield the conclusion you want, as leaders within your gang have complaints and desires that you can't promise or offer.
Renown is still used for leveling up your various characters, only they're now able to earn an additional ability at certain points. Stoic told me they haven't talked about this much as they're still working out exactly how it will work, but I was able to upgrade Rook, the returning protagonist from the first game, to have a new ability centered around Pillage. This is the state where the enemy team is no longer guaranteed a turn after each of yours when it only has one unit left. With Rook's new Call to Arms ability, you're able to trigger Pillage when two enemies remain.
Not all of The Banner Saga 2's changes are found in combat. When you're presented with the opportunity to jump into certain combat sequences, which risks the lives of the non-playable characters in your caravan, you can opt for alternatives. One example I saw of this involved spotting an enemy on the coast, allowing me to either get my caravan back on our boats, kill it, back away, or track it. I opted to track it, which led me to another choice between picking up a spooky statue and simply leaving. Picking it up in this case was a good decision, as it led to me acquiring a high-level item, and my caravan approved, earning me renown.
The demo didn't start with a battle. It started with a choice. Alette or Rook. Alettes journey will focus, in part, on her uphill battle to win the respect of the followers she inherited from her father. A teenage girl, she will have to earn her peers respect and work hard to maintain it.
"A 40-year old man is going to face a different set of challenges than a 16-year old girl," said writer Drew McGee.
Even in the brief 45 minute demo I felt the pressure. I rushed to battle. I ignored choices that were compassionate. I don't know how these choices will play out, but I know they were impactful. Once again, Stoic has imparted a sense of weight and urgency in the dialogue by creating a masterful atmosphere that feels unique and alive. The weight of your decisions will also be felt across some new civilian and hero management features.
The developers knew that this wasn't exactly the most compelling form of combat, however, and decided to switch things up a bit for The Banner Saga 2. Now, battles have numerous different types of victory conditions. Sometimes a battle won't end until you defeat a powerful boss enemy. Other times, you have to survive for a certain number of turns. Still other times you will need to move an important unit from one side of the battlefield to the other. It really changes up the flow of battle, making it feel less repetitive. Many battles also have barriers or destructible terrain on them now, which alters where you can move, and it's worth noting that an enemy will always attack terrain if they can't attack you, which allows you to lure enemies into position in order to deal them a lot of damage.
Characters can level up in new ways in The Banner Saga 2. Perhaps most importantly, they can now choose between several different abilities when they level up. In The Banner Saga 1, characters only got one ability which was dependent on their class. This allows you to diversify your characters a little bit more and gives you reason to include multiple characters of the same class, which there wasn't much reason to do in The Banner Saga 1.
Rook and company stop at a village that's under attack from the dredge. The armor clad monsters of the first game have continued their march south, despite the loss of their thought-to-be-indestructible leader. After Rook and his fighters have safeguarded the village, you are faced with your first choice as a leader: evacuate the people or leave them to their death as the dredge continue southward.
While the look of The Banner Saga remains the same, there have been some changes to the gameplay. Renown now can be affected by some of the choices you can make, being taken away when you ask for help or added when you heroically lead the charge yourself. You can also convert your clansmen into fighters in Banner Saga 2, but they will consume more resources. Conversely, the more clansmen you have, the more they will spread word of your great deeds and increase your renown, which you can use to buy supplies and special equipment.
