The Banner Saga (The Collector’s Edition)

The Banner Saga is a tactical role-playing game set in a Viking-inspired world where humans and horned giants called Varl struggle to survive against the relentless Dredge. The Collector’s Edition includes the base game, an additional character (Tryggvi), an in-game necklace, and the official soundtrack. The story unfolds through player choices, turn-based combat, and a richly detailed lore where gods have perished, and civilizations teeter on the brink of collapse.

The Banner Saga (The Collector’s Edition): A Masterpiece of Norse-Inspired Storytelling and Tactical Depth

Introduction

The Banner Saga (The Collector’s Edition) is more than just a game—it is a hauntingly beautiful odyssey through a world steeped in Norse mythology, where every decision carries weight, and every battle could be your last. Released in 2014 by Stoic, a studio founded by former BioWare developers, The Banner Saga defies conventional RPG tropes, offering instead a mature, emotionally resonant narrative paired with deep tactical combat. The Collector’s Edition, with its additional character (Tryggvi) and in-game items, enhances an already rich experience, making it a must-own for fans of strategy RPGs and storytelling alike.

This review will dissect The Banner Saga in exhaustive detail, exploring its development history, narrative depth, gameplay mechanics, artistic brilliance, and lasting legacy. By the end, it will be clear why this game remains a benchmark for indie RPGs and a testament to the power of crowdfunded creativity.

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Development History & Context

The Birth of Stoic and a Vision Realized

The Banner Saga was born from the minds of Alex Thomas, John Watson, and Arnie Jorgensen, three developers who left BioWare Austin after working on Star Wars: The Old Republic. Frustrated by the constraints of AAA development, they sought to create a game that was both personally fulfilling and innovative. Their vision was clear: a tactical RPG inspired by The Oregon Trail, King of Dragon Pass, and Shining Force, but set in a Viking-inspired world to avoid the overused “elves, dwarves, and orcs” fantasy trope.

The team’s Scandinavian roots (Jorgensen grew up in Norway) heavily influenced the game’s aesthetic and lore, drawing from Norse mythology and the stark beauty of Nordic landscapes. The art style, inspired by Eyvind Earle’s work on Sleeping Beauty and the animations of Ralph Bakshi and Don Bluth, was a deliberate choice to evoke a handcrafted, almost storybook quality.

Kickstarter and the Power of Community

Funding The Banner Saga was no small feat. Initially, the team planned to finance the game through personal savings, but they turned to Kickstarter in 2012, inspired by the success of Double Fine Adventure and Wasteland 2. Their campaign, which aimed for $100,000, ultimately raised $723,886 from over 20,000 backers. This influx of funds allowed Stoic to expand the game’s scope, hire additional staff, and collaborate with renowned composer Austin Wintory (Journey) and Powerhouse Animation Studios.

The Kickstarter also enabled the development of The Banner Saga: Factions, a free-to-play multiplayer precursor that served as both a testing ground for the combat system and a promotional tool. This strategic move helped build hype and refine mechanics before the full game’s release.

Technological Constraints and Innovations

Stoic built The Banner Saga using a custom engine named Yggdrasil, developed with Adobe AIR. While this allowed for easy porting to mobile devices, it posed challenges for console adaptations. The team later used Autodesk Scaleform to address these issues, a solution that had never been attempted on such a large scale before.

The game’s animation was achieved through rotoscoping, where the developers filmed themselves performing actions and then traced over the footage to create fluid, lifelike movements. This technique, combined with hand-drawn art, gave The Banner Saga its distinctive, almost cinematic quality.

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Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

A World on the Brink

The Banner Saga unfolds in a world where the gods are dead, the sun has stopped moving, and an ancient, malevolent race—the Dredge—has returned to wipe out humanity and the Varl (horned giants). The game’s narrative is split between two protagonists: Rook, a human hunter protecting his daughter Alette, and Hakon, a Varl warrior escorting Prince Ludin to forge an alliance. Their stories eventually converge in a desperate struggle for survival.

The game’s opening is deliberately disorienting, dropping players into a world already in crisis. This in medias res approach mirrors the confusion of the characters themselves, who are fleeing destruction and grappling with the collapse of their societies. The lack of a traditional “hero’s journey” is refreshing; instead, The Banner Saga focuses on the collective struggle of a caravan, where every decision—whether to spare a stranger, destroy a bridge, or sacrifice a companion—has lasting consequences.

Themes of Sacrifice, Survival, and Moral Ambiguity

At its core, The Banner Saga is a meditation on sacrifice and survival. The game forces players to make brutal choices, such as:
– Abandoning allies to save the caravan.
– Executing a traitor or showing mercy, risking future betrayal.
– Destroying a sacred bridge, potentially dooming an entire race.

These choices are not merely binary; they are nuanced, with outcomes that ripple through the story. The game’s writing is sharp, avoiding melodrama in favor of quiet, devastating moments. For example, the discovery of a Dredge baby forces Rook to confront the humanity of his enemies, a moment that subverts the traditional “monster” trope.

The Varl and human alliance is another central theme. The Varl, created by the god Hadrborg, are a dying race unable to reproduce, while humans are fertile but physically weaker. Their uneasy partnership is tested repeatedly, reflecting real-world tensions between cultures in crisis.

Characters: Flawed, Memorable, and Human

The characters in The Banner Saga are far from archetypal heroes. They are flawed, weary, and often desperate. Key figures include:
– Iver (Yngvar): A legendary Varl warrior hiding in shame after a dishonorable act. His revelation as the famed Yngvar adds depth to his character, showing how even heroes carry guilt.
– Eyvind and Juno: Menders (magic-users) whose telepathic bond and moral dilemmas drive much of the plot. Juno’s encounter with the Serpent, a cosmic entity, hints at a larger, Lovecraftian threat looming over the world.
– Bellower: The Dredge’s nigh-invincible champion, whose defeat requires a psychological trick (the Silver Arrow) rather than brute force. His presence is a constant, looming threat, embodying the game’s theme of inevitable doom.

The game’s dialogue system is minimalist but effective. Characters rarely speak aloud (the game uses text with occasional grunts), which forces players to engage deeply with the writing. The lack of voice acting, while initially jarring, ultimately enhances the game’s atmospheric bleakness.

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Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Tactical Combat: A Dance of Strategy and Desperation

The Banner Saga’s combat is a turn-based, gridless system that emphasizes positioning, armor management, and resource conservation. Unlike traditional RPGs, there is no looting or grinding; every battle is a high-stakes encounter where loss is permanent.

Core Mechanics:

1. Armor and Strength:

   • Armor reduces damage taken. Attacking an enemy’s armor first is crucial, as direct hits to Strength (HP) are far more devastating.
   • Strength serves dual purposes: it determines both health and attack power. A weakened warrior hits softer, creating a risk-reward dynamic in combat.

2. Willpower:

   • A limited resource that allows characters to boost attacks, move further, or use special abilities. Managing Willpower is key, as it does not replenish mid-battle.

3. Classes and Abilities:

   • Varl: Slow but powerful, excelling in melee. Their abilities often involve shield walls or crushing blows.
   • Humans: Faster and more versatile, with archers, spearmen, and skirmishers who can exploit enemy weaknesses.
   • Dredge: Varied and terrifying, from Stonesingers (magic-users) to Sundr (elite warriors like Bellower).

4. No Random Encounters:

   • Every battle is handcrafted and tied to the story, ensuring that combat never feels like filler. This design choice reinforces the game’s narrative weight.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

• Strengths:
  • Deep tactical depth with meaningful choices in every turn.
  • Permadeath adds tension; losing a beloved character is a gut punch.
  • Enemy variety keeps battles fresh, though some critics argue the Dredge lack diversity.
• Weaknesses:
  • Steep learning curve: New players may struggle with armor mechanics.
  • Lack of a manual save system: The autosave feature can be frustrating if a bad decision leads to an unwinnable scenario.
  • Repetitive encounters: Some battles feel recycled, particularly in the latter half.

Caravan Management: The Oregon Trail Meets Viking Apocalypse

Between battles, players manage their caravan, a group of survivors fleeing the Dredge. This segment draws heavily from The Oregon Trail, requiring players to:
– Allocate supplies (food, morale, and resources).
– Make narrative choices (e.g., helping refugees, executing criminals).
– Upgrade facilities (e.g., training grounds, blacksmiths).

Morale and supplies are critical:
– Low supplies lead to starvation and desertion.
– Low morale results in reduced combat effectiveness and potential mutiny.

The caravan system is brutal but fair, forcing players to balance compassion with pragmatism. For example, taking in a starving family may boost morale but drain supplies, risking future survival.

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World-Building, Art & Sound

A Living, Breathing Norse Nightmare

The Banner Saga’s world is a frozen, dying realm where every location tells a story. From the ruined city of Ridgehorn to the Varl stronghold of Einartoft, the environments are rich with lore. The game’s Godstones—monuments to dead deities—hint at a deeper history, suggesting that the gods’ deaths were not natural but the result of a cosmic war.

The Dredge’s underground civilization, revealed in later games, adds another layer of depth. Their society, with its Sundr champions and Stonesinger mages, is as complex as the humans’ and Varls’, challenging the player’s perception of them as mere monsters.

Art Direction: A Hand-Painted Epic

Arnie Jorgensen’s art direction is nothing short of masterful. The game’s visuals are a love letter to:
– Eyvind Earle’s Sleeping Beauty (angular, stylized backgrounds).
– Ralph Bakshi’s Fire and Ice (gritty, dynamic character designs).
– Norse tapestries and woodcuts (bold lines, earthy tones).

Every frame looks like a moving painting, with characters rendered in striking silhouettes against sweeping landscapes. The animation, though limited in frames, is expressive, conveying emotion through subtle shifts in posture and facial expressions.

Sound Design: A Symphony of Desolation

Austin Wintory’s soundtrack is a character in its own right. Performed by the Dallas Wind Symphony, the score blends Nordic folk instruments (hardanger fiddles, nyckelharpas) with orchestral grandeur. Key tracks include:
– “The Banner Saga Main Theme”: A haunting, melancholic melody that sets the tone.
– “Ridgehorn”: A tense, percussive piece accompanying the game’s first major battle.
– “The Serpent”: A dissonant, unsettling track that underscores the cosmic horror of the game’s antagonist.

The ambient sounds—howling winds, cracking ice, distant Dredge chants—immerse players in the world’s bleakness. The lack of voice acting, while polarizing, forces players to listen to the world itself, making every creak of a door or clash of steel feel significant.

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Reception & Legacy

Critical Acclaim and Awards

The Banner Saga was met with universal praise, earning an 80/100 on Metacritic (PC) and a 92/100 on iOS. Critics lauded its:
– Art and animation (often called “a playable Disney film”).
– Narrative depth (compared to Game of Thrones in its moral complexity).
– Combat system (a refreshing take on tactical RPGs).

The game was nominated for over 30 awards, including:
– BAFTA Games Awards (Best Music, Debut Game).
– D.I.C.E. Awards (RPG of the Year).
– Independent Games Festival (Excellence in Visual Art).

Commercial Success and Cultural Impact

While not a blockbuster, The Banner Saga was a commercial success, particularly on PC and mobile. Its Kickstarter success proved that crowdfunding could sustain ambitious indie projects, paving the way for games like Pillars of Eternity and Divinity: Original Sin 2.

The game’s influence extends beyond sales:
– Narrative Design: It demonstrated that player choice could have weight without illusory branching paths.
– Art Style: Its hand-drawn aesthetic inspired indie titles like Children of Morta and Wytchwood.
– Music: Wintory’s score remains a benchmark for orchestral game soundtracks.

The Trilogy’s Evolution

The Banner Saga spawned two sequels:
1. The Banner Saga 2 (2016): Expanded the world and introduced the Horseborn, a new playable race.
2. The Banner Saga 3 (2018): Concluded the trilogy with a cosmic showdown against the Darkness.

The trilogy’s save-file continuity—where choices carry over between games—was groundbreaking for an indie RPG, offering a true epic scale rarely seen outside AAA titles.

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Conclusion: A Modern Classic

The Banner Saga (The Collector’s Edition) is more than a game; it is a work of art. Its blend of Norse mythology, tactical depth, and emotional storytelling creates an experience that lingers long after the credits roll. While its combat can be punishing and its narrative choices brutal, these elements serve a greater purpose: to immerse players in a world where every decision matters.

Final Verdict: 9.5/10 – A Masterpiece of Indie RPG Design

For fans of tactical RPGs, rich narratives, or simply stunning art, The Banner Saga is essential. The Collector’s Edition, with its bonus content, is the definitive way to experience this modern classic. Stoic didn’t just make a game—they crafted a saga worthy of the name.

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Additional Resources

• Official Website: Stoic Studio
• Soundtrack: Austin Wintory’s Bandcamp
• Wiki: Banner Saga Fandom

The Banner Saga stands as a testament to what indie developers can achieve with vision, passion, and a willingness to take risks. It is a game that demands to be played, remembered, and revered.