The Banner Saga beautifully burst onto the scene in 2014 [Gaming Nexus score 8.8 out of 10]. Though suffering from middle child syndrome, 2016's The Banner Saga 2 [8.0 out of 10] carried the Nordic mythology forward, seemingly without a beginning or an end. Finally, having returned to Kickstarter, Banner Saga 3 will bring closure to this Viking Oregon Trail RPG in Summer 2018.
Developer Stoic is firing up a video series highlighting the cast of characters in Banner Saga 3. First is Fasolt, the Loyalist. You might not remember him. Some of these horned giants blend together in my head, too. But Fasolt is embedded with hardcore loyalties to his giant brethren. He was there when the misunderstood fight against the stone-clad Dredge migration began. Some keep making the mistake of thinking he's died. But dude doesn't die. He's also ready to end the alliance between humans and giants, just as the world is taking its final stand against a vast and immeasurable enemy.
I feel this series has been slightly underappreciated over the years, even by me. No, the 1950's classic Sleeping Beauty artwork never escaped me. I also appreciate the brutal checkerboard tactical battles. The character building is sufficient enough, on sight, to make me remember if a character is good, bad, or ugly. But I never felt like I was "winning" The Banner Saga. It just feels like I'm taking an endless succession of L's, even when I've walked away from the battlefield intact. From the opening credits, the story of survival felt like it was all downhill from there (and I mean that in the bad way). I just felt beat up. Hope was a precious commodity that I had little of in the beginning, and even less of as things unfolded.
And that might be the point. The Banner Saga is a cold, cold story. The politics are hostile. The friendships are fragile. And it's just an out-and-out struggle, whether we're talking about fatherhood or nationhood. I don't get a warm-fuzzy when I think about The Banner Saga. I get a cold-prickly. That's exactly where it wants you.
So if that's your cup of cold-prickly tea, then you, like me, are already looking forward to Banner Saga 3 and its inevitable epic failures and triumphs. It's been a long road. Whether I live or die is of some consequence, sure. But—and I mean this in the best way possible—I just want The Banner Saga to end. For the love, just end it.
Again, Banner Saga 3 is coming Summer 2018. Do not start with 3 or even 2. You will be hopelessly lost. It's a real trilogy that can only begin at the beginning.
Banner Saga 3 Vignette Trailer Series Begins With Fasolt, The Loyalist
Wednesday, 24th January 2018, Indie publisher Versus Evil, in partnership with indie developer Stoic, today released the first in a series of vignette trailers aimed at highlighting the influential characters which will appear in the release of the final installment of the award winning Viking role playing game, The Banner Saga. A release date of SUMMER 2018 was also officially announced.
Varl loyalist, Fasolt, is the first warrior we review. What are his true motives and will he turn his back on civilization in their greatest time of need in revenge for wrongs past?
http://www.bannersaga.com COMING SUMMER 2018
