Bolverk and his crew are more interesting and entertaining, as the team composition revolves around making Bolverk unstoppable in combat through buffs and support, and letting the bloodthirsty brute tear through enemies with ease. The second group, the Ravens, is led by notable character Bolverk, a berserker. This is more traditional fare, and feels very much the same as the first game, with frequent battles and a deep roster to customize your playstyle (with new enemies creating additional wrinkles in battle). One party follows your successors and survivors from the events of the last game, led by either Rook or Alette. You are tasked with handling two main parties, each with separate characters and composition options. I stuck with a powerful mix focused on ranged abilities with big and burly Varl up front and high-power archer and caster abilities from the backline, but I had the most fun playing with the new options, especially the support-oriented Ravens crew. Banner Saga 2 enhances the systems of its predecessor by offering new classes with new abilities – the most extreme being the Horseborn, who can execute charging attacks and get an additional movement phase after their turns. The tactical RPG tasks players with moving pieces tile-to-tile, with careful planning going a long way toward taking on the hordes of Dredge and other opponents. Even as your favorite characters give their lives fending off the never-ending swarms of Dredge and ensuring the civilian-packed caravan makes it to its final destination, Austin Wintory’s tunes combine with the unique artstyle to create a wholly unique experience. Not all will survive in this bittersweet journey through beautifully created caves, marshes, and skybridges, but the grim backdrop exudes a dignified grace.
This is the backdrop for the second installment of Stoic’s Nordic tactical role-playing series – a place where lives hang in the balance. The world is dark, cold, and unforgiving.