Banner of the Maid

About

"Banner of the Maid" is a strategy RPG set during the French Revolution. As young commander Pauline, command troops, manage resources, and navigate political intrigue. Inspired by historical events, the game features a unique battle system and character-driven storyline.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 573 reviews

story95 positive mentions

grinding39 negative mentions

Beautiful art style and character designs that appeal to fans of anime.
Engaging tactical gameplay reminiscent of classic SRPGs like Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics.
Interesting alternate history setting during the French Revolution that adds depth to the story.

Poor English translation with awkward phrasing and grammatical errors that detract from the story experience.
Unfair difficulty spikes and scripted enemy reinforcements that can lead to frustrating gameplay.
Limited character development and lack of meaningful choices that affect the story or gameplay.

story
477 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
76%
4%
The story of "Banner of the Maid" is a mixed bag, with many players finding it engaging yet flawed. While some appreciate its historical context and character design, others criticize the weak translation, convoluted plot, and lack of depth in character development. Overall, the narrative is seen as serviceable but often tedious, with players frequently skipping dialogue due to its slow pacing and uninspired delivery.
- “The story is pretty good too, it follows a fictional take on the French Revolution.”
- “The story is interesting and worth a look by itself.”
- “The story deals with topics such as espionage, drama, conflicts of gray areas, honor, and sacrifice.”
- “The story is not engaging at all.”
- “The story had not amounted to anything significant by the time I dropped the game; it seemed to just be bridging the gap between missions.”
- “The story is dead boring, played by K-pop girl bands and boy bands that instead of singing and dancing, are swinging machetes and shooting flintlocks.”
gameplay
183 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
59%
3%
The gameplay of "Banner of the Maid" is characterized by its tactical turn-based combat, reminiscent of classic strategy RPGs like Fire Emblem, featuring a rock-paper-scissors unit type system that encourages strategic planning. While many players appreciate the engaging mechanics and beautiful art style, some criticize the gameplay for being simplistic, repetitive, or lacking depth, with a few noting that it feels tacked on to a visual novel format. Overall, the game offers solid mechanics and enjoyable combat, though it may not fully satisfy those seeking a more refined or innovative experience.
- “A beautiful alternate history game which combines a historically-accurate combat advantage/disadvantage between unit types with battlefield maps that successfully incorporate topographical and terrain differences into gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is hard and fun.”
- “The gameplay is very similar to other SRPGs but with a French Revolution aesthetic.”
- “The gameplay feels haphazardly stapled on to what is otherwise an unremarkable visual novel.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it's crap.”
- “But after a while, the gameplay was the same.”
graphics
83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
41%
4%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their beautiful anime art style and detailed character designs, which enhance the overall aesthetic experience. While the pixel art and animations are generally well-received, some users note inconsistencies in the quality of backgrounds and UI elements, leading to a somewhat disjointed visual presentation. Overall, the artwork is considered a significant draw for the game, appealing particularly to fans of the genre.
- “The artwork is beautiful, in fact, it’s stunning.”
- “The character artwork is exceptional, and the VN portions of the game are focused and short.”
- “Fantastic TRPG with beautiful artwork and satisfying core gameplay that makes great use of its historically inspired setting and influences.”
- “Backgrounds are randomly fuzzy, other things like character portraits are weirdly sharp, almost all the menus look way different than each other, it ends up looking like a strange hodge-podge of randomly designed graphics.”
- “Graphics - while I'm actually impressed by the level of detail in character artwork and battle animations, it's severely limited and suffers as a result.”
- “Graphically, the game is obviously not much.”
music
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
40%
5%
The music in the game has received generally positive feedback, with many players praising its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the gameplay experience. While some tracks are described as beautiful and fitting for the game's historical setting, others are noted as repetitive or generic. Overall, the soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's charm, though some players express a desire for a more diverse or expansive musical selection.
- “Great music and gameplay.”
- “The game's graphics, OST, and gameplay are amazing.”
- “Music is appropriately royal and militaristic, successfully immersing you into the era of the French Revolution or the luxurious and decadent palaces and Parisian cafes.”
- “And what is jazz music from the 1920s doing in a game that takes place almost 100 years earlier?”
- “The same battle music over and over can feel a bit repetitive and uninspired after a certain point playing the game for an extended period.”
- “For each stage, you pretty much only have two soundtracks, one for your move and the other one for the enemy.”
grinding
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding in the game to be excessive and often tedious, particularly in the late-game where it becomes almost mandatory to progress. While some appreciate the option for grinding to level up units, many criticize the lack of variety and the need for extensive grinding to keep characters viable, leading to a frustrating experience. Despite these issues, a few players noted that minimal grinding can be manageable if side missions are completed, but the overall sentiment leans towards grinding being a significant drawback.
- “After the first 10 missions, the overall experience quickly gets grindy, boring, and annoying.”
- “However, near the late-game the game almost forces you into grinding experience for units in order to stand a chance, and this is where my main criticism comes: it feels like the devs made it so that you would spend more time grinding for experience over and over again for the sake of completing the next mission.”
- “I thought I was enjoying this game until 25 hours in and I realized they never give you any money in this game, they expect you to perfect every mission even though they give you weak characters as 75% of the recruits, and I don't feel like grinding for 10 more hours to earn enough gold to rank them up so they can survive a combat encounter.”
character development
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
19%
19%
Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the appealing and unique character designs, particularly in the context of its historical setting, while others criticize the superficiality of character portrayals, particularly in female characters. Although the game offers interesting backstories and some depth, many players express a desire for more substantial character development and interactions beyond the initial visual appeal. Overall, while the art and design are highlights, the narrative and character growth aspects leave room for improvement.
- “It has interesting backstory and great character design.”
- “Decent character development and intuitive controls.”
- “Character design is poor, with an overemphasis on physical attributes for most female characters.”
- “The story is linear, and I certainly want more character development.”
- “As well as interactions and character development from the side characters.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
29%
43%
The game offers significant replayability through various replayable quests and a New Game+ mode, appealing to fans of turn-based gameplay. While some players appreciate the additional challenges and post-game content that enhance replay value, others feel that certain fixed elements and unnecessary grinding can limit their overall experience.
- “If you liked turn-based games, then give this game a try! Grind those replayable missions if you're stuck on a mission or just find it hard.”
- “Has plenty of replay value with a New Game+ mode as well.”
- “There are several replayable quests that unlock as the game progresses, which are solely there for leveling up.”
- “It's fixed, which limits replayability on my account.”
- “There are replayable sub-missions to grind your units, but I found it unnecessary.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
Overall, the game is well-optimized for PC, delivering smooth performance in most scenarios. However, players have reported occasional stuttering during battles and noted that the game's balance requires further optimization, though the developer is committed to ongoing updates.
- “Performance-wise, the game works great.”
- “The game is optimized for PC and runs smoothly.”
- “Currently, the game balance is somewhat uneven and requires optimization, but the developer has a good passion to update this game.”
- “Occasional stuttering and hiccups during battles when selecting units or taking action.”
- “The balance and optimization of the game leave much to be desired.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a mix of humor and drama, with players finding amusement in its quirky elements, such as typos and odd grammar that often add to the comedic effect. Characters like Napoleon are noted for their humorous portrayals, and history buffs may particularly enjoy the entertaining narrative, even if it lacks depth. Overall, the humor is a notable aspect that enhances the gaming experience.
- “It has its fair share of humor, intrigues, and even some drama.”
- “There are tons of typos and weird grammar mistakes all over the place, but they are usually pretty funny.”
- “I'm a big history buff, so the story is very entertaining and sometimes even hilarious, even if it isn't anything too special.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by its atmospheric music, which, while limited in variety, effectively complements the colorful characters and the fantasy-revolutionary storyline. Reviewers appreciate how the music aligns with the game's setting and missions, contributing to an immersive experience.
- “Decent tactical JRPG with colorful characters, some plot twists, a fantasy-revolutionary story, and atmospheric music.”
- “There aren’t many different songs, but they are quite unique and suit the atmosphere of the missions.”
- “The music and atmosphere fit the time and scenery perfectly.”
- “The overall atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking any real immersion.”
- “While the visuals are decent, the atmosphere fails to evoke any real emotion or tension.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for being thin and lacking depth, with players feeling frustrated by the abrupt difficulty spike that leads to early defeats. While the plot has potential, it fails to engage players on an emotional level, resulting in a disconnection from the narrative.
- “Sat through hours of pointless, boring story only to die in the second battle and be hit with the 'game over' screen. As an SRPG expert who has played all the greats, I understand losing, but losing on the second battle is just frustrating.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates excellent stability, running smoothly on various hardware, including the Steam Deck, with no reported issues.
- “It isn’t a game that’s going to push your hardware or anything; it runs great on Steam Deck, with no issues whatsoever.”