The Banner Saga 3

About

In The Banner Saga 3, the final chapter of the tactical RPG trilogy, players face the darkest of times as they journey to save the world from the evil serpent forces. With high stakes and permanent character deaths, choices made in this installment and the previous two games significantly impact the story's outcome. The future of the civilization hangs in the balance as players navigate challenging battles, brutal decisions, and emotional farewells.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,494 reviews

story440 positive mentions

stability52 negative mentions

Incredible story and character development that ties together the entire trilogy.
Beautiful art style and soundtrack that enhance the emotional experience.
Engaging turn-based combat with new mechanics like wave battles and heroic titles.

Frequent crashes and loading screen issues that disrupt gameplay.
Some characters and plot points feel underdeveloped or forgotten.
The ending feels rushed and lacks a satisfying conclusion for all characters.

story
1,182 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
60%
3%
The story of "The Banner Saga 3" serves as a culmination of the trilogy, wrapping up the intricate narrative threads established in the previous games. While many players appreciate the emotional depth and character development, some criticize the pacing and perceived lack of impactful choices, feeling that the conclusion is rushed and leaves certain plot points unresolved. Overall, the game is recommended for those who have invested in the series, as it offers a visually stunning and thematically rich experience, despite some technical issues and narrative shortcomings.
- “It's a beautiful and heartbreaking story of loss, hope, and... well, the rest is up to you.”
- “The entire trilogy is a pure gem, the gameplay and the narrative are equally amazing all throughout the story.”
- “The story is long and rich, full of rich characters: brave and cowards, honest and treacherous.”
- “For a game touted for its storytelling, it is just boring to follow along when the vast majority of the cast lack any sense of development.”
- “Impactful moments come and go without a second for you to linger on them, combat encounters feel way more random and tedious, story tries to go for a surprising twist but ends up being lame instead, your choices don't really matter and outcomes are very arbitrary and the characters are way more one tone than they ever were - feels like they repeat the same line every time they come up in dialogue.”
- “The story was just so jarring compared to the first two.”
gameplay
408 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
69%
7%
The gameplay in "The Banner Saga 3" largely retains the mechanics of its predecessors, featuring turn-based strategy combat with some new elements like wave battles and heroic titles. While many players appreciate the tactical depth and character variety, some criticize the repetitiveness and the introduction of mechanics that feel tedious or poorly integrated, such as the wave system and the lack of caravan management. Overall, the gameplay is seen as solid but not significantly innovative, with some players expressing disappointment in the absence of major improvements or new mechanics compared to the earlier titles.
- “The entire trilogy is a pure gem; the gameplay and the narrative are equally amazing all throughout the story.”
- “Gorgeous art, fantastic music, and challenging gameplay will take you through the amazing world of Banner Saga that changes depending on the choices you've made.”
- “The gameplay is unique and highly engaging.”
- “The gameplay is very repetitive and brute force is usually much stronger than playing tactically with lots of special attacks.”
- “The core gameplay remains the same, the combat pretty much remains the same, though you get a completely new 'faction' of enemies to fight against: the warped, which consists of all the mortal races, but, well, warped, with new abilities, new models, new animations, etc. they're well done.”
- “The famous 'caravan' mechanic which made the resource management interesting in the first place is now dead, replaced with a timer counting remaining time until the apocalypse - hardly an equal replacement.”
music
176 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
38%
2%
The music in "The Banner Saga" series is consistently praised for its emotional depth and atmospheric quality, with many reviewers highlighting Austin Wintory's exceptional compositions that enhance the game's narrative and setting. While the soundtrack remains a standout feature, some players noted that the music in the final installment felt less memorable compared to earlier entries. Overall, the combination of beautiful art and haunting music creates a compelling experience that resonates with players, making it a significant aspect of the game's appeal.
- “The game's art style and soundtrack are at their best, with stunning hand-drawn visuals and an emotionally powerful score that complements the game's narrative perfectly.”
- “The music is perfectly in line with the feel of the game, fitting to the world's mythos and filled with emotion in all the right spots.”
- “Austin Wintory has outdone himself in portraying the broken world of Banner Saga 3 in music.”
- “Unlike the previous two installments, this game's music is slow and ominous, reflecting the impending doom upon the world.”
- “The voiceover felt lackluster even compared to previous games, the music has no flair especially considering that it is the final part of the saga... as they say, the saga concludes.”
- “The music of The Banner Saga 3, and I mention this because I think the music of TBS 1 and 2 is their strongest element, is average.”
graphics
157 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
37%
2%
The graphics of the game are consistently praised for their stunning hand-drawn art style, which evokes a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic animation. While the visuals maintain a high quality throughout the trilogy, some reviewers noted a lack of innovation and occasional graphical glitches that detracted from the experience. Overall, the combination of beautiful artwork and a compelling soundtrack significantly enhances the game's narrative and atmosphere.
- “The game's art style and soundtrack are at their best, with stunning hand-drawn visuals and an emotionally powerful score that complements the game's narrative perfectly.”
- “The graphics are stunning, which means you'll get to see all the gory details of the battles and the beautiful scenery before it gets destroyed.”
- “With a compelling story, fantastic soundtrack, beautiful visuals, and surprisingly solid gameplay, the Banner Saga is a must-play.”
- “Just like the second one, it has some graphical glitches where effects don't cover the entire screen in 4K like they look they should.”
- “Pretty disappointed this game has graphic bugs that are severe enough that the game ceases to be playable without restarting the game.”
- “Honestly, the most apparent draw to this game, which is the art style, gets bland fast.”
emotional
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
5%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its beautiful storytelling, compelling characters, and heart-wrenching moments that resonate deeply with players. Many reviewers noted that the trilogy, particularly the final installment, evokes strong emotional reactions, including tears, as players navigate a narrative filled with loss, hope, and meaningful choices. However, some critiques mention a perceived decline in emotional depth compared to earlier entries, particularly regarding character connections and the finale's resolution.
- “It's a beautiful and heartbreaking story of loss, hope, and... well, the rest is up to you.”
- “The story is heart-breaking and bittersweet at the same time.”
- “I cried when the game ended because I got attached to every character and knew all their mannerisms.”
- “The story feels repetitive and lacks depth, making it hard to connect emotionally with the characters.”
- “I found myself questioning the logic of the narrative, which detracted from any emotional investment I could have had.”
- “The emotional moments felt forced and unconvincing, leaving me indifferent to the characters' struggles.”
stability
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of frequent crashes, freezes, and glitches, particularly during loading screens. Many players experienced significant disruptions to their gameplay, including lost progress and unplayable moments, making the overall experience frustrating despite the game's engaging story and visuals. Overall, the game is deemed "buggy" and "unstable," detracting from its potential enjoyment.
- “The game constantly freezes.”
- “This game is really buggy and crashes constantly, causing you to lose hours of progress.”
- “The third installment is quite buggy and often crashes, loses the odd save, and sometimes slows down to unplayability on my modern system.”
atmosphere
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
26%
9%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its stunning art style, immersive soundtracks, and compelling storytelling, creating a rich and engaging world that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke feelings of dread and urgency, with a beautifully crafted environment that complements the narrative and character development. Despite some technical issues, the atmospheric elements remain a standout feature, making it a memorable and emotionally impactful journey.
- “An incredible story, with the atmospheric world and story design throughout the whole ride.”
- “The atmosphere in this game is phenomenal.”
- “The animation and soundtrack are also top notch, helping to create an atmosphere that truly showcases the desperation and hopelessness of the world at the edge of darkness.”
- “Perfectionists like myself that aim to find an optimal gameplay formula that'll allow to make combat easier even on higher difficulties will miss out on the atmosphere and ambience of how difficult the combat is for the heroes.”
- “Depressing atmosphere combined with challenging turn-based fights and the management of your group of refugees make this one of the best story-driven game experiences you can find.”
- “Overall, the game had a consistent bleak and dark atmosphere that made it seem as if all hope was gone -- this was very apparent in the final chapters and holy crap, did the game get dark.”
grinding
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
4%
93%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with many noting that combat encounters feel drawn out and frustrating. While some appreciate the story and art, the gameplay often suffers from poor pacing and a lack of meaningful progression, leading to a sense of monotony. Despite improvements in certain mechanics, the experience is marred by a feeling of excessive grinding and arbitrary outcomes.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I found the enemy wave mechanic to be extremely annoying because it turned an already very slow-paced and potentially boring combat into a tedious one.”
- “Loved the first two games, but this one just feels tedious, lazy, and unsatisfying.”
- “They are just frustratingly long, tedious, and worst of all, boring to grind through.”
character development
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
50%
14%
Character development in the series is a mixed bag, with some installments praised for rich, layered growth and engaging interactions, while others suffer from an overabundance of characters that dilute meaningful development. Many reviewers noted that the focus shifted to introducing new characters at the expense of deepening the arcs of established ones, leading to a sense of one-dimensionality. Overall, while some aspects of character development are compelling, inconsistencies and a lack of depth in certain entries detract from the overall experience.
- “The series has a compelling story (trying to stop the destruction of the world), beautiful artwork, amazing voice acting, rich character development, gorgeous music, and engaging gameplay.”
- “It continues to deliver the same exceptional world-building, character development, and strategic combat that made the previous two games so great.”
- “The grand narrative built upon classic fantasy stories ranging from the Odyssey to the Shannara books carries a satisfying tapestry of character development, revelations, and sacrifices.”
- “Even the story spun off from the primary group of characters to highlight a bunch of misfits that came into the story late into the second game rather than continue character development of characters that have been around since the first game.”
- “Instead of building on the characters introduced in Bannersaga 1, they just keep introducing new ones, without bothering with things like character development, growth, relationships, banter, etc. They are all just one-dimensional plot devices.”
- “The second is that the cast has swelled to be too large to allow for consistent character development - there are a lot of poorly-drawn, inconsequential characters that are still squabbling for airtime that doesn't add much, especially when the lore is obscure.”
replayability
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
53%
20%
The game offers significant replayability, with a main campaign lasting around 8-10 hours and additional modes like survival and eternal arena. Players can explore different choices that impact the story, leading to multiple endings and enhanced understanding of the narrative's complexities. However, some reviewers noted that the combat system and limited post-campaign content may detract from the overall replay value.
- “It's got some serious replay value, so you can keep coming back to it over and over again and try out different choices to see how they affect the story.”
- “Very well drawn and written game series, replayability is high with multiple characters to choose from and endings to attempt and get.”
- “Although the story of the game is told in a nice way and the art design is something that I like, the replayability is destroyed by the stupid fighting system and the design of the battlefields.”
- “While there are multiple endings and different routes you can take to increase replay value, beyond the main campaign and a few different difficulty modes, there isn't too much to do after you beat the game.”
- “With a roughly 8 hour run time, as well as quite a bit of replayability, especially when you consider that Banner Saga 1 and 2 can also be replayed for this one again... I'd say it's well worth the asking price.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
Overall, the optimization of the latest installment in the trilogy has received mixed reviews. While some players report smooth performance on older hardware, others experience significant performance issues, particularly in scenes with fire and during the hero screen. Load times are also criticized for being lengthy, indicating a lack of improvement in optimization compared to previous titles.
- “I love this trilogy of games, and have absolutely zero performance issues in the previous two titles.”
- “It runs smoothly on my old, technically-disabled laptop.”
- “There are some optimization issues with this chapter, but it's well worth it to play this story to its conclusion.”
- “I really want to recommend this game, but I just can't on performance alone.”
- “The load times were still quite long, and optimization wasn't the best even for a decent PC, though this is more of a lack of improvement rather than things actually getting worse.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as inconsistent, with some players finding moments of comedic relief in character interactions and absurd scenarios, such as the juxtaposition of serious threats with humorous elements like women with babies amidst chaos. While there are a few standout conversations that evoke laughter, the overall comedic tone appears to be scattered and not fully integrated into the gameplay.
- “There were a few interesting conversations around 1/2 to 2/3 of the way through, which brought back a little of the humorous and thought-provoking back-and-forths between characters.”
- “I was laughing at the fact that there were women with babies following me around the destroyed wall with dredge creeping around and Rugga’s thugs daring to attack my 1000 clansmen, 300 varl, and 400 fighter strong caravan with 8 death-wishing drunkards.”
- “Which is funny, because it's shorter than the other ones.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many reviewers labeling it as a cheap and uninspired sequel that lacks creativity and purpose.
- “Most of them are cheap copies with dull cash-grabbing mechanics, lacking any moral or purpose.”
- “It is just a lazy sequel designed for a quick cash grab from the fans.”