The original Banner Saga was released back in January 2014, a happy month that also witnessed the near-simultaneous releases of Blackguards and Might & Magic X. Not so for its sequel, The Banner Saga 2, which arrives today during what appears to be a minor RPG drought until the major releases start kicking off later this year. It's a direct sequel in the fullest sense of the word - an imported save will allow you to continue your adventures with the same characters, with the same stats and even the same inventory items. As Bubbles explained in our belated review of the original title, the Banner Saga formula is a quirky one that's not for everybody, but what it lacks in mass appeal it more than makes up for in good PR. The sequel has received an impressive amount of release day reviews:
As you can see, the game is reviewing quite well, with the improved combat being singled out for praise, although most of the reviews seem to agree that it hasn't completely ironed out all of the original title's idiosyncratic quirks. For good or ill, it's still The Banner Saga. It's available now on Steam for $20.