The Banner Saga 3 due in summer, earlier than expected
Sun's out, Gunnulf's out
We've not peeked at The Banner Saga 3 since Stoic's Norse fantasy strategy RPG soared through Kickstarter in 2017, but now here's a new trailer and oh! word that the game will launch earlier than expected. The Kickstarter tentatively said December 2018, and I'd even speculated that adding stretch goals features might push it back further, but publishers Versus Evil have now announced it'll launch this summer. Whether it's through coy planning or extra-speedy work, hey, once the sun comes out (all three days of summer) we'll get to cool ourselves by tromping through the ice and snow murdering mythmen.
'Summer' is as specific as Versus Evil get. I do not know whether they're right and just and use astronomical seasons, which would mean some time from June 21st to September 23rd, or if they're heretics who hate fun and use meteorological seasons, which would be June 1st to the end of August. With a name like Versus Evil, you'd expect them to fight the meteorological with every gram of their strength.
This here video is kicking off a series looking at characters from the Saga. The description warns of spoilers so, iunno, spoilers?
Steven Messner really liked the last one, writing in his Banner Saga 2 review:
"There are moments where, as I watch the drama unfold in the dialogue and cutscenes, I almost forget I'm playing a game that came out in this decade. There's an evocative sense of timelessness about the story and world that few RPGs create. And now that the combat has become a strength and not a weakness, immersing myself in the richness of The Banner Saga's dying world is almost as enchanting as cracking open the weathered pages of my favorite fantasy novels."
These are solid foundations to build upon for the end of a trilogy. One of the best strategy games too, our Adam will tell you. And crumbs, it is a pretty one.