The Banner Saga - Previews

Throughout my demo session the quiet drumming in the background and the accompanying music lent a sense of urgency to the action, as Rook and Alette are on an important journey, gathering not just supplies but help on their quest. When I had to go, I didn't want to take the headphones off because it was just that pretty, even on its own.

The game's style, based upon classic hand-drawn animation and Viking design, is stylized yet realistic. Scenes are communicated not through voice acting or cutscenes, but through rich expressions. A narrowing of eyes here, a widening there, a gaze off to the side while encountering a difficult decision. These elements work to convey the characters' emotions and complement the dialogue on screen.

The Banner Saga’s single-player really did impress me, though. It’s still very obviously rough-around-the-edges (and it’s still missing a few of said edges, to boot), but there’s heaps of promise. I felt like an incompetent, indecisive leader every trudging step of the way, and it was magnificent. The Banner Saga’s world is a harsh, frigid place, and its cast of characters are far from simple lockstep lackeys. If you want their respect, you’ll have to earn it. Sometimes that means making tough calls – ugly decisions that’ll twist and writhe around inside your guts for days to come. But that’s leadership for you. It’s not about being loved. You get results, and you worry about popularity contests later.

Originally Posted by Lemonhead
the video embedded in the article is for Dead State?