- Publisher: Versus Evil
- Release Date: Jul 26, 2018
- Also On: PlayStation 4, Switch, Xbox One
- Critic score
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- By date
- Unscored
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Aug 6, 2018The moving, fitting climax of a true epic. The Banner Saga took four years to complete and is living proof of what a strong vision, flawless artistic direction and well-tuned game mechanics can achieve when working in perfect synergy. If the screenshots speak to you, you will find here a game that is truly in a league of its own.
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Jul 26, 2018In the end you experience emotional exhaustion, relief and light sadness at the same time. This is normal when you complete any great journey, even if it has happened in a video game.
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Aug 1, 2018This is a tight trilogy with so few slow parts that I could barely tell I had sunk 13 hours into the third episode by the time I was finished with it. I could easily see myself returning to the series at episode one just to experience the story from an entirely new perspective. If you've played the first two games, I have to wonder why you're reading this. Quickly, save the world from the dark! Or you know, some other choice betwixt saving the world and desolation.
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Edge MagazineAug 16, 2018Ferocious and heartbreaking, this is storytelling with serious clout: against the odds, Stoic has stuck the landing. [Issue#323, p.108]
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Aug 6, 2018For what is worth, The Banners Saga 3 is a fitting end for a great adventure that's meant to highlight the qualities and downsides of the human spirit: sacrifice, love, heroism, friendship vs. malice, hate, thirst for power, cowardice. The story and the objective in The Banner Saga 3 doesn't change, it only becomes bleaker and more intense. On top of that, the sense of hopelessness and despair is present now more than ever, making The Banner Saga 3 a journey full of angst and melancholy.
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Jul 30, 2018I will miss this series; but this final instalment brings it to a worthy conclusion. I also imagine that, as with the Mass Effect trilogy, I will replay it many more times throughout my life, revelling in the worlds that my cumulative decision making will create. The Banner Saga has made some moments that will stay with me a long time.
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Jul 26, 2018A fitting end to the trilogy, and fans of the series so far will not be disappointed with the new gameplay features or the excellent storytelling.
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Jul 26, 2018Even if the battles can sometimes feel tedious, The Banner Saga 3 is largely a fantastic resolution to the trilogy. It’s bleak, it’s desperate, and you’ll finally see the end of the stories for these characters you’ve followed for three games. Whether it’s a happy ending or not, though, you’ll have to see for yourself.
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Jul 26, 2018The trilogy reaches its eventful climax. If you like tactical roleplaying games it doesn’t get much better than with this epic entertainment.
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Jul 26, 2018One of the best tactical and adventure saga comes to an end bringing to the table the usual stellar production values in narrative, choices and tactical battles. A must have, and play.
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Jul 26, 2018A daring, exciting and bleakly powerful payoff that handsomely rewards your investment in its characters.
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Jul 26, 2018Like closing the final chapter on a thousand-page-long fantasy novel, The Banner Saga 3 delivers a dark and thrilling conclusion to remember.
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Jul 26, 2018Basically, it’s George R. R. Martin rules here. The stakes are stupidly high and no character is safe. You may be paying for a full front-row seat to watch one of the most well-realised worlds since the original Mass Effect trilogy, but you’ll only ever need the edge of your chair.
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Sep 5, 2018With a sigh of excitement, a frustrated scream and a sad sob you will arrive at the ending of this art-y, pitch black trilogy. We won't give it our coveted Gold Award, because there hasn't been a lot of innovation through the years (part 1 was from 2014), but the trilogy as a whole definitely deserves cold gold.
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Jul 26, 2018If you've played the first two, The Banner Saga 3 is impossible to ignore. In this final chapter, everything is broken and mended and broken again. I was never sure if there would be--or even could be--any kind of happily ever after to this massive mythology Stoic Studios has built. It's an excellent uncertainty.
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Jul 26, 2018What makes The Banner Saga 3 fantastic is the feeling of its predecessors. The whole series is traversed by a certain despair and sadness, which belong to the inevitable end. The finale drives this melancholy to the extreme, motivating me through struggles and decisions but at the same time to continue.
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Jul 26, 2018Tougher strategies, higher stakes, and high production values are the order of the day. By the time the Saga is coming to a close, you’ll look back and feel your growth in an epic warlord.
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Sep 6, 2018As the final chapter of the trilogy, The Banner Saga 3 should not be bought with the hope of finding some kind of gameplay innovations, but to savor the last part of an epic journey in search of safe place and truth.
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Aug 11, 2018A thrilling final chapter.
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Aug 3, 2018In a despairing atmosphere, the story of The Banner Saga finally meets its end. Your choice matters, and every move of the battle matters, so choose carefully. It has some issues in some ways, but overall, The Banner Saga has become an important part of the SLG family, with its very unique art style and strategy design.
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Jul 31, 2018Beautifully hand-drawn artwork coupled with turn-based strategy and meaningful decisions.
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Jul 27, 2018A nice climax to put an end to this tactic system until Stoic surprises us with a brand new one.
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Jul 26, 2018This is a wonderful end for a wonderful trilogy. If you’ve been playing the series, this final episode won’t disappoint you. If you haven’t, maybe now is the right time to start.
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Jul 26, 2018Good news: The Banner Saga series will offer you an amazing ending that does the franchise right. Everything fits together perfectly and that makes for a very emotional ending of this beautiful adventure.
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Jul 26, 2018The Banner Saga 3 ends one of the most exciting and mature epics that the world of videogames has given us in recent years.
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Aug 31, 2018The Banner Saga 3 is a good game, but if you have to take a step back and look at the trilogy as a whole, you will truly appreciate the whole greatness of this saga.
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Jul 26, 2018Combat can be a bit of a chore once you find your footing, and the story ends all too quickly, but The Banner Saga 3 is a rich and powerful experience and a worthy end to a breakout trilogy.
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Jul 26, 2018The Banner Saga 3 is a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, offering a solid end to the narrative with inventive ways to keep the gameplay fresh. This last chapter is a great game on its own, but it also completes a series that has been exceptionally consistent in quality, which is worth appreciating.
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Jul 26, 2018Overall, I'm happy with the third part, which is mainly due to the epic plot and the strongly drawn characters.
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Jul 26, 2018The Banner Saga 3 ends the epic tale by Stoic Studios, bringing once time again the same inspired visuals and narrative. There is nothing really new in terms of gameplay, but if you liked the previous entries it will be fine.
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LEVEL (Czech Republic)Dec 31, 2018A successful ending to the trilogy, which is also the best game of the series. Stoics managed to finish the entire saga marvelously. [Issue#288]
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Game World Navigator MagazineSep 26, 2018It’s Part 3 of the trilogy, so if you’ve missed the previous two, there’s no reason to play this one first. But if you’ve been anxiously awaiting the finale of the story that began 4 years ago – The Banner Saga 3 won’t disappoint. [Issue#232, p.58]
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Aug 7, 2018The Banner Saga 3 is both heavy and beautiful. The characters that you get to know throughout the Trilogy are not invincible heroes but ragged, flawed, and incredibly vulnerable. It’s melancholy and fraught with distress, yet even its darkest moments tend to have some form of silver lining. In every struggle, as you question whether you’ll live or die, there’s a sense of satisfaction that at least this is a life worth living.
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Aug 7, 2018The Banner Saga 3 is the compelling conclusion to a saga that first captured hearts in 2014 with its masterful hand-drawn art, gut-wrenching decision-making, and satisfying turn-based combat. The final installment is everything it was expected to be and more, and while it may not be particularly welcoming to newcomers, it’s a fine reason for everyone to dive back into the Viking saga once again.
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Aug 4, 2018The Banner Saga 3 brings this amazing series to a close. As we had expected, Stoic Games delivers an epic ending: there’s so much mastery in each element of the game you couldn’t ask for a better way to say goodbye to the Saga.
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Aug 1, 2018As a standalone game, The Banner Saga 3 is the weakest of the bunch. As a conclusion, it does its job well, marrying beauty to melancholy and making me think long and hard about what sacrifices I was willing to make for the good of the world.
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Jul 30, 2018The Banner Saga 3 is a perfect finale to The Banner Saga. While it’s not the most well designed game on the market, it’s one of the most well written games I have ever played.
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Jul 27, 2018The Banner Saga 3 is a true epic ending.
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Jul 26, 2018The Banner Saga 3 fails to deliver the complexity of choice some were hoping for, but the compromise allows for a deep narrative enhanced by intelligent combat additions, excellent art direction, and its melancholic soundtrack.
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Jul 26, 2018The Banner Saga 3 is a great game, and crushing enemies both small and large, human and supernatural is still just as fun.
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Jul 26, 2018The Banner Saga 3 closes the epic journey created by Stoic. However, its condition of being the ending makes the game a constant rush and, in the end, the decisions and climaxes lose their purpose.
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Jul 26, 2018The Banner Saga 3 wraps up its six-years-in-the-making epic in poignant, gripping style. The game’s tactical battles still have some issues, but their rough edges have been sanded down to the point they no longer detract from the game’s stellar writing. The Banner Saga 3 deserves to be held high as a prime example of both video game storytelling and a crowdfunded project done right.
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Jul 26, 2018The Banner Saga 3 won't have the same kind of meaningful impact if you haven't experienced the rest of the series. But if you've taken the time to journey with these characters from the very beginning, this finale is a worthwhile and cathartic end to your long journey.
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Jul 26, 2018The Banner Saga 3 closes the book on an incredible saga of turn-based action and dark, haunting storytelling. It’s hard to make player choices and branching narratives successfully payoff over the course of three games, but Stoic Studios have done just that. It’s a shame that they never tried to revamp or update the sluggish combat speed along the way, but that’s a small price to pay for a once in a lifetime narrative experience like this.
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Games Master UKAug 9, 2018The saga ends. While it's never quite great, The Banner Saga 3 is a very good turn-based tactics title. [Issue#333, p.62]
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| This publication has not posted a final review score yet. | |
| These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation. | |
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Jul 26, 2018Stately, vivid and tragic, this brooding epic finally reaches its climax. [Recommended]
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Aug 3, 2018But there’s just something missing, a spark that elevates them from sound concept to truly gripping encounters, and so a few hours into this third game battles felt like a bore, no matter the new enemies and dramatic context.
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Jul 26, 2018Whether you have a satisfying ending or not is very much down to your choices, and yours alone – which, for a game like this, couldn’t be more fitting. Yes, it runs the risk of being a massive anti-climax if you make a few duff decisions, but even that has a kind of poetic justice to it – it’s just another tragic tale to be woven into your ever-eventful banner...Overall, I think you will have a good ending – and one worth the pain you’ve had to endure over the. course of these collective 40-odd hours
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Aug 1, 2018While there are a couple of places where it feels like the difficulty ramps up too quickly, or where major plots twists unfold with barely a moment to react or comment, my fundamental reaction to The Banner Saga 3 is one of vindication. It turns out this was a journey worth taking, and a world worth keeping in my heart for the last few years. In the end it has justified its stylistic and narrative choices, and surpassed the hopes I had for it back when I played the first part of the trilogy.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 73 out of 109
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Mixed: 26 out of 109
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Negative: 10 out of 109
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Jul 29, 2018
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Sep 26, 2018
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Aug 13, 2018