![]() This work is free and may be used by anyone for any purpose. Image of Eyvind Earle’s painting “Winter 1981.English: Development artwork from the video game The Banner Saga.I found myself making a list of names and references just to keep track of them all!īottom line: if you like Eyvind Earle, rich cinematic experiences, tales worthy of Tolkien, or bad-ass giants with horns, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with part one of The Banner Saga! Produced by Stoic Studios, you can get it on Steam for $20. ![]() (Described by one reviewer as nearly “ impenetrable“). Events, some random and some not, force you to make difficult decisions: allow people to join your caravan to escape certain death by dredge, and risk everyone’s starvation? Will they be useful fighters or merely steal your money? Who do you trust who do you leave behind?Īdditional, delightful aspects of the game include music by Austin Wintory (previous title Journey), and complex and interesting characters. The world is so rich, in fact that there’s a bit of a learning curve for the settings and people with names like Gunnulf, Oddleif, and Yrsa. During travel mode, you balance the survival of your caravan with the availability of supplies. ![]() Over time, you obtain several heroes to use in battle, and as they gain experience, you can achieve upgrades and supplement their abilities with items. During combat, you are mostly fighting “dredges,” formidable iron golem creatures. The game mechanics are a balance between modes of turn-based combat and strategic travelling. ![]() (There’s also a character named Eyvind.) Image of Eyvind Earle’s “Winter 1981” painting. Possible biases aside, I think Eyvind Earle’s style fits fantastically with the vast landscapes and iconic nature of The Banner Saga. I found out later that the makers do, in fact, give inspiration credit to the artist. He even gets a brief shout out during some video footage my parents recorded during my first couple months of existence: Here’s Grandpa holding the baby, and here’s the Eyvind Earle, and there’s Grandma… They both liked his style so much that they purchased a couple serigraphs ( a type of screen printing) and acquired more over the years. Around the time my parents got married, they discovered his art while visiting Gallery 21 in Carmel, California. When I first saw the stylized landscapes in the trailer, Eyvind Earle immediately came to mind, and honestly, it was a large part of my initial interest in the game.įull disclosure: Eyvind Earle is something of a legend in my family. Instead of maxing out my graphics card with fancy 3D effects, I was delighted by the striking, stylized illustrations. Screenshot from The Banner Saga, captured by the author. However, the real icing on the cake for me was the graphics: upon reflection, I would say that The Banner Saga was by far the most beautiful game I played in 2014. This opening sets the stage for a Viking-esque world embedded with a deliciously deep mythology, ethically challenging choices for the player, and interesting and complex characters. The intriguing story begins with an ending: the gods are dead, the sun has stopped moving in the sky, and no one knows why. ![]() The Banner Saga is the first game of a series based on a mythical world in which humans and Varl, Norse-like giants, are struggling to survive. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |