The Banner Saga Is Just Fine On Console

It’s been two years since The Banner Saga was released on PC and mobile. This week, it’s out on PS4 and Xbox One, and if you haven’t played it yet, there aren’t many surprises in store: this is a good game that’s…still good.

I wrote about the PC version at launch, praising the game’s visuals and combat while lamenting a dreary plot and patchy strategic system. The console edition that’s out this week is pretty much exactly the same game.

And I mean exactly. You move a cursor around on the screen for strategic sections like you did with a mouse, and even the PC’s menu system remains. About the only thing you’ll find different is the way you order your characters around, which takes a little getting used to, as the way commands are split between d-pad and thumbstick (they do different things) takes a little getting used to.

And…that’s it? I found the cutscenes to look a bit better on a TV, but that’s probably got more to do with the difference between my 50″ TV and smaller PC monitor (and this benefit was offset by the drab text conversations ringing a little more hollow).

The Banner Saga is out on both PS4 and Xbox One today. There’s a Vita version still coming. Apparently. Maybe.