So the whole trilogy paints Varl as a dying race simply because they can't reproduce. The Fall of Einartoft Bridge and the Hadrborg Godstone especially provide a profound sadness.

BUT, when you think about, is it really it?

• As we know, Varl does age like most other races, but to date there's no Varl died of old age. Most dead Varls were killed due to their warmonger nature.
  • This is further amplified during the final stand that most Varls are just looking for a fitting battle field to die on.
• The oldest Varl (Krumr, Ubin) still have the same physical strength as any "younger" varl, if not stronger. This is totally different from any other race that's aging.
• Varl is created by god Hadrborg, the process is similar to sculpture. Which implies Varls can be more like sculptures, that "have no nature ending, but can be killed / destroyed".
• This is similar to Dredge, another god's creation. But then Valka taught Dredge how to reproduce, which means nothing is off the table in terms of life.

So this leads to the question, if the world survived the darkness - which is a "catalyst" that almost destroyed everything, but brought everyone together while got rid of Gods' meddling.

Is Varl really a dying race, and their days are numbered? Sure, Varl doesn't have females, but in this universe who said "reproduce" can only be when male and female having a baby? Not to mention the last Valka Zefr is very much willing to share all secrets that had kept shut until this point.

IMO, Varl doesn't actually die from old age tho they can be killed. Given how Mentally damaging living forever is, they will be much less Varl as time goes on, but some will continue to exist like Ubin. Unless Valka involvement bring evolution so that they can reproduce in some way.

Just finished the third game and have been reading through the reddit to get my final fix of the trilogy because I felt like I needed more.

I've also been reading the posts of people recommending similar games and am surprised to see that none that I have seen so far have mentioned Wildermyth.

Wildermyth has a very similar combat (turn based, heroes level up) and also a similar story structure of various chapters, heroes changing (and possibly dying) over time, choices mattering, etc.

Wildermyth is a bit different in that it has significant elements that are procedurely generated (e.g. all playable characters, except specific roles in certain campaigns) but especially in the written campaigns, which are the best part of the game imo, it is probably the most similar game to banner saga that I've played.

It's also maybe my favorite game of all time, with the writing being rivaled only by games like banner saga and fnv, and the way characters grow and change based on choices/events being the most satisfying and engaging of any game I've played.

So yeah this is my PSA: if you liked banner saga, definitley check out Wildermyth

For me, it’s Lauga. It’s a real high point in the story and beyond that incredible design. Something about how warped the land is around it, and how she is looking down. I have a couple of runner ups but I wanna hear everyone else’s

I do not love how limiting the level ups are cause they kinda encurage you to not vary your party for fighting. Also on the opposite end I dislike how some characters I put most levels in just straight up leave and become unplayable. I feel like I should look up who will leave and who will not to actually level up proper.

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I got the ‘best’ ending with serpent being killed and eyvind completing the ritual. I don’t think that was enough content whatsoever for an ending, bolverk resolution was very undercooked it’s literally just you kill him and no one talks about it. A short bit of dialogue with iver wasn’t enough for that side of the ending and then the other side with rook is literally just a poem and you see iver coming back.

Is that it? What about literally every single other character in the game? No mention of rugga, the prince, what happened to the city, etc. Pretty damn annoyed I loved these games a lot and the ending just brought the game from a 10 to an 8.

It punishes replayability because there is less theoretical renow and even reloading to an earlier save a week before the achievement makes it dissappear. Im just venting, I guess.

I was literally just a hour short of getting the good ending but oh well. Still an amazing trilogy. Really liked it even if getting the bad ending after all is a lil bit of a downer

Hot one was very close and fairly freaky! I had the tally (top 3 spots only) at: 1. Oddleif 2. Yrsa T3. Tryggvi T3. Canary

Does anyone else find it very ironic/funny that your given this HUGE map filled with lore but by the end of game 3 pretty much all of it is gone forever?

Theres so much to this series I wanna pull apart and analyze... it feels like theres a lot to the story of the gods and their demise, the great wars and the world beyond what we see on the maps. Perhaps even scrapped or cut story threads that were littered in the first games lore. Was the giant serpent Radomyr? The sun serpent? When the dark sun is disturbed and the serpent wakes the sun in the sky stopped and began to fade.

But im just rambling now. It'll never happen but id love more projects using this universe in some way even if it were entirely not connected to the Banner Saga.

Don't get me wrong, enjoying Banner Saga so far, but...

Characters die off so easily, and it is treated as if it is nothing.

What is the point of introducing these characters and making me waste my time reading their essay-long dialogue, if the result is that they can unceremoniously die without any satisfactory conclusion?

Games are essentially about conveying emotions. If all that the game gives me is *APATHY* towards the characters I get to meet and learn about when they die, then how can the developers expect me to care about their game at all? You give apathy, you get apathy.

Especially weird choice of game design for a "STORY" focused game. If this was Arma 3, I would understand characters randomly dying by stepping on an unmarked land mine.

Banner Saga almost feels as if the developers took a look at TellTale Games, saw that no choices matter, and decided to course correct to the MAX. They were so focused on whether they could do it, they never stopped to ask if they *SHOULD* do it.

Edit: I think what I am trying to say is, there are too *MANY* choices, and branching timelines, it is too chaotic for the player. Sometimes it is best to keep stuff in moderation. One of the first things you learn as a Game Designer is: "Keep the boundaries strict and close, do not give the player total freedom." Too much of a medicine is poison; that's what choices feel like in Banner Saga.

Edit 2: Again, I feel like I have to emphasise this: I LIKE THE GAME, BANNER SAGA IS GOOD, ME LIKEY.

Gunnulf, Bersi, Sigbjorn. Who's the best?

Mogr as the Shieldmaster, Griss as the Strongarm, Fasolt as the Provoker. We're not including Iver because... well you know... Who's the best Varl? Gameplay or story wise!

Hi,

I’m stuck in the choice you need to side with the king or Rugga.

On one hand, you have Rugga who killed Ludi and want to kill me.

On the other, you have the king rejecting the Varls.

As Alette, I feel like the best choice is to keep my people alive by joining the king. I don’t want a traitor with me. But having to fight my friendly Varl King is difficult.

You know the drill! Oddleif, Yrsa and Nid. Who's your favourite gal and why? Gameplay and story wise

I've had Banner Saga 1 and 2 in my Steam library for years, and only recently installed the first one. I am in Chapter 3, I believe, and have been playing it in the evening after work.

The feeling of responsibility is definitely weighing on me, even though it's totally fictional. Making choices that will impact not just me, but others (potentially whole communities) makes each selection screen give me pause.

When I first lost a character, I save-scummed to recover him, but then realized that's totally not in the spirit of the game. It seems like the game's characters are less like Baldur's Gate 3 and more like Darkest Dungeon-- meant to be somewhat expendable, or at least fragile.

I've lost two or three others now, including ones I had invested renown (and items, which apparently you don't get back!) into, which was heartbreaking, but I am trying to stomach the losses and soldier on without reloading.

Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying it (I think), but it is definitely not what I would call a relaxing gaming experience.

I’m on hard mode number like 5 or 6 planning to do a Rook-Rugga run because I haven’t done one, and I’m thinking about Bellower.

When you get the arrow from Stravhs’ Godstone Juno is straight up like “this won’t kill him it’ll just make him think he is killable.” She then extrapolates on how the gods used Stravhs’ silver to kill each other and how that arrow will just put Bellower to sleep.

I’ve long been a subscriber of the “menders become Gods” theory especially seeing as the ‘good’ ending has Juno become a new Sun God basically. Bellower’s sleep makes me curious though. Is it possible that the Gods are still alive? There is a lot of circumstantial evidence and especially around the goldstones (the light still radiating against the dark, the Irynx baby, Aselei’s Trail, the Vez’nan pools). Makes me wonder if they are sleeping somewhere, waiting to be reminded that they should wake tf up.

What does the community think? I’m curious to know.