The banner saga 2

[Winjer]

http://images.vg247.com/current//2013/12/The_Banner_Saga_art_bi.jpg


Estúdio: Stoic Studio
Data de lançamento: 2015
Plataformas: PC, PS4, Xbox One


Stoic and Versus Evil officially confirmed that The Banner Saga 2, the sequel to the critically-acclaimed role-playing strategy game The Banner Saga, is coming to PC, PS4 and Xbox One in 2015.The announcement comes after the official first reveal of The Banner Saga 2 at last Friday’s Game Awards held in Las Vegas. The Game Awards is an independent celebration of the video game industry that recognizes excellence in game development and design, while offering a first-glimpse at the most important and anticipated games and trends for 2015.
Steve Escalante, general manager, Versus Evil, said:

“There’s a seismic shift in the video game industry as consumers embrace the contributions and creations of independent game-makers such as Stoic, the incredibly passionate creators of The Banner Saga and The Banner Saga 2. We are very proud to be leading the way with The Banner Saga 2 announcement at what is traditionally a AAA game’s event. It’s a great time to be an ‘indie’ and we couldn’t be more proud to continue working with the Stoic team and our partners at Fearless Media who helped make this happen.”
For The Banner Saga 2, Stoic will continue the legacy and story of The Banner Saga, an epic experience for PC, home consoles and mobile that was recently confirmed as an upcoming release for PS Vita.
Featuring stunning 2D animation and art, a unique tactical combat system and a cast of unforgettable characters, the original game earned several awards and nominations, including winner of the 2014 Geekie Awards for “Best Video Game”, finalist for “Excellence in Visual Arts” and two honourable mentions for “Excellence in Design” and “Excellence in Audio” at the 2014 Independent Game Festival.
Arnie Jorgensen, co-owner and art director, Stoic, added:

“The critical reception and widespread fan appreciation for The Banner Saga is overwhelming and humbling, and has the team at Stoic dedicated to delivering a fantastic sequel with The Banner Saga 2. Here we are announcing our next game, our way, on a world-wide stage. We have surrounded our development efforts with quality people like Austin Wintory, Malukah, Taylor Davis and the Versus Evil team. We couldn’t be more excited.”
As Stoic confirmed, additional details and information for The Banner Saga 2 are expected to be available in early 2015, so stay tuned for more!

[Jorge-Vieira]

'The Banner Saga 2' Looks To Improve Over Predecessor, Yet Keeps The High-Quality Story

http://media.bestofmicro.com/4/A/525034/gallery/The-Banner-Saga-2-Announcement-Screen-4_w_755.png (http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/The-Banner-Saga-2-Announcement-Screen-4,0101-525034-0-2-12-1-png-.html)
Last year, a small studio called Stoic released its first game, The Banner Saga, to wide acclaim. The turn-based combat, decision-based story and its unique art style propelled it to fame. In December 2014, not even one year after the first game, the developers announced a sequel in the works called The Banner Saga 2. Picking up the story from the first game, the players once again follow the caravan of humans and Varls (a mix of human and animals) in the fight against the heavily-armored race called the Dredge.
The line of fans at PAX Prime hoping to play a few scenes from the sequel was long, and rightfully so. If the first game was any indication, the bar of expectation is raised with The Banner Saga 2.
The Vanguard Like the first game, combat is still turn-based, with the player and enemy units taking turns in moving across the tiles and making attacks on either a target's strength or armor points. Dwindling a unit's strength points kills them, but it's best to go for armor first as it helps with deflecting some of the damage.
http://media.bestofmicro.com/4/9/525033/gallery/Banner-Saga-2-Rook-battle_w_755.png (http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/Banner-Saga-2-Rook-battle,0101-525033-0-2-12-1-png-.html)The Dredge return as the main enemies in The Banner Saga 2. However, they also have a more diverse set of units now that can do damage from various distances. In addition, small dog-like creatures can come out from the combat area and into the fray, first taking on an invisibility spell and then reappearing in some other location to flank your allies.
However, there is an easier way to win this time around. No longer do you have to wipe out the entire enemy group to claim victory. In the demo's second battle, Rook, one of the main characters, quickly points out a unique Dredge on the field that took up the leadership position. If attacks are focused on the Dredge leader and it falls, the battle is immediately over. This saves the trouble of causing unnecessary damage on units, while ensuring that combat doesn't become a battle of attrition.
If taking down the entire group is still the way to go, there's the Pillage ability from Rook. Carried over from the first game, it's an ability that activates only when one side has one enemy left. It allows the players' entire roster to make their moves before the remaining enemy soldier does, almost guaranteeing certain victory. However, it's been upgraded in the sequel with another of Rook's abilities titled "Call to Arms," which activates Pillage when there's two enemies left. We're not sure if killing the leader of the enemy units is available in each skirmish, but if that's the case, fans will have the option of ending fights quickly or staying in for the long haul.
The Long Road The point of the entire game is about survival. Even though there will be conflicts throughout the campaign, a significant portion of the gameplay is keeping your caravan and its many inhabitants alive throughout the journey. This includes buying supplies at various stops and ensuring that morale is kept high among the various groups.
Then there's also the issue of managing your combat character with their various stats. Each kill on the battlefield nets a Renown point, which is used to level up characters but can also be used to purchase supplies and items. However, Renown can also be used to gain another set of abilities at certain levels, making your characters that much stronger. Considering the limit of units you can bring out to the field and the total number on the roster, managing each one will take some time, even if some of them have yet to go out and fight.
http://media.bestofmicro.com/4/8/525032/gallery/Banner-Saga-2-invisible-wolves-battle_w_755.png (http://www.tomshardware.com/gallery/Banner-Saga-2-invisible-wolves-battle,0101-525032-0-2-12-1-png-.html)The various conversation choices return as well, giving the players a chance to model the main characters as they wish when interacting with others. In addition, there's a new layer of choice during the caravan journeys. For example, scouts discovered a lone Dredge in the woods as the caravan sails down the river. You can choose to ignore it completely or attack it and net a few rewards. Being a cautionary commander, I chose not to engage, worried that it might attract a large force.
The Journey Continues The changes are small in number, but they all have a big impact in changing various elements of The Banner Saga 2. Story-addicted fans will be fortunate enough to transfer data from the first game into the sequel. Unlike those new to the series, they can easily jump into the game, but these new features will change various play styles and how they approach various situations. Of course, you don't necessarily have to play through the first game, but it does help put some context into a few situations.
Turn-based gameplay is nothing new to the industry, but games like The Banner Saga 2 combine it with a rich narrative that makes the player care about each character. When someone dies in the field, it's a heartbreaking moment, thanks to the storytelling found in this fictional world. For now, the game is scheduled to come out some time in 2015, but with only three months remaining in the year, and the fact that the demo looks very close to a finished product, fans won't have to wait too long until they join the caravan again.

Noticia:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/banner-saga-2-pax-prime,30031.html

[Jorge-Vieira]

The Banner Saga 2

http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/thebannersaga2_art-635x229.png (http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/thebannersaga2_art.png)
Stoic and Versus Evil have announced with a press release that The Banner Saga 2 is launching on April 19 for PC and Mac, while the console versions are set to debut this Summer.

Banner Saga 2 is the exciting sequel to the award winning, BAFTA nominated, indie hit The Banner Saga, an epic Viking role-playing strategy game where a player’s choice directly affects their personal journey.
Stoic will also showcase The Banner Saga 2 at PAX East in Boston.

The showcase, which is being sponsored by partners AMD and Razer, has been designed to give attendees an inside look into the Banner Saga universe and will take place over the full three days of the event. Fans will be able to play the newly released game on Versus Evil booth #10081 in the main hall.
Spearheading the activity is a Banner Saga panel which will take place on Saturday 23rd April from 10:30am – 11:30am in the Albatross Theatre. The panel, which will be moderated by YouTube gaming personality Jesse Cox, will include development team members Arnie Jorgensen (Art Director), John Watson (Technical Director), Drew McGee (Writer) and Matt Rhoades (Tech Designer) as well as by Grammy nominated, two-time BAFTA winning composer Austin Wintory. The panelists will discuss the Banner Saga universe and also tease some of the great things that gamers can expect to experience in the newly released Banner Saga 2. The team will also show off the worldwide premier of the Banner Saga “In Memoriam” trailer created by Penny Arcade contributor Kris Straub. Finally, the first 100 panel attendees will receive a limited edition Banner Saga 2 t-shirt and Versus Evil and Stoic will also be handing out prizes to cosplayers who attend the event dressed in Banner Saga inspired costumes.
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In addition to encouraging cosplay fans to dress up as their favorite Banner Saga character, there will be a large photo booth next to the registration desk outside the main hall where people can take pictures against a stunning backdrop taken directly from the game. Props will also be on hand to help make each picture more authentic and people will be encouraged to share their moment in the Banner Saga world on Twitter (@BannerSaga) and Facebook (#BannerSaga).
Fans will also be able to get a limited run paperback copy of the book “The Gift of Hadrborg” by James Fadeley, a book that has further expanded the Banner Saga universe and which serves as a prelude to the video game story. Fadeley will also be by the photo booth on Saturday morning to sign copies.
Finally, the Banner Saga has once again been honored by the Penny Arcade team by being selected as one of the official Pinny Arcade collectable pins at the event. The exclusive ‘Bolverk’ pin will be available to anyone who visits the AMD booth (#9200) to pick up a limited edition Banner Saga 2 lanyard. They can then take that to the Versus Evil (#10081) booth to play the Banner Saga 2 demo and redeem their pin. Fans can also pick up the limited edition Dredge and Ivor pins at the Versus Evil store set up at the booth.
The Banner Saga 2 now also has an official Steam page (http://store.steampowered.com/app/281640/), where you can pre-order the game with a 10% discount. These are the main features mentioned there:
• The epic Viking saga continues on – beautifully 2D hand drawn combat sequences and animations are further enhanced with special effects, once again accompanied by an evocative score from Grammy-nominated composer Austin Wintory
• Player choice that continues to drive your narrative – your story continues based on choices made in the first game as well as hard choices you have to make in this one.
• New Characters and a New Race – continue your epic journey interacting with new characters and a new race, the Horseborn.
• Improved Strategic combat with consequences – improved, more strategic battle boards enhance combat and permanent loss of characters will still weigh heavy on your mind long after the battle is over.
• The journey is as important as battle – your role in building and managing your caravan as you travel the vast landscape is critical to not only your own survival but the survival of an entire civilization.






Noticia:
http://wccftech.com/banner-saga-2-launching-april-19-pc-mac-summer-console/#ixzz43pQZ6UmR

[Jorge-Vieira]

Banner Saga 2’s launch trailer shows the journey isn’t getting easier (http://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/banner-saga-2s-launch-trailer-shows-the-journey-isnt-getting-easier/)


With Banner Saga 2 finally hitting digital storefronts in just under two weeks’ time, developer Stoic has released a new trailer, and boy do the hardships just keep on getting harder. From the looks of our characters, their lives are just as fraught with peril as ever they were and now the very world itself is collapsing, along with new threats from more angry Varl and a new race of centaurs.
While the game world may look tough to live in though, it looks gorgeous from the outside. The Disney-inspired art style is still beautiful to look at, whether it’s in the short segments of cut scenes or the travelling aspect of the game.
http://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/650x259xbanner23-1024x408.jpg.pagespeed.ic.h37T6A-4_W.jpg (http://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/banner23.jpg)
Most apparent to this fan of the original though, is that some of the issues critics and fans had with the first game have been addressed. There are more enemies to take on this time. Alongside the Dredge, there’s weird, evil-dog things or various sizes, giant bears and a host of new human enemies too.


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As the journey continues with the player-driven caravans looking to make their way to somewhere (anywhere) that’s safe, it looks like we’ll learn more about the Dredge too. In one shot near the end of the trailer, one of their number is seen to be quite human-like underneath their armour; save for all the bandages and eyelids that are sewn shut.

Banner Saga 2 is set for release on PC on the 19th April, with a console release expected sometime later this year.



Noticia:
http://www.kitguru.net/gaming/jon-martindale/banner-saga-2s-launch-trailer-shows-the-journey-isnt-getting-easier/