54 Macworld • February 2022MAC GAMING
adventure game – and, with its focus
on peaceful solutions to problems,
is a good introduction to gaming for
younger players too.- The Banner Saga
Price: £18.74 from fave.co/3lQvhGg
A template for how to do a lot with
a little, the 3-man team behind The
Banner Saga created one of the most
beautiful indie games ever made.
Who needs fancy 3D graphic engines
when you have this kind of gorgeous
hand-drawn artwork? Team Stoic has
proved you don’t need a monster-
computer to have your breath taken
away by graphics.
Visual treats aside, the core
gameplay is very fun. Taking clear
inspiration from the Oregon Trail
(but with Vikings and monsters) you
lead a caravan across a dying world
in search of safety and supplies.
Gameplay takes place across
different sections of travel, decision-
making and combat, which all blend
smoothly together.
Combat is turn-based and
deceptively challenging. You are
free to manage your war party and
different characters and classes have
varying stats and special abilities.
Just consider your options carefully,
since a wrong choice in a decision-
making phase can rob you of a major
character or valuable warrior. Special
mention must also be made of the
music, which is haunting and epic by
turns, as required.
The story is quite intriguing and the
many characters are well developed.
We also found the dialogue to be
witty and humorous, adding some
levity to the grim surroundings. The
final battle and
events set the
stage for even
more to come in
chapter 2. If the
eight- to 10-hour
journey doesn’t
satisfy you the
first time around,
you can play
again and make- different choices,