Microsoft’s ongoing subscription service, Game Pass, is going strong. Some people aren’t huge fans of it in its current state, but Microsoft is going full steam ahead for the foreseeable future, and for July it looks like we’re getting more games, including some classics, for the service.

Headlining the July roster is no doubt Metal Gear Solid V on July 18th. Despite being obviously unfinished, the game is one of the best stealth games that’s been released this generation. The ever present action horror classic Resident Evil 4 will be available on the Xbox One version of Game Pass July 25th.

Along with them will come Night Call coming day and date with its release on July 17th, a stylish new indie title that you read about here. It will be available for both the Xbox One and PC Game Pass, and along with it will come Killer Instant: Definitive Edition and For the King on July 25th. The Banner Saga 3 will also storm its way into both, the Xbox and PC services on July 18th.

Can't believe the box was full of new games. we never saw that coming pic.twitter.com/9DStu4FRWK

— Xbox Game Pass (@XboxGamePass) July 16, 2019

https://twitter.com/XboxGamePass/status/1151170659122204673

Microsoft recently hosted a new ID@Xbox Game Pass Showcase, unveiling some of the indie titles that would coming to the Game Pass service. With Xbox Game Pass for PC now available, what can PC players expect in terms of game selection? To start with, Undertale, Yoku’s Island Express and My Time At Portia have been confirmed.

Undertale will actually be exclusive to Xbox Games Pass on PC. Other exclusives include Timespinner, Unavowed, Machinarium and For The King, each an incredibly solid release in their own right. Of course, there’s plenty more coming in the future.

Bloober Team’s Blair Witch is bound for Xbox Game Pass while tinyBuild will bring Pathologic 2 and Secret Neighbor to the service as well. Thunder Lotus’s Spiritfarer is also due for the service along with titles like Raw Fury’s Night Call. If that weren’t enough, you can expect Worms W.M.D., GoNNER and The Banner Saga 3 on there as well. Check out the showcase below for more information.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Yes, we had Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain but those were prequels. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was a spin-off that focused on Raiden (and was somewhat confirmed as non-canon by creator Hideo Kojima). As it stands, Metal Gear Solid 4 offered the most complete ending for Solid Snake possible as he embraced the desire to live for himself despite all the trauma faced. There’s also all that jazz about the Patriots being defeated, Meryl getting married and everyone generally living happily ever after as well.

Wanderer Seth – Metal Gear Survive

Agile, brutal and not like most wandering crystal zombies, Wanderer Seth seemed imposing at first. That is, until his poor AI and predictable patterns made it all too easy to topple him. Simply build some turrets, run away and repeat. It was both underwhelming and incredibly hilarious.

Stoic’s The Banner Saga 3 was a pretty awesome tactical turn-based RPG at launch, but it’s just gotten even better. The developer has announced that a new game mode, Eternal Arena, is now available to play. It was a stretch goal in the game’s crowd-funding campaign for $400,000, so it’s good to finally see it come out.

The Eternal Arena is a combat-focused mode that lets players create their own custom battles. You can choose the enemies, adjust any rules, and make it as challenging as possible. The Eternal Arena supports all 46 characters and enemies, along with all the battleboards, from The Banner Saga 1-3. If that weren’t enough, there’s a weekly tournament to participate in with global rankings.

Technical Director John Watson said, “Eternal Arena has been a lot of fun to devise, tactical gameplay plays a major role but PC players can really mix it up to test out their own combat scenarios and ideas, if you love tactical combat then this is a perfect mode to get stuck into. The fans and backers have been an integral part of helping us deliver this game so we’re thrilled to introduce the last stretch goal to the final chapter in the Banner Saga series.”

Even if you’re not interesting in tournaments, there’s plenty of incentive to step into the Eternal Arena. The update has brought 39 new Achievements, with three hidden for the total completionist. Plus, it’s never a bad time to revisit The Banner Saga 3, currently available for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

To me, the term “indie” developer is equal parts counter-culture and unfettered creative vision. However, they are not on a different level from triple-A studios – really, the only things that separate them are bigger budgets and more marketing. Just like indie games are not by virtue worse than triple-A titles because of the lack of money, so too are they not superior because of their unique ideas (which come down to proper execution at the end of the day). I’m not a fan of the “triple-A” or “indie” moniker when it comes down to great games. Because great games, at the end of the day, are great games. And 2018, for all its typical franchises, has seen a lot of great games.

"Developed by Matt Thorson and friends aka Matt Makes Games that brought us the wildly entertaining multiplayer-centric Towerfall: Ascension, Celeste turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year."

Let’s start with January. It was a cold, dark month, punctuated by the impending release of Monster Hunter World. For me, the month was important for two reasons – Cellar Door Games’ Full Metal Furies and Konjak’s Iconoclasts. The former, obviously, is due to the developer’s amazing Rogue Legacy. Full Metal Furies has been in development for a long time and while its beat ’em up mechanics were decent, the overall gameplay and structure felt a bit wanting. It came and went but thankfully, the same didn’t apply to Iconoclasts. This years-in-development action platformer from Joakim Sandberg culminated in a colourful adventure with a deep story, lovable characters and excellent boss fights. It’s coming to Nintendo Switch as well, making it the perfect title to have on the go.

However, between these titles and Unknown Worlds’ Subnautica finally leaving Steam Early Access amid much fanfare (rightly so given how excellently the development was handled), there was Celeste. Developed by Matt Thorson and friends aka Matt Makes Games that brought us the wildly entertaining multiplayer-centric Towerfall: Ascension, Celeste turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year. It overtook a number of other indie titles by coming to the Nintendo Switch at launch but otherwise, it was a great game in every aspect regardless of the platform.

Mechanically, the platforming and variety in level design was compelling, fresh and organically challenging at every turn. The music and visuals were suitably retro but embodied a surrealistic flavour that felt unmistakably contemporary. I would give the most credit to composer Lena Raine for the sheer perfection that her soundtrack serves in setting the mood but everyone who worked on the game, from the artists and programmers to Thorson as designer and director, deserves the highest praise.

Even as Monster Hunter World was setting records and stealing many players’ hearts, Celeste was already my personal Game of the Year.

"Even though there wasn’t a ton of competition, the best new indie game of February was undoubtedly Into The Breach."

Surprisingly, February felt uneventful in comparison. Aegis Defenders from GUTS Department had a certain appeal to its gameplay with the mix of tower defense and 2D platforming but ultimately remained a niche title. February was mostly the month that numerous titles like SteamWorld Dig, Owlboy, Night in the Woods, Layers of Fear: Legacy, Outlast and much more released on the Nintendo Switch. The Nindies program was starting to pick up momentum.

Meanwhile, EA’s Fe was probably the biggest new indie release of the month simply based on the EA Originals label. Was it really exceptional? Did it push any boundaries, especially after January’s cavalcade of great releases? Not really but it was a solid title from the studio behind Stick It To The Man and the upcoming Ghost Giant. Moss was the other big title, simply due to the pedigree of its developer Polyarc (whose team had worked on titles like Guild Wars 2, Halo: Reach, Red Dead Redemption and Dragon Age).

Whether it was the instantly recognizable protagonist Quill or simply being one of the best VR titles ever made, Moss ably established its presence. There was also Where The Water Tastes Like Wine that sadly was proclaimed as a commercial disaster by the developer. Nevertheless, its gorgeous art-direction and strong cast, intermixed with interactive stories, was a welcome offering. An offering that will hopefully receive more appreciation down the line.

Even though there wasn’t a ton of competition, the best new indie game of February was undoubtedly Into The Breach. FTL: Faster Than Light developer Subset Games took a semi-rogue-like approach into the turn-based strategy genre, evoking an aesthetic similar to Advance Wars with intriguing gameplay and squad possibilities. The procedurally generated nature of maps, scaling difficulty and challenge completion required for new units ensured multiple playthroughs. But it was the deceptively simple yet complex gameplay that cemented it as one of the year’s best. There was just something so sweet about knocking an enemy unit into another while their attack kills a third. The ripple effect that this would have on surrounding buildings and other enemies was also worth watching out for at all times.

"Though ultimately falling back on the “one big twist” style of story-telling and having no single-player option, A Way Out’s characterization and strong mechanics allowed it to sell exceptionally well."

The scene started picking up again with all kinds of releases in March. Evoland developer Shiro Games returned with a completely different offering in Northgard. The strategy title focused on settlement building and exploration, as players managed resources and set out to conquer the immense campaign. Despite the strong critical acclaim, Northgard didn’t get too much appreciation but saw a number of updates to extend its life.

Other standout releases that didn’t get too much attention include Ghost of A Tale, a stealth fantasy game focused on a mouse named Tilo as he explores the history of a strange, anthropomorphic inhabitated kingdom; Q.U.B.E. 2, a puzzler in first person that involves the manipulation of cubes while one navigates an immense maze to survive; and of course, Hazelight Games’ A Way Out. Published under the EA Originals label and hyped up thanks to the antics of creator Josef Fares, A Way Out imbibed the couch co-op experience with a compelling story and gameplay situations. Though ultimately falling back on the “one big twist” style of story-telling and having no single-player option, A Way Out’s characterization and strong mechanics allowed it to sell exceptionally well. It crossed 1 million units sold in just two weeks.

April started earnestly enough with Minit. The game focuses on a mystery but much like Half-Minute Hero, a limited time period is provided to accomplish solve it. In between these sixty-second lives, players gather items that are shared across different lifetimes and advance forward (ideally). Though Minit handled its concept well, it was ultimately overshadowed by Harebrained Schemes’ BattleTech and 11 bit Studios’ Frostpunk, not to mention Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice finally coming to Xbox One.

In terms of heavyweights, that’s a pretty solid list. BattleTech became quite successful and Harebrained was acquired by Paradox Interactive. The developer announced future updates and more content (the recently revealed Flashpoint is the first paid expansion). Frostpunk, meanwhile, has been releasing free updates and quality of life changes besides prepping a new scenario for release later this year. Whether it was a tactical turn-based strategy with mech-building and customization or city-management with survival elements and an aspect of humanity, PC players weren’t wanting for unique experiences in April.

"Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, despite having a budget that could dwarf other indie titles, presented an old-school approach to computer role-playing games in the vein of Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale."

Of course, there was also Pizza Titan Ultra, an action platformer which featured giant mechs rampaging through cities to deliver pizzas. Why? Because of course, the mech owners ran a pizzeria! It’s crazy and bizarre but combines the over-top style of Crazy Taxi with the destructible landscape of Blast Corps. It’s nuts and yet extremely endearing.

In May, the flow of indies picked up. Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, despite having a budget that could dwarf other indie titles, presented an old-school approach to computer role-playing games in the vein of Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale. The addition of piracy, ship combat and exploration made it a fun romp even if, like the first game, the writing could be less than quaint. Titles like Omensight and Wizard of Legend also rose to prominence. The former was developed by Spearhead Games of Stories: The Path of Destinies fame. It saw players reliving the same day in Urralia, attempting to solve a murder to reverse the land’s destruction. Time manipulation, hack and slash combat and the ability to influence key characters all created a unique experience (plus the art-style was pretty good looking).

Wizard of Legend took a more straightforward rogue-like approach. Players explored a fixed number of dungeons with procedurally generated elements but the real hook was developing and combining magical spells together. Combat was fast, and the number of spells and items helped provide enough variety for a few repeat playthroughs.

Then there was Moonlighter, a much-anticipated pixel-art dungeon crawler that combined the combat of Zelda with the item shop management of Recettear. While its shopkeeping elements didn’t feel as dynamic, Moonlighter still had an enjoyable loop of combat, upgrading, dungeon looting and selling that was insanely addictive. Did we also mention the art looks simply gorgeous? It’s since been updated with over a hundred new rooms, various quality of life improvements and more interesting twists to the item store.

"July belonged to two major releases – The Banner Saga 3, the climactic conclusion to Stoic’s excellent trilogy, and No Man’s Sky NEXT."

Other titles that stood out in May include City of Brass, a first person rogue-like themed on Arabian Nights where players must venture into a dangerous city for the promise of treasure; FAR: Lone Sails, a linear adventure game where players embark on a sea-faring adventure of mystery, braving hazards and attempting to keep their ship going; and Yoku’s Island Express, a charming side-scrolling platformer that incorporates pinball into its core gameplay. Seriously though, if nothing else, try out Yoku’s Island Express. It’s a ball (I know, I’m sorry).

June and July were relatively quiet, though E3 2018 saw a number of titles either announced or outright released. Unravel Two debuted at EA Play 2018 and while it wasn’t as intriguing as Sea of Solitude (which is out in 2019), the sheer charm of the first game was unique. Plus, there was co-op this time. EA further surprised us by releasing the game as soon as it was announced because…well, why not? Nintendo followed suit. It released the Switch port of Team Cherry’s acclaimed Hollow Knight during its Direct presentation. Hollow Knight has since gone on to fame and fortune, selling over 1 million copies since first launching for PC last year.

Dontnod’s Vampyr was the other big indie release for June. While it seemingly flew under the radar, only slightly buoyed by reviews that praised the story but criticized for its combat, it managed to sell 450,000 units in a manner of weeks. July’s releases were pretty straightforward – This is the Police 2 released and alienated a few fans, though its shift towards a more XCOM-style tactical game wasn’t terrible. Chasm finally released after years in development and while it wasn’t bad, it did average slightly higher than “okay”. At least its 2D art maintained its appeal after so many years.

Honestly, though, July belonged to two major releases – The Banner Saga 3, the climactic conclusion to Stoic’s excellent trilogy, and No Man’s Sky NEXT. The latter technically wasn’t a new game but a large update, overhauling a number of features, adding new ones like co-op multiplayer (and PvP for the more violent-minded folk), and significantly improving the visuals. It did mark the game’s debut for Xbox One but perhaps the most significant development was Hello Games co-founder Sean Murray finally speaking out and admitting to the numerous problems at launch. The commitment to keep improving the game, especially with weekly events, continues.

"Perhaps what impresses me most about this year thus far is how many indie titles seemingly came out of left field and proved to be compelling experiences."

We hence come to August which saw the incredible Dead Cells finally leave Steam Early Access and become a fairly big hit with critics. I’ve waxed eloquent about how brilliant the game is, nailing its core gameplay loop thanks to a striking yet organic aesthetic. And really, it’s tons of fun to kill stuff in that game. No joke.

Guacamelee! 2 wasn’t a revolutionary leap over the sequel but it’s still an excellent follow-up, celebrating Mexican culture and folklore while embodying the very best of Metroidvania gameplay. Death’s Gambit, a 2D Souls-like, also released after numerous years in development. While I personally had a few qualms with it, the combat is fun and challenging to engage with as are the boss battles. Overcooked! 2 brought a whole new meaning to hating your friends with its cooking-based missions (and that odd design choice of only the hosting player receiving progress should be fixed by now). Even Donut County, a game where you control a whole that’s swallowing things up and increasing in size, looks bizarrely fun.

Perhaps what impresses me most about this year thus far is how many indie titles seemingly came out of left field and proved to be compelling experiences. For as much hype as there was for Iconoclasts, Celeste simply came out of nowhere and became known as one of the very best games ever made. Likewise, with August coming to an end (as of this time of writing), Sabotage Studio’s The Messenger has released and proven itself to be an excellent homage to the old-school Ninja Gaiden.

Even without the direct comparison, it’s still proven to be a fantastic 2D action platformer. For The King, IronOak Games’ tabletop roguelike RPG, was also pretty good and despite leaving Early Access with very little fanfare, it’s been well-received by both critics and regular fans. The same goes for Event Horizon’s Tower of Time, a more story-centric RPG dungeon crawler with some compelling combat and decent story-telling.

"Not everyone may find success but each title has earned its place in the hearts and minds of its fans, no matter their number."

Though the Fall and Holiday seasons are known for their triple-A releases, there are a few awesome indie games to look forward to. InExile’s The Bard’s Tale 4: Barrows Deep will arrive on September 18th, introducing a new generation to the dungeon crawling, RPG excitement that permeated old-school titles. Secret of Mana-style action RPG CrossCode will also finally release, exiting Steam Early Access on September 20th, and I couldn’t be more excited about finally playing the game through from start to finish. A number of titles like This War of Mine, Hyper Light Drifter, Everspace, Beat Cop, Moonlighter and much more will also be making their way to the Nintendo Switch, which has proven to be a premier destination for indie titles. Just ask anyone still addicted to Dead Cells on the go.

Frozen Synapse 2 is also probably still coming this year. It’s really hard to say at this point.

The industry has seen its ups and downs throughout the years. Whether it’s last year’s hefty push for loot boxes and reinforcing essential gameplay elements with loot boxes, or the constant nagging about the Battle Royale genre this year, there will always be some kind of pervasive cynicism. That doesn’t mean that some great games – even those seemingly “ruined” by microtransactions – aren’t available to indulge in but that’s beside the point. Through all the twists we’ve seen the industry take, the indie development scene continues to push forward. It may not always be easy or lead to returns as exemplified by Zeboyd Games (Cosmic Star Heroine) or Infinite Fall (Night in the Woods). Some developers like Hello Games may be forever marred by their past failures. Others may be defined more by their explosive personalities than their actual work like Josef Fares.

At the end of the day, the market has proven receptive to indie games and fresh experiences in general. Not everyone may find success but each title has earned its place in the hearts and minds of its fans, no matter their number.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

The Banner Saga 3 brings the conclusion to the story of the Vikings. Just like the previous entries in the installment, this is a game places heavy emphasis deep stories which are shaped by player choices. Similarly, the game features the deep and complex combat system that fans of the series have come to love.

There have been some important changes though, with the introduction of Dredge Heroes, new characters, and an all-new soundtrack! You can also choose to carry over progress from your time with the previous games into this one for a more cohesive experience. If you are new to the series, you will be clued into the important aspects of the story so you won’t feel too lost. This time, you and your band of Vikings are up against a threat known as the Darkness and it’s going to mostly be a bleak world for you to travel through. If you ever feel in need of some help to progress, then the following video walkthrough will be of use.

The epic conclusion to Stoic’s tactical RPG trilogy is finally available. The Banner Saga 3 has launched for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch. Check out the launch trailer below.

If you’ve played the first two games, you know what to expect: A world-eating serpent, the impending darkness that threatens to destroy everything, Dredge and so on. The Banner Saga 3 divides the story into two fronts- the war in Arberrang as players attempt to keep the city from collapsing, and the incursion into the darkness to halt it.

Along with featuring the same memorable characters from previous games like Iver, Alette, Oddleif, Juno and Rugga, The Banner Saga 3 challenges you to make tough decisions to survive. Will you reinforce Arberrang and go to war with humans and Dredge alike? What will you do to save the world? Decisions from previous games will carry over into the third game as well.

Check out GamingBolt’s official review of The Banner Saga 3 and decide whether it’s worth your while.

"The Banner Saga 3 deals blow after blow with its story beats, challenging you to make tough decisions and dealing with the tragic results they may yield."

Stoic Studio’s The Banner Saga 3 embodies that kind of storytelling, an art form where events feel real and organic even as bloody conflict, chaos and death can stand out the most. It’s the epitome of a trilogy, the end of the intricate banner, weaving memorable battles and conflicts without ever losing focus on its characters. Gameplay-wise, The Banner Saga 3 is also a pretty good tactical turn-based RPG with a variety of interesting fights, decision-making and resource management. However, the gameplay is so intrinsically interwoven with the story that it doesn’t just play out against the backdrop of an epic tale. The tale itself is the real hook,  an amalgamation of all the conversations, decisions, consequences and combat that you’ll stumble into.

Without delving into many spoilers, The Banner Saga 3 starts off with the world on the brink of ending. An overwhelming darkness is warping and consuming everything. There are two primary groups at play – the first in Arberrang, the capital of men in Rundwall where numerous refugees, clans and races are making their final stand against the Dredge. It’s not quite as simple as it sounds though. The city is a melting pot for political and racial interests, even as the darkness approaches, threatening to boil over and consume those holding out hope. The second group surges into the darkness to find its source and ideally shut it down for good. It’s the apocalyptic version of “A group of mercenaries, Varl, Valka and men walk into the abyss.” Except the punchline is far grimmer.

Don’t let the immediate cut to action at the start fool you. The Banner Saga 3 deals blow after blow with its story beats, challenging you to make tough decisions and dealing with the tragic results they may yield. For instance, Arberrang is falling apart. Do you become the benevolent clan leader and dole out supplies to the hungry while allotting fighters to reinforce the wall? How do you deal with the various races and armies, whether Dredge or human and still maintain some semblance of order? Will stepping into certain arguments and fights help improve Morale or hamper it? The series’ survival aspect, where you manage supplies and your clan, is executed masterfully in this regard. Garnering resources is important but balancing that with the number of individuals in your clan is equally vital. You might want everyone on your side but keeping them there is another task altogether.

"For The Banner Saga 3 to tell its compelling story while having nearly every character, even those you don’t control, essential to the plot is astonishing, to say the least."

This feeds back into yet another great thing about the game: Choices have weight and meaning. They’re not simply arbitrary. When you see something terrible happen, you wonder if nothing really could have been done to prevent it. You question the choices made up till that point. Then again, while plenty of situations don’t require the “right” or humane answer, would you really have acted otherwise? Keep in mind that your every decision will contribute to the ending. Despite the journey itself being the real highlight, my ending was a bittersweet finale to the suffering these characters had endured.

Much of the motivation for the decision making can be chalked up to the stellar writing. Each and every character, from the sisterly yet headstrong Oddleif to the solemn yet trustworthy Iver, from the hesitant but pure Alette to the outlandish Tryggvi, make their presence felt. You could argue that some don’t quite get enough exposure and you’d be right. The game doesn’t let you freely build bonds with every single character. You can’t just walk up to anyone and have a conversation with them, building up your Confidant level and probably getting a sweet weapon from completing their loyalty mission. However, they’re all deftly woven into the story, each playing an important part and revealing their motivations in time. There’s very little fluff to deal with here. For The Banner Saga 3 to tell its compelling story while having nearly every character, even those you don’t control, essential to the plot is astonishing, to say the least.

Amidst all this praise for the characters and narrative structure, you’d think the combat would have its share of shortcomings. On the contrary, the combat is extremely fun to indulge in with enough stat customization, Hero Status Titles, items and strategies to ensure no two battles – or even the same battle – play the same. For instance, in Arberrang, it’s possible to have a Thrasher chip away at Dredge armour while a Varl uses high Strength to attack its health directly. A Horseborn and two Archers could also pitch in from range or apply crowd control and other benefits like Overwatch to deal with moving enemies. On the other hand, you could deploy two Raidmasters and aggro enemies onto their defenses while the Varl and Archers deal damage unhindered.

"Battles where various NPCs and enemies remain static while your party and their foes are animated afford some great framing, like the painting of a conflict taking place."

Your own positioning is incredibly vital during fights – taking out stronger enemies is important but so is ensuring your own units don’t become weakened by other foes. Implementing units with unique abilities (like Track) is also vital as is sticking together. Different enemy types, including Warped enemies which explode and grant Willpower to their allies while leaving ashes that diminish Willpower if your units step through them, help keep the action fresh. Transitioning back and forth between the two fronts is also seamless, though at times I found the multi-stage fights in the darkness to be tougher than those in Arberrang.

There are a few nitpicks with the combat. The Valka Spear felt tougher to really take advantage of compared to the Horn. The chain lightning effect was heavily reliant on enemy positioning and despite three charges that could be utilized in a wide range, it still felt more like chip damage. Contrast this limited utility to the Horn that grants Willpower (something that Morale also affects). This can be used to increase damage done to armour, tile movement, Strength damage and more. It wasn’t so much frustrating as a wrinkle during the second group’s fights. A slightly curious wrinkle that I need to get good at but a wrinkle all the same. Being unable to skip through animations during battles, especially when numerous enemies are on the field and taking turns, wasn’t annoying but it would have been a nice option.

If you don’t experience The Banner Saga 3 for its compelling combat, story-telling, characters or decisions, then it should be for the presentation. The aesthetic is simply gorgeous. Travelling through the darkness and seeing past locations mangled horrifically is beautifully haunting in a way. Roughing it through Arberrang en route to the king, taking in the destroyed walls and rival clansmen peering from a distance is similarly epic. Conversations where characters stand out, revealing their full profiles, look gorgeous. Battles where various NPCs and enemies remain static while your party and their foes are animated afford some great framing, like the painting of a conflict taking place. Though there aren’t dozens of cutscenes, those present look absolutely gorgeous and pop up at the most appropriate moments. The Banner Saga 3’s art isn’t just out to look great. There’s a feeling of the environments actually feeling lived in rather than acting as backdrops for the action.

"In a year full of compelling games, both indie and big-budget, Stoic Studio isn’t lost with The Banner Saga 3."

And even then if the art doesn’t grab you, then the music will. Composed by Austin Wintory, the soundtrack embodies everything from twisted, eerie surroundings to tense battles. The music doesn’t completely overpower the action but adds to it, accompanying the emotions felt when a harrowing battle is underway or a threat that could decide the fate of the world emerges. The soundtrack does a great job of conveying a wide range of emotions and can’t be praised enough.

If there was one major issue I could find in The Banner Saga 3, it’s a strange bug that would cause key events and an important battle in Arberrang to be skipped. This bug seems to have triggered during one of the multi-stage fights in the darkness so not going past the first stage of this battle seemed to return things to normal. Avoiding this bug meant a bit of trial and error while reloading progress. It’s nothing that will completely destroy your enjoyment of the game but did serve to disrupt progress while denying one of the key story sequences. Otherwise, the overall polish and performance on PC is exceptional with no other major issues.

In a year full of compelling games, both indie and big-budget, Stoic Studio isn’t lost with The Banner Saga 3. Instead, it delivers a confident and overwhelming yet mature tale of life, death, love, war and the world. It does this in such an incredible manner that’s commendable, to say the least, and absolutely spell-binding at most. The Banner Saga 3 is deftly crafted to appease its fans while also standing tall on its own merits, filling the space in its tale of light and darkness with ample intrigue and nuance.

This game was reviewed on PC.

The Banner Saga 3, the conclusion to indie studio Stoic’s epic trilogy of choice-based strategy RPGs is here, and there’s no doubt in my mind that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people are going to be playing it obsessively over the next few weeks. And given the fact that The Banner Saga 3 is also on the Nintendo Switch, the series’ simultaneous launch debut on any Nintendo platform, it’s also going to invite a host of new players.

But how does the game run on the Nintendo Switch? Well, we recently interviewed the team at Stoic, and asked a number of questions about the game, one of which was about the resolution settings for The Banner Saga 3 on the Switch. Stoic co-founder and the game’s technical director John Watson told GamingBolt that the game will run at 1080p when docked, and at 720p while being played in handheld mode.

Questions about the frame-rate remained unanswered, but considering the fact that this is an isometric turn based RPG, I’d say frame-rates aren’t all that important in this particular case anyway. In the same interview, Watson also told us about the resolution and frame-rate targets for the game on the PS4, PS4 Pro, Xbox One, and Xbox One X. Read more on that here. If you want to read the full interview – and I suggest you do so, it’s quite an interesting read – head on over here.

The Banner Saga 3 is out now on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Our review for the game should be live soon, so stay tuned to find out what we think of the game.