The Banner Saga
The Banner Saga isn’t so much about Norse mythology, as it is heavily based on it. The game takes place in a fantasy world heavily inspired by Norse and Viking legend, although adapted for its own purposes. In the Banner Saga the world is trapped in perpetual twilight, as the sun stopped moving just days before the game begins. The inhabitants of the world humans and giants, known as Varls, have to band together to fight back an ancient race of stone creatues, the Dredge, who’ve returned to kill everyone.
The Banner Saga is an interactive story, with an emphasis on choices that matter, mixed with grid-based strategy, similar to that of something like Final Fantasy Tactis or Fire Emblem. You follow two different playable characters who meet others and form a party, before the two factions ultimately meet and mix together. The hand-drawn animation really leans into the Norse and Viking aesthetic, and the games are gorgeous, feeling like an animated film in motion. Even though the Norse myths might not be as obvious as other games, the inspirations and themes are clear, and the Banner Saga games use those inspirations to craft a wholly unique fantasy tale.
