As said in the intro, 2013 was the year when a great many more mature themes started sprouting out the industry, culminating in The Last of Us being not only many peoples' game of the year, but a demonstration of how to create an ending that's never actually been done before in any entertainment medium. Since then it opened the floodgates for more 'serious' titles to rise to the top, also taking influence from the moral quandaries of something like Telltale's Walking Dead series to show how the simple act of rationing food out in a population-starved environment can be a very memorable experience. In The Banner Saga you'll control a platoon of barbaric warriors making their way across the plains, encountering any number of enemies along with potential allies along the way. Soldier morale has to be maintained along with managing stats in the field, and its herein that lies the rub, as everything from conversation options with people you meet along the way to exactly how to divvy out the supplies will inevitably drag everyone down eventually. It's all brutally hard and unforgiving, but for the most part feels very fair thanks to that brilliantly-coded XCOM-style combat. Chances are you'll lose a swathe of your men right off the bat thanks to saying something a potential friend takes the wrong way, but with a gorgeous art style and a sense of immersion only few titles can master, those with the patience and mastery of their nerves will get one of the best titles of the year altogether.
