'The Banner Saga' for PS4 to release January 2016

The Banner SagaVersus Evil, Stoic

When "The Banner Saga" released for Windows and mobile devices back in 2014 it was almost immediately praised as one of the best tactical RPG games to date. A console version for the PS4 has been in development and a recent update on the PlayStation Blog now confirms that the PS4 port will release on Jan. 12, 2016.

"We're eager for people to experience this epic Viking tale around the world, and we can't wait for you to begin your saga on 12th January 2016," reads the official announcement. 

The statement also confirms that the PS4 port will support other languages. The game will be playable in German, Portuguese, Rusian, Italian, Spanish, Polish and French. Given that this is a PS4 port, the game has been redesigned in order to take full advantage of the PS4 controller.

However, the development for the PS4 port has caused a delay to two other projects. "The Banner Saga 2" has been on hold a little bit and as stated on the official forums of developer Stoic studios, the PS Vita port of "The Banner Saga" has also been put on hold.

It is likely that the PS4 port of the game will be the basis for the PS Vita port given the similar control scheme. The only advantage is that the PS Vita has a more robust touch panel that could serve as a replacement for the touch screen of mobile devices and the mouse of the PC.

"The Banner Saga" tells the tale of a caravan journeying to survive after the disappearance of the sun. Set in a Viking-fantasy world, the game is akin to the mechanics of "Final Fantasy Tactics" while sporting beautiful hand-drawn art and a story that is as deep and dark as "A Song of Ice and Fire" or "The Black Company."

The game also doesn't just put all the focus on combat but on the caravan's survival. There are moments in the game where the player needs to decide on whether to push forward, stop for rest, hunt for good or deny requests from members of the caravan, with each decision leading to drastic results.