The Banner Saga is a trilogy of cult hit tactical RPGs with gorgeous animated art, which launched originally on the Xbox One and PC. The developer behind those games, Stoic Studios, is building an exclusive under Xbox Global Publishing, according to information I've received previously. Today, Jeff Grubb added some pieces to the jigsaw on his GrubbSnax show (via @Nibellion), giving us a glimpse at another potential addition to the list of upcoming Xbox exclusives.
I mentioned a couple of weeks back about a codename 'Belfry' I'd discovered pertaining to an upcoming Xbox game on my Xbox Two podcast show with YouTuber Rand Al Thor 19. Up until now, I wasn't sure exactly what the game was, besides a vague reference to bell towers. I knew Stoic was building a game with Xbox too, but it wasn't until Jeff Grubb put the final pieces together on his show today that everything fit into place. Grubb also gave us key details about the game and some snippets about what to expect.
Project Belfry will sport similar painted art styles to that found in The Banner Saga, depicted above, while sporting side-scrolling brawling combat, similar to the likes of the PlayStation exclusive 'Dragon's Crown'. Grubb specifically linked the art style to the anime movie 'Princess Mononoke,' which sounds like it could be quite gorgeous indeed. The "Belfry," hinted at by the game's codename, will form some sort of base for crafting and upgrades, too.
Belfry is another title joining what seems to be a vast expansion of Xbox Global Publishing's footprint, working with developers big and small to bring more titles to Xbox Game Pass. We've seen larger studios jump on board, featuring Avalanche on Contraband, and we have strong rumors about Project Dragon, built in partnership with Hitman's IO Interactive. Belfry may be on the smaller side, joining the action RPG from Brass Lion Entertainment codenamed Shaolin, but given the quality of The Banner Saga, Project Belfry may well punch far above its weight.
If you haven't already, you should definitely give The Banner Saga a go, given that it's now available as a neat and tidy trilogy package. Your decisions carry over between games too, affecting the way the story pans out in a big way.
One epic trilogy
The Banner Saga is a fantasy epic with tactical combat, where your decisions carry across all three games. Inspired by Norse mythology, The Banner Saga is an underrated treasure, and well-worth checking out.
