Northern Saga: A Promising RPG

Northern Saga is a strategy RPG, similar to Ogre Battle and Unicorn Overlord. It released a demo, which is something that I was looking forward to. There wasn’t too much information on the game when I first checked it, so I was happy to see a demo.

This game is still early in development, so I’m not going to be too harsh on it. There are some things I like and a few that I don’t. Northern Saga is still a promising game, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else is in the game.

I’m just really glad that games like this are still being made. The graphics look very good, the gameplay is fun, and I’m enjoying the story so far. It does feel a little weird playing this game with a mouse and keyboard, but the controls are very good. Let’s get into the game and see what it has to offer.

TLDR: I love the graphics, but the story and gameplay are still limited due to where the game is in development.

Story so far in Northern Saga

I like the story so far. It isn’t amazing, mostly because this is just setting things up for later. There are quite a few plot points that are set up, which is nice. Northern Saga has some fun things in its story that will be fun to see how they play out.

Una, the main character, is in a mercenary company or militia. She is part of the North kingdom, and they’re at odds with the South. We aren’t given much information, aside from both sides are suffering. A group of trolls is also invading the North because they’re being pushed out of their lands.

There is some tension between Una and her father, Bero. It does feel like other games that I’ve played where some characters are disillusioned with what is going on in the kingdom. In many ways, this feels like the world in Vandal Hearts.

We’re picking up the plot after a war, and things aren’t going well for the common people. Another conflict is brewing, which is probably going to cause the main conflict in the game. It will be fun where things go from here.

While the story is familiar, there is enough here to make me interested in seeing where this goes. I can’t really give a verdict on the story at this point because I haven’t finished it. It is off to a good start, though.

Northern Saga Gameplay

I really like the gameplay in Northern Saga. It plays like a simpler version of Ogre Battle and Unicorn Overlord. There are quite a few features that I really like about this game, and it will be interesting to see what else is added as this game moves closer to a full release.

The core gameplay is very good, and reminds me of Ogre Battle. You deploy troops and move them around on a world map, and they fight enemies. You can capture buildings and churches. There is more of a focus on items in this game than in Ogre Battle.

Where this game differs from Ogre Battle and Unicorn Overlord is that your units don’t heal when they stop at a fort. You need to have a pilgrim or a healing item. This is something that might grow on me as I keep playing.

I wish I could build my own units like in Ogre Battle. At this early stage, you’re limited to the characters you’re given, and there doesn’t appear to be an in-game economy. So, instead of being able to recruit and customize your units, you have to deal with what is on hand. I completely understand why this is the case.

I really love that there are a bunch of character classes. It looks like the developers put a lot of thought into the character trees, and I like that you can see what the requirements for changing class are. This is one of the things that I really like, and it will be fun to mess around with it.

The gameplay in Northern Saga is very good. I’m really enjoying what I’m seeing so far, and I can’t wait to see more of this game. While I don’t like everything right now, I can see it growing on me as I keep playing the game.

Northern Saga Visuals

The graphics are pretty good. Northern Saga looks like an indie game that is using pixel art. There are two things that I want to point out here, and I hope that I’m not too harsh because I really do like the graphics.

The world map/battle map looks very good, but the fog effects look a little odd. The stages I saw have a fog effect on the buildings, forest, and mountains. It looks a little odd at times, where it doesn’t look as natural as it could. It is the only thing that looks off about the graphics on the world map.

The character sprites look decent. They’re well detailed, and they have a consistent look. I do like the trolls in this game as well. I do like the overall graphics on the world map more than the battle scenes. Much of that has to do with the character sprites. They don’t look bad, I just like the graphics in Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen more.

The spells that I saw look good. This was something I mentioned in my previous post on the game, and I’m glad that I got to see it here. Combat animations look very good, and it is easy to see what is going on during battles.

The graphics are a bright spot in this game. Everything looks good, and there are a few things that look great! What I’m really looking forward to seeing is all the different character classes and monsters in the game.

N/A. At this point, I’m not going to give this game a score. Northern Saga is a promising game that makes me feel like I’m playing something close to Ogre Battle. I like the graphics and gameplay.

Pros

• Good Gameplay
• Great Graphics
• Fun Story

Cons

• None at this time

Conclusion

Northern Saga is one of the games that I’m really excited for. I’m a huge fan of Ogre Battle on the SNES and Unicorn Overlord. It is great to see a talented team step in and make something that too is inspired by one of my favorite games.

The demo is very good. It makes me want to play more, which is always a good thing for a game like this. There are a few things that I’m still a little iffy about, but I’m sure that’ll change when I play the full game. I’ve not seen a release date as of yet, and if I missed it then I apologize.

I’ll be keeping an eye on this game and trying to share dates as I come across them. As someone who doesn’t spend much time looking for gaming news, I might end up being a few days late. Anyway, Northern Saga looks like it will be a fun game that I’ll have fun with.

If you like this post, check out some of my others on indie RPGs. Such as Costume Quest or Demonschool.