The Banner Saga is one of those games that I really enjoy, mostly because of the choice-driven narrative, but it sure did have a fair number of flaws, especially in terms of how annoying the combat could sometimes be.

With The Banner Saga 2 just around the corner, and the developers rather receptive of player feedback, its going to be interesting to see how the story progresses, but most importantly, how the updated gameplay will shape up. Here's the launch trailer, and a list of features that you can expect to see in The Banner Saga 2:

• The epic Viking saga continues on – beautifully 2D hand drawn combat sequences and animations are further enhanced with special effects, once again accompanied by an evocative score from Grammy-nominated composer Austin Wintory

• Player choice that continues to drive your narrative – your story continues based on choices made in the first game as well as hard choices you have to make in this one.

• New Characters and a New Race – continue your epic journey interacting with new characters and a new race, the Horseborn.

• Improved Strategic combat with consequences – improved, more strategic battle boards enhance combat and permanent loss of characters will still weigh heavy on your mind long after the battle is over.

• The journey is as important as battle – your role in building and managing your caravan as you travel the vast landscape is critical to not only your own survival but the survival of an entire civilization. 

The Banner Saga 2 will be releasing on Windows and OSX this April 19 at a $20 price tag (as well as a 10% launch week discount). The release date for other platforms is currently unknown.