If one were only to look at screenshots or videos of Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire, they might mistake it for a clone of The Banner Saga. The developers at Whale Hammer Games even freely admit that The Banner Saga inspired them. For all the surface similarities, though, there are plenty of differences. The end result is a game which, while rough around the edges, does an amazing job of weaving combat and story together more tightly than most RPGs manage.
Tahira is the name of a princess who, after a disagreement with her father about how the country should be run, left her home and began roaming the countryside to help the people of their nation in her own way. The game starts with her receiving a message from her father: their home is under attack and she is needed. This starts her on a journey in which she must lead her people in the hopes of survival. While the titular character learns more about the magic powers she has inherited, we find out that the Astral Empire, which is attacking Tahira's people, once came from the stars.
At first glance, the core game loop of Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire really does seem a lot like that of The Banner Saga. Where the latter puts a lot of emphasis on the toll the journey takes on the people, however, Tahira's emphasis is on its desparate fights. The Astral Empire's soldiers outnumber Tahira's people badly, which means the player absolutely must take advantage of the environment to win.

The first time I lost a ...