PC PC GAMES

Introduction:

It is rare that I spend more than 20 hours on a game but at writing time I have spent more than 49 hours on Mount and Blade Warband, something rather odd for me as I am not one to spend long amount of times on one game. The only thing near it is Mass Effect 2 and Knights of The Old Republic which come in at 28 and 34 hours.

But what makes a game worth playing for what amounts to more than 2 full days, is it story? Gameplay? Multiplayer? Or simply the lack of other games to play? Well, let’s venture forth into this review, together, and find out!

About the Game:

The game is developed by a company named Taleworlds a small Turkish company. Their only products are Mount and Blade and Mount and Blade Warband both of which have been published by Paradox Interactive, a Swedish based company with a reputation for publishing smaller indie games and spin offs of their Hearts of Iron franchise.

Mount and Blade Warband itself is actually a standalone expansion pack to Mount and Blade with all the same features ( Ofcourse it adds alot to the mix aswell, but for this review we will be looking at the game as a whole )

Gameplay:

The game itself is a action RPG, centered around the character that you create in the start of the game, that can either be a female or a male. Other than this the game also features a system which that gives your character a back-story which then reflects in your skills, rather like the GOAT exam in Fallout 3.

The game starts you out with a smaller quest to eliminate a band of robbers but after that the game is entirely sandbox based, you can choose to do anything you want, becoming a mercenary captain or perhaps a lord of a castle for one of the many Kings of Caladria ( The continent on which this game is set ) or if you are ambitious enough you can even become one of the many kings that inhabit the realm, though it must be said that this requires alot of time and skill, as the game doesn’t start you out with a mega army, only yourself and a lousy set of armor and weapons.

From here you can recruit soldiers to your cause which then gain experience through combat and training, from here they can go from common peasant to feared knights or soldiers. It is through here that the player is introduced to the different classes within the game. Although you yourself are not limited to one class, the game limits your soldiers to classes in a kind of tech tree that defines whether your Nord Peasants will become Nord Elite Archers or Nord Huscarls.

This is for the Nord faction

Your character itself however can train up to become anything you want and you are never set to a specific course. You can learn anything from engineering ( To lessen the time making siege weapons at sieges ), training ( which gives your troops more experience over time ) or any third thing.

This is perhaps what makes the gameplay part so engaging as it never feels like you are limited to being a bowman or a swords man as you could easily train yourself up to being both things and you feel a genuine progress in your character and it feels nice to go from a wimp to a great warrior.

As mentioned before the game is set on the continent of Caladria where there are multiple kingdoms each with their own distinct culture and units. This also introduces the player to the courtship mechanics and the lordship mechanics.

If you build up relations with a king you can swear allegiance to him and in return ( if you serve him well ) he will grant you castles and villages that you can upgrade. In villages, for an example, you can build a manor so that you can rest in the village with your army or a school house so that their relationship with you increases ( Which means cheaper goods at the marketplace and more recruits when you ask for them ). Beyond this villages also earn you gold in relation to their own prosperity which can depend on buildings and you fending off raiders.

Another option you have is that you can also get a wife through courtship, which requires you to duel other rivals as well as visiting her often. In return she will keep watch at your castle, arrange feasts so that lords like you more and open the option of a separate inventory other than your own.

You also have the option of recruiting companions whom have different skills to supplement you and your party. However you cannot recruit every companion in the game as their personalities will collide as some of them are raiders and looters while others are warriors with good intentions or perhaps on a quest of redemption.

The action part of the game can be found on the battlefield when to armies collide. The game turns into a first person/third person battle where armies smash together in head on battles with archers, cavalry and soldiers facing off and charging at each other.

It is here that you also learn of the commands in the game which makes the battles more than just mindless charges. Simple commands for certain sections of your troops mean that you have supreme control over your men in the heat of battle, with commands like stand closer or spread out, both which are 3 commands away ( 2 – select archers F2 – position commands 3 – spread out ).

Within the battle you also learn of the complex fighting system where you can block with your sword ( In different directions, there is never a universal block unless you use shields ) and can even do SPARTA kicks at your enemy to stop him from blocking too much.
THIS IS SPARTA and TEXT SPAM

From all this aspects of the battlefield combat the game also has a very distinct strategy feel to it, as simply rushing your enemy discarding hills, valleys and other parts of the area will mean that your cavalry will be alone and your soldiers will be running to catch-up while your archers are being bombarded by the enemy archers whom have taken up positions on a hill.

There for the game appeals to both the person whom want to a champion and simply cut his way through the enemy ranks with his two handed axe as well as the general whom stays behind his troops and directs their movements.

It must however be said that the AI tends to bug out if let to itself. One can choose to stay behind in battles and be auto resolved, however it seems that casualties from auto resolves are completely different from the results you get when direct yourself meaning that you will largely be directing your troops at all times.

Multiplayer:

The multiplayer of this game is also worth mentioning. It features several modes which includes battles and sieges aswell as duel servers. The multiplayer plays out in the battle mode of the game with players being set up against players. However the game does not automatically hand you the best weapons in the game ( Unless ofcourse the server is set to it ) you start as in single player with pitiful armor and weapons and have to kill other players to earn the money to buy better equipment and horses. However the equipment is limited from what class you choose, something exclusive to the multiplayer where, for an example, you can choose between a horse archer or a pikeman, where these selections limit your options to what you can buy.

So as for example a Nord Warrior will get a great selection of double handed axes, swords and shields while the Saranid Horse Archer will get great bows and fast horses.

The money aspect of the multiplayer is a driving force that makes you want to get additional equipment within game, however it does not carry over to other games so the money you earn decapitating 4 different enemies only gives you money in that match, which is rather disappointing.

Story:

The game is completely sandbox based and although it offers you smaller quests that the rulers will give you ( Like tracking down a criminal and dueling him ) the game does not offer you a specific goal and it is completely up to the player to decide what he wants to do within the game.

It is however story wise ( and RPG wise ) that the game sometimes shows its lack of depth. Conversations with NPCs seem stale and uninteresting with only rare variations. There are no voice overs and it can become annoying to talk with your wife in the game and have it be the coldest sterile conversation in RPG history. Beyond this the most coherent voices you will hear will be the raiders running at you yelling “ Arrgghhh “

The game also includes a day and night system that is reflected on the battlefield, and it looks quite awesome.

This can attributed to the very sandbox elements of the game that then pours over in the story/rpg section. It doesn’t at any point feel like someone is your friend or enemy as all the computer can muster is empty threats and insults or vague praise and compliments out of a hallmark card.

Graphics:

The game is by no way beautiful but the graphics can be described as functional. There are some glitches in the game engine wise, such as if you jump onto of people you float around till you fall down, aswell as waters in rivers flowing up stream and waves going sideways in the ocean.

However I myself did not have an issue with the graphics, people whom are easily discouraged by the lack of good graphics will find themselves at a loss in this game.

Summary:

As was stated in the start of the review, this game has already nommed a huge part of my time and I can therefor not give it anything other than my full recommendation ofcourse with certain precautions.

First person shooter people will feel limited by the fact, that the best ranged weapon is a longbow and that you can’t just rush your enemy, God of War style, without being knocked off your horse and severed into nice pieces. And the hardcore RPG people will be disappointed by the lack of depth in the conversation system aswell as the lack of character interaction.

This game is a recommended purchase

Summary Information:

Publisher: Paradox Interactive

Developer: TaleWorlds

Website: http://www.taleworlds.com/

Forum: http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php

Price: 30€ ( Prices may differ in American Steam ) Steam / 25£ Direct2Drive / 29.96€ GamersGate

Feedback is very appreciated.