On the surface, Mount and Blade: Warband looks a bit tacky, quite clunky, and very outdated.

So how is it so goddamn addictive?

I picked this up while it was on sale, starting with the standard Mount and Blade but quickly progressing to Warband within the same week. The base game, while good enough to get me hooked, was riddled with issues that would’ve ultimately killed any further interest in the franchise had the sequel not addressed, built upon, or fixed them.

Beginning as a lone adventurer, this game gives you a horse and a basic weapon, then says ‘have fun!’ and shoves you into a tumultuous landscape of feuding factions. It’s up to you to decide who you swear fealty to, or which claimant you side with. In Warband, there also seems to be the option to start your own faction (I’m yet to touch this as I’m still enjoying helping the Nords become the ultimate power in Calradia).

As you level, you recruit volunteers from local villages. Smashing through legions of looters and Sea Raiders, they begin to evolve from pitchfork-wielding yokels to deadly knights, precise sharpshooters, and seasoned warriors. I found the most fun in levelling up an unbeatable army and steamrolling across the landscape, valiantly coming to the rescue of my fellow lords and fiefs.

Switching from a bird’s eye view of the land into third-person play during battles and sieges, Mount and Blade switches it up just when you need a change. This doesn’t mean it doesn’t feel clunky when you run through a city, or swing your sword from horseback, or try to fire a crossbow from a siege ladder while being pushed and shoved by your own soldiers. But it’s just so much fun when you get that successful block with a shield, when a bloodied enemy falls to your blade. Learning the sights and arrow-drop with the crossbow adds another dimension to sieges and battles. Smashing an enemy’s shield with your lance from horseback, feeling the crack of the wood and knocking them to the ground as you gallop past... all the fancy schmancy graphics in the world can’t easily replicate the pure ‘fuck yeah!’ of successfully delivered couched lance damage.

I did rage-quit a few times, but some small part of me that I hate to acknowledge actually likes being sent back to square one with nothing but a few denars, a lame horse, and a vengeful heart. How many times did I crawl from the dungeon of a castle I’d unwisely attacked, seething at my own defeat, only to return with tenfold strength. Firing the last crossbow bolt over a courtyard strewn with bodies of the enemy, hearing my men roar and cheer at their own victory, was a soothing balm to my wounded pride.

Overall, I’d recommend this for anyone who enjoys creating their own stories, and those with an insatiable bloodlust.

Plus a star for cow-shaped water?

Intro

M&B is a game in which you fight, trade and talk your way to the top. You start with (next to) nothing and get better gear, companions and a growing army. Combat involves fighting with medieval weapons (1st/3rd person) in various terrains and sieges. You can join one of the existing factions or create your own.

The Good

• It's so much fun.
• You can drive a lance through someone's head.
• Archery is awesome.
• It makes really satisfying sounds when you murder people.
• Charging the enemy alongside your knights feels amazing.
• Progression is really satisfying at first.
• Tons of mods, from Warhammer to LOTR to Game of Thrones.
• M&B is wonky as hell.

The Bad

• M&B is wonky as hell.
• Progression almost grinds to a halt after ~40-50 hours.
• Much of the interface is terrible, especially the menus involving building.
• In the mountains the terrain is often terrible and almost impossible to fight on.
• You will eventually get stuck in endless wars against more numerous armies.
• Trading is useless compared to the original M&B.
• Lots of vague mechanics that you have to look up elsewhere.

Conclusion

The original Mount & Blade is the first game i "kickstarted", back in 2006 (Kickstarter wasn't even founded yet). It was such a weird thing. Not only was it made by a couple (plus a friend), but they were Turkish?! I honestly wouldn't know any other Turkish games.

The game was in early beta back then. There were two companions, two factions and two castles (you couldn't siege cities). Early on the towns didn't even exist physically, they were just menus. They built on this and eventually released Warband, which is practically a standalone expansion.

Mount & Blade is still the only game i know of in which you can fight proper battles involving cavalry. I have no idea why. Wonky and dated as the game might be, there is no other game that makes you feel like you're part of that big Rohirrim cavalry charge in Return of the King. It's so satisfying.

This game goes on sale for €4 all the time. If you've never played M&B you should definitely give it a shot.