Mount & Blade review (PC)

Weren't the Middle Ages great? War, famine and plague all added to the fun that was an ordinary day. If anybody gave you lip then giving them a good poke, with your sword of course, could settle any dispute restoring ones honour. Believe me if you thought the 1980s were great well you have not experienced the 1180s. Just replace George Michael with the Third Crusades and you get an idea of the amount of fun been dispensed by life. Sarcasm aside, I really do think that this is an interesting period in history that cries out for some non RTS attention. Since time machines seem to be out of stock down at my local PC World I have decided to try the next best thing, Mount & Blade. Luckily for you and I Mount & Blade can bring us a taste of what it was like back then, but without the boils, hunger and constant coughing.

Mount & Blade has been threading the underground scene for a couple of years now. Developer TaleWorlds is a husband and wife team hailing from Turkey, and they truly have created an unique game with some ground breaking features. Mount & Blade is a first/third person RPG that excludes any elements of fantasy. The game has seemingly sent the likes of Gandalf and Rincewind off to burn at the stakes for heresy which is a fresh approach. Although you would not think that looking at the front cover of the game. Looks likes Frodo and Aragorn had a baby together and sent him off to shut one of the Oblivion Gates. Still though it could have been worse, Ironsword : Wizards and Warriors II worse.

The Never Ending Story

Mount & Blade has a realistic Medieval theme but the land which the game is set in is fictitious. The land of Calradia is divided into five factions all capable of waging war or trading with one another. You can take up each factions cause and go forth in their name to wage war or you can help a lord regain his throne for some civil war fun. If you don't feel like bending over for a Lord then you can just act as a blade for hire or even command your own kingdom. Character creation is easily done through the standard slider bars which litter 99 percent of RPGs these days. It's very easy and quick to do which is great because I usually find that part of RPGs tedious. Your character must then choose his/her back story as well as their skills. Skill points can be used to build up strength, agility, charisma, etc or used to become better at a weapon. Again it's basic and easy to understand which is a big plus for me as I have found that most new RPGs are becoming overly complicated in that aspect. After you have created a character your happy with you are dropped off into this world and it's up to you to forge your own destiny and create your own fun.

This is the first major problem with the game. Open ended story telling is great but when you're dropped off in a game with nothing but your own imagination it falls apart. After I had seen my fair share of Calradia I became disillusioned with my character. The fact that there is no main storyline means that my character lacks direction and a purpose. I just ended up wondering what the point of his existence was and why I bother ransacking this and laying siege to that? Boring and dull side quests further dampen my experience. Most Lords seen to give identical quests that always have the same out come. A perfect example is when you're asked to track down a murder. Just look for the guy in the village with a weapon. He is the only one and when you just introduce yourself he confesses and attacks you. It's the same outcome each time. I wasn't expecting a Nancy Drew mystery but something with a bit more drama and detective work would have been nice. It must be said that not all side quests are dull and getting involved with some devious lords can introduce you to some interesting ones. It's just a shame they are in the minority.

The lack of sound has also dampened the my experiences in Mount & Blade. No voice acting exists so it's hard to feel immersed in the game. My shambles of a rag tag band of merry men that follow me into battle also lack enthusiasm as we all casually jog towards the enemy. They lack passion. They should be proud to die in my name but they would rather be deaf mutes only letting out girlish wimps when they are killed. The lack of proper sound in turn leads to a lack of atmosphere in the game which is a shame because it's the type of game that cries out for some.

My sword is bigger then your sword!

The lack of a story or atmosphere all becomes a bit trivial though once you enter Mount & Blades fantastic combat system which is truly revolutionary. I cannot even think of any other games that even comes close to the combat on offer here. The mounted combat is the main highlight and fighting on horseback is very enjoyable. TaleWorlds takes the realistic approach to combat so when fighting on horseback it's all about angles and arcs. You will not find any mystical or enchanted horses that can make sharp turns or gallop from 0-60 mph in under three seconds. Every weapon you can use on foot can be used on horseback. Damage is multiplied based on what speed you are travelling when you impact. I have to add that there is nothing more satisfying as lining up a target and slicing them in the back of the neck for an instant kill. Fighting on foot is just as interesting but its a lot more difficult.

When fighting on foot you may or may not have a shield. Not using one will cause a change in how you fight. You must wait for the enemy to raise their weapon and then use the block button to defend against the incoming blow. It can be impossible when faced with numerous enemies, but in reality being faced with multiple enemies can be considered a major disadvantage. If you decide to use a shield then all you have to do is hold block to deflect any incoming attack but over use will cause your shield to crack and break. Ranged weapons are also in the game. I still find archery to be difficult even with a high level character. It requires more practice then melee weapons but you are rewarded with some excellent killing skills.

Tis party time m'lord

An interesting area in Mount & Blade is the ability to have a party to adventure with. This is not unique in the genre, but in Mount & Blade your party can become a small army. I am not talking two to six people but a couple of hundred. They can be recruited from any major city or local villages. They too can level up through experience and it's really great to see country peasants become dashing warriors after they have been through hell and back with you. A handful of heroes can also follow under your banner. They all have their own personalities and if something is not right they will let you know immediately. They also can have arguments with other heroes in your party. It's nothing compared to Hollyoaks, but still nice to see some interaction among your party.

Mount & Blade is not the best looking game around but given the fact that it's an indie game I can hardly complain. It more then makes up for it in gameplay and it's not ugly enough to a point where you want to shut it off and inject some Crysis into your veins. The new 1.0 version has made a good leap from the beta versions and with some investment future releases could drastically revamp the graphics. The game's length is a mixed bag. It can take months for your character to become full level but once you have achieved all you can there is little incentive to go back and play the game again. In the beta versions numerous mods existed and I'm pretty sure that this tradition will continue in the full version so you can keep an eye out for them.

I really do feel Mount & Blade is a fantastic game. It's hampered by a few problems, but nothing major. It provides ground breaking gameplay that I am sure will be imitated by others. I believe that it lacks the characteristics to challenge similar games in its field but it has all the potential to become one of the greatest RPGs in future releases. Its poor graphics may turn some away but I do not want to criticise TaleWorlds for that due to their budget. Retailing at only $30 you can hardly go wrong. So what are you waiting for? Saddle up and give it a try.