Review: Mount and Blade: Warband

Genre: Role-Playing

            Mount and Blade: Warband is a shining example of just how amazing games from an independent producer can be. Though visually it has the technical equivalence to that of a game made over five years ago, its engaging combat system is just as good as or better than any other role-playing game out today.

Gameplay

           

            In Warband, you can either play the single player campaign or multiplayer. In single player you gather and army and fight a range of enemies from bandits to armies of enemy kingdoms. Your goal overall is to control the most amount of land, which is almost always done by force. The majority of the game is spent fighting, and this is where the game is most enjoyable. What makes combat so fun is that you control every movement of your character from blocking to attacking. You also must choose which direction to attack or block, which can be very difficult if you aren’t paying attention to your enemy. At times, you may have a hundred or more people at a time engaging in battle, and it is these hectic times where you really need to think ahead in order to win.

            Multiplayer in Warband is just as fun as in single player, but also is far more challenging. It is recommended that you play through single player before you play online just to get familiar with all of the weapons and fighting strategies. Though multiplayer is very fun, it lacks any incentive for you to stay and continue playing like many other online games. There is no progression between games, you always start with the same standard choice of equipment each new game, and this definitely detracts from the experience.

Graphics

           

            You might be a little surprised to discover that Warband was released in early 2010 because of its lacking graphics. Though it is very basic looking, it isn’t horrible and many of the castles and stretches of land look nice. However, some areas tend to look a little too bland and barren, such as desert areas and forests. This doesn’t hurt the game too much since the main focus is combat after all.

Conclusion

            Poor visuals aside, Mount and Blade: Warband is an excellent game with a long lasting single player and challenging multiplayer. It is a good change of pace from the usual role playing game and anyone interesting in in-depth medieval combat should pick this up.

Gameplay: 9.0

Graphics: 6.0

Lasting Appeal: 8.5

Overall: 8.9