0

Forget about Grand Theft Auto IV. Forget about Gears of War 2. Forget, Forget and Forget. Much like Sins of a Solar Empire, Mount & Blade is another contender for 2008’s sleeper hit. Mount & Blade proves that PC gaming is very much alive and where you should be. Produced by TaleWorlds, the Turkish studio’s debut title has been in open beta for a while. It’s finally reached version 1.0 and has landed across stores and digital distribution methods. It’s a proud day for the six-strong team. They’ve been working on the game for many months and it really shows. Mount & Blade is a unique idea unforeseen in the world of gaming. We’re urging you to get out there and financially support the guys behind it. Here’s why.

Mount & Blade takes place in the mythical medieval world of Calradia. It’s a rough place ruled by warring factions, plagued by bandits and flowing in gold. You’re placed in control of a customizable character that starts at the bottom. It’s up to you to form alliances, create an army and work your way up the ladder to the top. The game approaches every aspect of gameplay and storytelling with a distinct sense of ‘open world.’ On first glance, Mount & Blade seems distinctly ‘Lord of the Rings-esque’, but nothing could be further from the truth. It has a dynamic world with real rules, devoid of any monsters or magic and a fluctuating economy that drives every decision.

You’re character creation is fairly detailed with the usual range of facial tweaking. There’s a simple back-story system that influences your statistics and finally a dishing out of attribute points. While the game has a typical RPG levelling up system, this only influences combat, not defines it. You start off alone, with no aim. The game combines two genres; Turn Based Strategic movement and recruitment and real time combat.

The world map features a large expanse of empires with settlements varying in size. There are villages, towns, castles and cities. Each can be interacted with in a range of methods. You can recruit the locals for your party, trade some menial goods, take a look around in 3D or loot, sack, steal and burn it to the ground. Castles and cities can be besieged, but that’s late on in the game’s timescale. Movement is undertaken by a simple click of the mouse and the game only moves when you do. It’s a cleverly used system that gives the impression it’s a real-time experience, but with all the patience and protection of a turn based game.

Eventually you’re going to find yourself in combat. In the beginning you can only command a handful of troops so it’s important that you pick your battles wisely. Charging in against a heavily armoured foe will find yourself captures, dragged around the map for several days and starting again with no money and no troops. It’s an unforgiving ‘game-over’ that redeems itself in the continuation of your levelled up character.

In battle, you’ll start atop horseback alongside your warring companions. The game’s AI handles both the actions of opponent and friendly troops to an impressive degree. There are some odd movement choices and some dodgy path finding, but all in all Mount & Blade manages to keep the realism alive. Think of the game’s battles as a zoomed in version of Medieval: Total War. You’re the commander and you can issue basic orders, but at the end of the day you’re only one man. You’ll need to block, parry, dodge, weave and smash your way through enemy lines. You’ll definitely become stronger, but the combat relies on timing, practice and the laws of physics. Once you’ve got the hang of it becomes very satisfying to watch. Post battle you can upgrade your troops, sell the spoils of war and embark on your next quest.

Mount & Blade does falter slightly on its quest system. They choices usually boil down to run this letter from lord to lord or collect some cattle for a village. In times of war, kings do hand out more varied quests like infiltrate an enemy city to hook up with a spy or patrol the enemy land. What does stand out is the power you can eventually yield. From being a fief to a town, owning a castle, running a city or running a faction it’s impressive stuff and it’ll surely keep you occupied. We’ve invested 17 hours (according to Xfire) in Mount & Blade which is testament to its longevity.

Mount & Blade isn’t a graphical powerhouse, but the engine still does its best and recreating a living world. The game allows you to quick jump to shops and other city areas which saves time on pointless walking around. You have to invest some serious time in Mount & Blade to reap its rewards, but it’s worth every minute. Combine what’s already there with a very active community and even more involved developers and you’ve got a product that should make it big. Give it a chance.

Score: 8/10

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.

Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.6
AkoComment © Copyright 2004 by Arthur Konze - www.mamboportal.com
All right reserved