Mount & Blade: Warband (PC)

Welcome to Mount & Blade: Warband a Medieval world called Calradia devoid of magic yet charged with fantasy. Based on own Medieval times Calradia consists of six nations (not including your own that you may make) that you are free to roam. Warband is a completely open ended game in which you can do anything! You can marry into a noble family or perhaps, be a traveling merchant, or perhaps be emperor of Calradia if you have the skills and army to back you up.

Who do you want to be?

There are so many options to start with in the game it can be a little overwhelming, however the text options will help you decide who you want to be. There are plenty of options to keep you busy time and time again; you can be a poor peasant going out for revenge, a profitable merchant, a wife, or a warrior seeking his own kingdom. There are plenty of other options but I don't want to give away too much.

No matter what type of character you start with or which nation you land in you will always be ambushed by bandits, but don't worry a friendly merchant will come to your aid. The merchant will offer you some basic quests to start with that involve bringing back his brother from some bandits. These simple quests will help you get the gist of the game first time round. I found it a little tricky the first time but once I had figured out the gameplay I was well on my way to becoming a bandit killing machine.

Playability:

Warband is so completely immersive once you get going. I thought it might have been like some other games that I've played before where a couple of hours down the line you've completed the main quest and your done. But Warband isn't like that, it doesn't have a main quest so you can do what ever you want! I can sit for hours and play that game and not get bored.

You can also make the game as easy or as difficult as you want it to be. For example you can have a nice easy life making lots of money being a merchant or you can make life hell for yourself, sorry challenging by going to war with all six nations. I'd recommend starting out nice and easy and once you've got some support behind you and some right to rule then think about engaging in war.

Depending on what type of PC you have will depend on how you view your graphics. My computer is really old so I have to have everything set to low so it does make reading text a little difficult but I'm sure with a newer machine you wouldn't have any graphics issues. I don't mind having low graphics as the game is so epic anyway it doesn't really detract from the actual gameplay.

I've come across some stability issues that are difficult to pin point, whether it's my computer or the actual game I don't know. If you've set your game up to auto save though you probably wont have any issues.

The sounds and music are pretty good. I love the warrior yell that your army makes when going into battle and when they've won a victory, it makes you want to yell too! The horse sounds (through my speakers anyway) are pretty realistic and the music really adds to the atmosphere.

Value:

In my opinion the value for money is just fantastic! I come back to this game again and again since is first came out in 2010. I don't think I can ever get bored of the game. Even if I get bored of that character I can go ahead and make another and try out something completely different.

I would recommend this game to anyone who loves Medieval fantasy games, and even to those who are looking to try something new. I think it's a great game and should be around for a long time.