Addicts of RPGs!
Fans of the Total War franchise!
I have good news!
Good news indeed!
Recently, my prospector friend Goran has unearthed a gem of multiple facets, of untold value! Previously unknown to me, this little piece of treasury has already been discovered by gamers and labeled a cult classic.
Populace of the internet, i give thee... Mount & Blade!
First introduced to me as ''A very cheesy, fun little addictive game'' by Goran, as he was striding on a green and open field on his black horse, 7 peasants running to his side.
''It looks like Oblivion'' I said.
''What?'' Replied Goran... He was concentrating on the computer screen and barely paying any attention to me. Males of the human species, you see, are not adept at multi-tasking.
A few warcries made me turn back to the screen. In the distance, 6 or 7 footmen were charging. My friend's hero picked up the pace, the horse going in a gallop. The warcries were getting louder. As he swoops by the enemy, he takes out his sword and swings at his left left side, delivering a killing blow to his hated enemy.
''Wait... much more cooler than Oblivion. You can't do anything when you're on a horse, you have to step down to fight''
''Oh.. Yeah, look. Very cheezy, like i said''
I watched as Goran moved some distance away from the group of footmen, got down from his horse, and proceeded to continue the fight on foot. The rest of his group were following right behind, some of them throwing javelins and rocks. He rushed in with his shield high, blocking the first shots and replying with his sabre, cutting down a few enemies.
Before long, the sounds of battle were changed to... hard throat yells of victory from his comrades, celebrating their victory, arms in the air. Sweet!
The graphics were not that great, actually a little bit older than Oblivion, but they felt right. The gameplay was smooth, and the collision recognition perfect.
After that, a screen appeared, showing us what loot he had aquired, how many prisoners he could capture (to later sell into slavery), and how much experience him and his comrades received. A character screen showed us what Goran looked like with his present armor, wich stats did he want to improve as well as his abilities. (Stuff ranging from power strike to horse archery to looting). After leveling up his character, we were transported to the map of the world.
A bird's view showed Goran and the number of his troops (8 + 5 prisoners), traveling around the country side. These soldiers were actually recruited from nearby villages. There are 4 factions in the world, and your actions decide if they will become allies or enemies. Loot the village or escort a caravan?
There are also tracks left by your horse, shown as arrows pointing in the direction you are going. Colors also show how long ago you passed there. The size of the arrows show how large the group was. This is all influenced by your tracking skill. I learned later during my own gameplay that you can recruit heroes in taverns (cheezy, yes) that have party skills. I have a monk good at healing, a tracker and kind of archer wh0 doesn't really do anything.
Since I had a good tracker on board, i was able to find giant yellow arrows on the ground, telling me that a large army was there not too long ago. By following the tracks i was able to catch up to an army actually laying siege on another town, and i was able to lend my hand in.
And let me tell you, it's even cooler. We started charging the wall, going up a ladder, my friends falling to the ground in cries of agony as archers were picking us out. Shields, my friends, where are yours?
When we finally took the wall and the courtyard, we took the castle. The allegiance of the keep actually changed to the color of the lord that took it! The lord was pleased with my effort and offered to give me a quest. I have now been following his army around and going on recon missions for his campaign, helping in taking 2 keeps! The Nords now HATE me.
Altogether, a great game. Character evolution is always important, and in this case you can see it first-hand, you are completely responsible for it! I went from being a looter and pillager to being a trader, to now being a mercenary at the command of a force of almost 40 men. You get to pick if you want your villagers to become archers, footmen, horsemen, although a good mix of the 3 is recommended. I started as a scruffy-looking guy with a ''Lame Horse'', no helmet and just a leather shirt and rusty axe, to a knight with fur armor, a speedy horse, metal greaves. I just bought a huge pole, jousting-style, and a helmet with those cool flat tops. I want to buy one with huge wings but they are too expensive.
I'm also told you can even capture towns and castles yourself and become a faction, receiving taxes and defending your properties. I think you can also try to seduce ladies, more on that as i discover the game more and more!
I strongly, strongly recommend this game!
Here's a few screenshots. The Map, the party meny, and my knight.
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| From Montréal Comics |
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| From Montréal Comics |
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| From Montréal Comics |
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| From Montréal Comics |
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| From Montréal Comics |
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