Review Mount & Blade: Warband Reviews

VentilatorOfDoom · Apr 10, 2010

Tags: Mount & Blade; TaleWorlds

Should you ponder whether to pick up the expansion to M&B at a supposedly <a href="http://www.impulsedriven.com/products/ESD-IMP-W542">reduced bundle price</a>, here are four more reviews:
 
 
<a href="http://www.gamereactor.eu/reviews/3377/Mount+%26+Blade%3A+Warband/">Gamereactor, 8/10:</a>
 
 
And that's the kind of game Mount & Blade is. Together with a vibrant mod-scene, due to the game's high modability and the way Tale Worlds take care of their modding community, Mount & Blade: Warband is just a second attempt for the devs to try to sweep you off your feet. It wouldn't stand much of a chance if one of the great AAA-studios decided to create a game like it, but the thing is that the big AAA-studios don't do games like this anymore. To that I take my hat off to both Tale Worlds and Paradox Interactive, because Mount & Blade - both this new one and the original - show that ambitious game projects created by smaller developers and publishers can be incredible; that they are needed in this era of HD-graphics and multi-million monster games.
 

 
 
<a href="http://www.couchathletics.com/content/review-mount-and-blade-warband">Couch Athletics:</a>
 
 
For all of the medieval fanatics out there who want a game without the constant magic missiles or rapid fire arrows, Mount and Blade: Warband is where it's at. It's a decently made sword and board first person basher. The game doesn't offer anything amazingly groundbreaking, but it still brings fun to groups of people based on their play style. Whether you want to storm a castle or make the rivers run red with the blood of your foes, Mount and Blade: Warband may have something in store for you.
 

 
 
<a href="http://gaming.icrontic.com/reviews/mount-blade-warband-review/">Icrontic:</a>
 
 
Mount & Blade: Warband is more expansion than sequel, and is frankly disappointing in the sheer lack of improvements to the single-player experience. If you are just looking at it for the campaign mode, you should give it a miss because the “improvements” are simply not worth the $30 price tag. The multi-player, however, works well enough, and if you’ve really been looking forward to 64 player Mount & Blade, pick it up on Steam or GamersGate and you won’t be so disappointed.
 

 
 
<a href="http://www.teletext.co.uk/gamecentral/features-reviews/9d729e8cb88dcac64ecd7224ff3c2bf9/Mountamp;Blade+Warband+%28PC%29.aspx">Teletext, 6/10:</a>
 
 
IN SHORT: A hugely ambitious and imaginative but still very roughly hewn simulation of medieval combat.
 
 
PROS: Almost unique in concept and combat with hugely satisfying horse combat. Siege multiplayer is great.
 
 
CONS: Ugly almost beyond endurance with highly unconvincing non-player characters. Needs a lot of dedication.
 

 
 
Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/97487-mount-a-blade-warband-reviews-weekend-sale.html">GB</A>

Imbecile · Apr 10, 2010

I can see the blurb on the back of the box now.

"As exciting as this sounds there are some elephant-size butts to consider. 6/10. Teletext."

Al3xand3r · Apr 10, 2010

I have to say I'm disappointed with Warband. I put my faith in TW and pre-purchased it and it feels like a waste of money now I've played it enough.

The multiplayer doesn't interest me because it's very, very underdeveloped and in my opinion sloppy with many issues that are fine in SP but when exploited by players online it's real bad. It's very barebones in any case, just a few basic battle modes and constant respawning with no organising in the teams. It would have been cool to be able and run a semi persistent campaign world, similar to Dungeon Siege or Freelancer, with players running about doing their own thing and occasionally interacting if they wish (maybe even competing to be marshals in the same realm or for the heart of the same fair maiden, complete with duels etc) alas they did not attempt any of this and imo took the easy way out.

The single player has some additions but few of them haven't already been done by mods, even if they're ever so slightly better here (like the morale, which in the user made mod causes enemies to run to the edges of the map, while in Warband they actually exit the battle map and form into a new party that tries to flee - though in the mod it seems to happen more often and more realistically, not just when there are too few units left to matter as in Warband).

In any case, it won't last as long as the first game since progression through it feels much the same with the same skills, the same battles, the same armor and weapons aside from a few additions which aren't even top tier items and will therefor see little use (like the Elite armors which have similar stats to the Heraldic mail armors, give or take a point or two, yet are heavier, or the new Sarranid faction's swords).

It's essentially the same game with a few enhancements that aren't beyond the scope of mods (or version numbers), and overall has lesser scope than mods like Sword of Damocles do. It's quite absurd that people are asked to pay more or about as much as they paid for M&B, especially in Europe (I paid $25 which at the time was like less than 20 euros, Warband cost me 26.95 euros with the 10% pre-purchase discount which today is $36 or so) for this thing.

They didn't expand the tactical aspect within battles in any real way (the AI still just rushes to you giving you little time to position your units properly, even though you can now assign troops to custom battle groups, not just infantry, cavalry, archers, etc), and while they did expand the kingdom management aspect it's not beyond fan mod features, while the way some things are currently broken (garrison wages, tax funds, etc) it's not even worthwhile for players to own many fiefs.

The graphical improvements are also minimal at best, the game is still ugly with crude models and low resolution textures, it just has the addition of crude basic normal maps and HDR now, which don't help the overall visual quality. Fan mods like graphical enhancement, polished buildings and hopefully soon polished landscapes did far more to upgrade the visuals of M&B so TW's efforts were a total waste of precious resources that should have been put into tangible game features and fixes.

My advice to every owner of M&B is to wait for a price cut, by Christmas it's probably going to be on some Steam deal for $10 or less. It's worth about that much as far as new content goes, unless you really want to play multiplayer or something, but imo that will get old very fast even for those who like it and it will be up to mods to offer actually compelling game modes that go beyond its simple barebones content. I made a mistake, feel free to laugh at me but be warned.

For new users however, Warband is the version they should get, and they'll get their money's worth with the playability of a grand, unique game, though they should still wait a month or two for the bigger issues to be resolved, if they are. It's just a shame long time supporters got fucked over like this. This is essentially Warband v2.0 Beta (there are loads of issues with the new mechanics, as well as issues existing since the original M&B they've yet to fix) sold as a full new stand alone product. I'll not be supporting TW's next project if it's similar (and With Fire And Sword is similar or worse by what I've seen of it, but I suppose that's not strictly TW, though they did whore out their engine and what not and allow them to sell a product that's an M&B mod at best, much like they're doing with Warband).

In short, for new users I suppose the first review here is decent, for existing M&B owners then it's the 3rd but with the mp mode not being worth it just yet either. Maybe if mods actually fix the mechanics and make some more compelling game modes without constant respawning, but you can't buy a game in hopes mods will make it worthwhile, at least wait and see if a decent community forms (it seems to me aside from some graphical upgrades most good modders have left the scene, or have no reason to support Warband (like Sword of Damocles which adds management features Warband also adds), the module system isn't even out just yet, so, wait a while.

Jeff Graw · Apr 11, 2010

^what he said.

$30 bucks for a really big patch isn't really worth it if you have the original game. Kind of pissed I paid 30 bucks for this.

sheek · Jul 21, 2010

The new siege maps in the latest patch totally changed the multi-player experience. The initial maps were just boring.

Also CRPG beta mod which I think has enraged Taleworlds who were I suspect were hoping to withhold persistent characters for M&B3.

Brother None · Jul 21, 2010

Jeff Graw said:
$30 bucks for a really big patch isn't really worth it if you have the original game.

It's 15 bucks now, on sale at Steam. Reasonable-ish for "DLC" of this size I guess.

GarfunkeL · Jul 21, 2010

Especially since you will buy this for the multiplayer, in any case. If you are not interested in MP, pass and get some more mods.

Saxon1974 · Jul 22, 2010

I dont know, I think 15$ if worth it even for single player. The graphics are improved, there are various quests added and the biggest thing is that you can now become king.

I realize there are mods that do this but not with the improved graphics and new combat system. Also, most of the good mods are being ported over to warband so eventually you can use it for improved mods.

I love this game for some reason, Its the most addicting game in a long time to me.

sheek · Jul 22, 2010

Saxon1974 said:
I dont know, I think 15$ if worth it even for single player. The graphics are improved, there are various quests added and the biggest thing is that you can now become king.

The idea of becoming the King in Mount&Blade is so depressing I never thought to try.

The problem is player skill does not count for anything at higher levels. The 'strategy' layer is a pure boredom test.

Saxon1974 · Jul 22, 2010

sheek said:
Saxon1974 said:

I dont know, I think 15$ if worth it even for single player. The graphics are improved, there are various quests added and the biggest thing is that you can now become king.

Click to expand...

The idea of becoming the King in Mount&Blade is so depressing I never thought to try.

The problem is player skill does not count for anything at higher levels. The 'strategy' layer is a pure boredom test.

I have not got far enough to tell but you could be correct. But I have been playing this game for days now and still having a good time with it. I think well worth 15$. At least its something different from the mainstream games.

Review Mount & Blade: Warband Reviews

VentilatorOfDoom

Administrator

Imbecile

Arbiter

Al3xand3r

Novice

Jeff Graw

StarChart Interactive

sheek

Arbiter

Brother None

inXile Entertainment

GarfunkeL

Racism Expert

Saxon1974

Prophet

sheek

Arbiter

Saxon1974

Prophet