I got a minute to play around with Mount and Blade: Warband today and figured I'd tell you what it did to my brain stuffs that tells me whether I like things or not.
Mount and Blade: Warband doesn't so much improve as it does add to the original layout of the game. Menu and functionality are the same. Action is tweaked with a bit of motion-cap looking animations that certainly look better and tweak action gameplay, so it takes a minute to get used to whacking someone as you speed by on a horse again.
The strengths of the original game seem widely expanded upon with much more depth added to quests and options to political decisions made in the game, including attending "feasts" to woo women and do other stuff that will get you cyber laid. Later in the game you can persuade lords to be your vassals and give members of your party land.
Warband also offers much more in the way of optimization: adding HDR, FSAA and depth of field among other things. Mount and Blade was never a graphic powerhouse and still isn't. But Tale Worlds have done well with what they have developed. Ragdoll physics have been added to any poor plebian who is the next corpse standing in your way. The lighting in the new entry boasts glare and a soft effect that makes the outdated engine look great. I suspect, as with the first, many mods will come be released that make it look even better.
But Mount and Blade was never about how wonderful it looked or it's astounding gameplay mechanics. It is a fun, in depth Action/RPG with an old school feeling to it. If not given the time of day, it's possible to miss how much there is to this game. Warband looks to offer even more than it's predecessor in this regard. The greatest part about the presentation of Mount and Blade is that you don't seem to be led down any paths in decision making. You actually have free will to ally or take a big ol' shitty on anyone you feel deserving of it. If there is any real path, you almost have to make it up yourself as the game offers only general motivations for your character. I think that is it's the games best characteristic. You actually make your own game, where even great RPG's like Dragon Age start to feel as if the decision making isn't all that game changing for one character.
This sad excuse for a game review won't be complete unless the multiplayer is addressed. Let's say you won't be putting down any regular MP titles to put time into Warband. It's more likely you won't play it much at all. The action is great and somewhat unique to the genre, but not nearly fun enough to warrant extended multiplayer play. The option to command AI troops being taken away subtracts even more from the experience. It is fun to romp for a few minutes and gain enough cash for a new sword (one of three options that consist of the same weapon at different qualities, the other categories of weapon offer about the same), but it will be put down soon after. There are different modes, nothing we haven't seen already, but with most people concentrating on trying to knock each other's heads off for cash, any objective map ends up being a grind to complete. It would seem most people people share this impression after viewing the meager server list. I am actually surprised there hasn't development for an MMO M&B title as that seems much more appropriate for the feel of the game, as much as I despise anything MMO.
Mount and Blade: Warband is available on Steam for $29.99. I will offer that it seems a game very worthy of purchase if you have not paid full price for the original. If you own the original, this is not so much a sequel. It's more of an add on as it doesn't delve much further into the Caldaria you were rthrown into in the first offering. It looks prettier, but it's essentially the same game with more options. I like it. I think you should get it. I also think you should wait for it to go on sale.
Mount and Blade: Warband doesn't so much improve as it does add to the original layout of the game. Menu and functionality are the same. Action is tweaked with a bit of motion-cap looking animations that certainly look better and tweak action gameplay, so it takes a minute to get used to whacking someone as you speed by on a horse again.
The strengths of the original game seem widely expanded upon with much more depth added to quests and options to political decisions made in the game, including attending "feasts" to woo women and do other stuff that will get you cyber laid. Later in the game you can persuade lords to be your vassals and give members of your party land.
Warband also offers much more in the way of optimization: adding HDR, FSAA and depth of field among other things. Mount and Blade was never a graphic powerhouse and still isn't. But Tale Worlds have done well with what they have developed. Ragdoll physics have been added to any poor plebian who is the next corpse standing in your way. The lighting in the new entry boasts glare and a soft effect that makes the outdated engine look great. I suspect, as with the first, many mods will come be released that make it look even better.
But Mount and Blade was never about how wonderful it looked or it's astounding gameplay mechanics. It is a fun, in depth Action/RPG with an old school feeling to it. If not given the time of day, it's possible to miss how much there is to this game. Warband looks to offer even more than it's predecessor in this regard. The greatest part about the presentation of Mount and Blade is that you don't seem to be led down any paths in decision making. You actually have free will to ally or take a big ol' shitty on anyone you feel deserving of it. If there is any real path, you almost have to make it up yourself as the game offers only general motivations for your character. I think that is it's the games best characteristic. You actually make your own game, where even great RPG's like Dragon Age start to feel as if the decision making isn't all that game changing for one character.
This sad excuse for a game review won't be complete unless the multiplayer is addressed. Let's say you won't be putting down any regular MP titles to put time into Warband. It's more likely you won't play it much at all. The action is great and somewhat unique to the genre, but not nearly fun enough to warrant extended multiplayer play. The option to command AI troops being taken away subtracts even more from the experience. It is fun to romp for a few minutes and gain enough cash for a new sword (one of three options that consist of the same weapon at different qualities, the other categories of weapon offer about the same), but it will be put down soon after. There are different modes, nothing we haven't seen already, but with most people concentrating on trying to knock each other's heads off for cash, any objective map ends up being a grind to complete. It would seem most people people share this impression after viewing the meager server list. I am actually surprised there hasn't development for an MMO M&B title as that seems much more appropriate for the feel of the game, as much as I despise anything MMO.
Mount and Blade: Warband is available on Steam for $29.99. I will offer that it seems a game very worthy of purchase if you have not paid full price for the original. If you own the original, this is not so much a sequel. It's more of an add on as it doesn't delve much further into the Caldaria you were rthrown into in the first offering. It looks prettier, but it's essentially the same game with more options. I like it. I think you should get it. I also think you should wait for it to go on sale.
Great review, and mirrors a lot of my thoughts on the First game. I actually think one of the greatest things I enjoyed about M&B was making up my guys back story and then carrying on in that persona. I was actually under the impression that Warband was nothing BUT a MP version. Thanks for clearing up that confusion. Question I had was other than by Mod, did they raise the cap for the number of combatants allowed on the field, and does this mean that quests and what not are actually interesting/worth doing now?
ReplyDelete-Zeke
I played the multiplayer beta and thought it was pretty bad. This is not something I'd pay more than 20 dollars for - I haven't even fully explored the content of the original game yet.
ReplyDeleteto answer the question about battles you can max out the battle size at 150 in Warband.
ReplyDeleteThough more has been added since the beta (i think mostly in the way of modes & maps), I don't think it's worth a purchase for the multiplayer.
If price were equal to progress i might say i'd go about $10 to have all the SP stuff. A lot of the mods for the original (save content) have exceeded this standalone add-on.