Mount & Blade: Warband

 PC
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1353 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,216 out of 1353
  2. Mixed: 89 out of 1353
  3. Negative: 48 out of 1353
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  1. Strizldizl
    Jul 31, 2017
    9
    I love this game as much as I did many other games, it's packed full of excitement, happiness and even frustration. Yes this game can truly make you cry if you did the wrong decision and you lose half your men to some filthy bandits. It's beeing played in the medieval century where you have a little choice of what kind of past you had, for example: a peasent who then served as an assistentI love this game as much as I did many other games, it's packed full of excitement, happiness and even frustration. Yes this game can truly make you cry if you did the wrong decision and you lose half your men to some filthy bandits. It's beeing played in the medieval century where you have a little choice of what kind of past you had, for example: a peasent who then served as an assistent in on a market or a noble boy who then got to be a squire. You start of with nothing more than: a horse, sword, shield, crossbow, armor and a bit of gold.… Expand
  2. Bathie
    Aug 9, 2018
    9
    Absolutely fantastic Medieval sandbox. Initially I was taken aback by how low quality a lot of the textures and models were but soon found myself lost in the depth of the world and options for advancing my character. The combat initially is extremely difficult but one you get the hang of parrying etc it becomes very gratifying. Would definitely recommend to anyone who is a fan of the RPG genre.
  3. Leoisepik
    Nov 1, 2018
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A fantastic game with a addicting campaign and fun multiplayer and amazing content from the mod community. it might be a little bit old but any one can run it and is unbelievably fun… Expand
  4. Tilt1k
    Feb 5, 2019
    9
    This game is really repetitive and always the same. Still i have spent like 100 hours in it. Why? i really don´t know its just too much fun. I love the big-ass crazy battles 200vs200 men at once. It has really many flaws from boring quests to earning all your money in tournaments which is like infinity money generator simulator. The mods for this game are also some great quality stuff.
  5. onehitok
    May 26, 2019
    9
    Absolute Masterpiece. You can ride a horse, use a sword or a bow, find companions, build your army, make your name.
  6. THESPEED
    Jun 20, 2020
    9
    Pros:

    1. Extremely high replayability 2. Combat system is pretty good 3. Story is well-flushed 4. Town management system was simple 5. Community mods basically are new games by itself and are in every way unique Cons: 1. NPC blocks gets frustrating 2. Bugs 3. Graphics I'd give a 10/10 base on my own bias, but this is a neutral review. It's THE game for    Pros:

    1. Extremely high replayability

    2. Combat system is pretty good

    3. Story is well-flushed

    4. Town management system was simple

    5. Community mods basically are new games by itself and are in every way unique

    Cons:

    1. NPC blocks gets frustrating

    2. Bugs

    3. Graphics

    I'd give a 10/10 base on my own bias, but this is a neutral review. It's THE game for medieval fans who wants an open world and open-ended game, you can be a bandit, you can be a king, you can be a vassal, you can be a tradesmen. While it has outdated graphics and it's not fully open world, TalesWorld with its small budget did an amazing job.    … Expand
  7. YigidOx2
    Mar 2, 2021
    9
    It is nice to wander through the lands of Calradia, to conquer, to chase bandits and even to be captured. The mechanics are fun and easy to get used to. Using the points where each nation is good and bad adds strategy to the game. Definitely, both native and modes are very enjoyable. The best Turkish game (Until the full version of Bannerlord is released, of course). cCc
  8. JCtheLegend
    Jun 30, 2020
    9
    Pretty close to a perfect game. It has RPG elements, top down strategy with some RTS. A must have for any fan of medieval games
  9. kreml2
    Jul 7, 2020
    9
    Легендарная игра,настоящий прорыв своего времени,не одна сотня часов была потрачена в этом шедевре.
  10. S3XU4LH34L1NG
    May 29, 2023
    9
    This game has provided me with a countless number of hours of fun. The gameplay and mechanics are basic but the insane amounts of well made mods provide a lot of additional content story and campaigns.
  11. kajt
    Sep 4, 2020
    9
    Just pick random version of mount and blade and go play it for a week. If you like rpgs and strategy games you will understand why we love it. You can play RPG and strategy AT THE SAMETIME. What more you want?:D
  12. EmirhanSahin
    Jan 2, 2022
    9
    Shot, I love this game. I played it like 500 hours. It is like combine of strategy and action with great harmony. Battles (especially siege battles) are exciting and enjoyable. It feels like you can be whatever you want in that world but in the end, you always became a lord and fight for the crown of caldaria.
  13. elefsar
    Apr 22, 2021
    9
    A very new game play and wonderful system. Old game but a legend. Who hasn't spend hours.
  14. JackPlack
    Jan 14, 2022
    9
    Mods + conversions + mods + next conversions + (...) = hundreds or thousands of hours.
    Game is not perfect but many ways better and unique than other games.
    Only m&b2 could be better, but for now i miss a specially hi fantasy conversions.
  15. imalynxcat
    Aug 19, 2023
    9
    en uzun süre oynadığım singleplayer oyun olabilir. modlarla birlikte eğlenceli olan oyunu daha eğlenceli hale getirip sömürmüştüm resmen.
  16. HydrophobikFish
    Jun 9, 2023
    9
    Among the best RPG sandboxes of all time. Many seperate, simple systems like reputation, status, unit power, economics, combine into an unstoppable juggernaut of fun. Sieges and battles are so satisfying, and the politics surrounding them are engaging enough to fill the downtime.
  17. bobd
    Apr 9, 2010
    8
    Immersive and exciting combat but it takes practice to get good like any FPS or diving game. Excellent attempt to put skill back in melee combat rather than just mashing buttons on timers like all mainstream RPG's. Good value for the money.
  18. Painkiller300
    Aug 23, 2010
    8
    This is a fun game. Even though it looks like the original after playing awhile you will be able to see some differences.
    while the graphics aren't the best in this game it's not the part that counts. The game play is fun and addicting if you like this style of game. Start your own kingdom join another kingdom own your own castle town or village. Dominate the land along side your army,    This is a fun game. Even though it looks like the original after playing awhile you will be able to see some differences.
    while the graphics aren't the best in this game it's not the part that counts. The game play is fun and addicting if you like this style of game. Start your own kingdom join another kingdom own your own castle town or village. Dominate the land along side your army, companions, and king/queen. Also you can always try the demo before you buy!    … Expand
  19. Nasher
    Jun 30, 2013
    8
    The multiplayer is where this game shines. If you have played the Total War games and always wanted to get in the mix in 1st/3rd person, then this is the game. 200 player maps and realistic medieval combat. I only reason I gave it "only" and 8 is because the graphics could be better, but they are not that bad for it's age.
  20. Templar19
    Jul 15, 2011
    8
    This game all comes down to personal preference, You will either love it, or hate it. Personally, i loved it, this is my definition of a free roam RPG. But it is not only an RPG, it feels like a strategy game also. There are so many elements to the game its rediculous, this is what makes the game fun. HOWEVER, i have encountered numerous bugs in the game, the quests can be really annoying,This game all comes down to personal preference, You will either love it, or hate it. Personally, i loved it, this is my definition of a free roam RPG. But it is not only an RPG, it feels like a strategy game also. There are so many elements to the game its rediculous, this is what makes the game fun. HOWEVER, i have encountered numerous bugs in the game, the quests can be really annoying, and there are pretty bad consequences for losing a battle. Also, the graphics aren't the best, and the game seems a little.. stale, that is where imagination comes in however, unlike other games such as Dragon Age: Origins, you do not follow a guided storyline, you kindof make your own, and that is what i really like about the game.… Expand
  21. roboticsun
    Oct 15, 2011
    8
    The game play in warband has been improved with additional features. players can now kick enemies, making their foes open to an attack. Enemies are more difficult to hit because the hitboxes were changed to be more accurate. he singleplayer mode has been improved quite a bit. There is a wider variety of areas. Villages and castles now have a more unique feel for each faction.
    The player    The game play in warband has been improved with additional features. players can now kick enemies, making their foes open to an attack. Enemies are more difficult to hit because the hitboxes were changed to be more accurate. he singleplayer mode has been improved quite a bit. There is a wider variety of areas. Villages and castles now have a more unique feel for each faction.
    The player can now become a king or queen, and may marry a lord or a lord's daughter.
    There are more characters and scenarios in the custom battle mode. However I found the multiplayer mode is terribly done and unblanced. but I definitely recommend this to new players of the seires.    … Expand
  22. UniverseBear
    Mar 10, 2011
    8
    Warband brings some interesting new concepts to Mount and Blade. Better graphics, more intuitive interface, a new overhead map,some new castles and a few more things to do such as marry or start a buisness. Wtih that said the gameplay is basically the same as the original and the dialogue still feels like I'm talking to a sack full of rocks trying to fit into human society.
    Where this    Warband brings some interesting new concepts to Mount and Blade. Better graphics, more intuitive interface, a new overhead map,some new castles and a few more things to do such as marry or start a buisness. Wtih that said the gameplay is basically the same as the original and the dialogue still feels like I'm talking to a sack full of rocks trying to fit into human society.
    Where this game really shines is in multiplayer. Warband multiplayer is a bit unlike anything I've tried before. This is the only game I've played where real time close combat is done right. The learning curve may be high but those people who keep at it for awhile will find warband to be one of the most intense and rewarding multiplayer game for some time.    … Expand
  23. obscurus166
    Mar 16, 2011
    8
    M&B:W is not a particularly beautiful game. This was brought home to me early on when practice-fighting in Praven's arena. As my sword curved up, my neck (which was a different colour to the rest of me) appeared to detach from my shoulders. Oh well. It's only a flesh wound. That said, the graphics aren't bad: just unpolished. The combat is frankly the best I have ever seen from aM&B:W is not a particularly beautiful game. This was brought home to me early on when practice-fighting in Praven's arena. As my sword curved up, my neck (which was a different colour to the rest of me) appeared to detach from my shoulders. Oh well. It's only a flesh wound. That said, the graphics aren't bad: just unpolished. The combat is frankly the best I have ever seen from a first-person hack and slash: I only hope that Bethesda are paying attention to it for the Elder Scrolls V. Mounted combat is thrilling and exhillerating. Issuing orders to my army felt second nature after a while. It is difficult to express just how enjoyable it is to engage 50 enemy spearmen and archers with my own infantry and archers, then have my cavalry flank the enemy and turn those proud lines into an utter rout. Where this game does falter, apart from the graphics, is the role play element. Quests and characters seem to have been lifted from a game 15 years older: while perfectly adequate, they don't provide much in the way of immersion. But M&B is the only game I've come across which offers the opportunity to build and control a warband from a first person perspective, without sacrificing anything in the way of action. I wouldn't be without it.… Expand
  24. thequillguy
    Apr 17, 2011
    8
    As I write this review I am readying myself to embark on yet another adventurer into the realm of Calradia. But in terms of â
  25. AlienSpaceBats
    Sep 23, 2013
    8
    Dated and a little rough/frustrating at times, but totally compelling. Superb combat mechanics, massive sandbox, infinitely moddable. A reliance on pointers in modern games can blind newer players to the level of agency they have in the world, there are no quest markers or breadcrumbs (just like the old days!) The often cited "lack of direction" the game has to offer is down to the lack ofDated and a little rough/frustrating at times, but totally compelling. Superb combat mechanics, massive sandbox, infinitely moddable. A reliance on pointers in modern games can blind newer players to the level of agency they have in the world, there are no quest markers or breadcrumbs (just like the old days!) The often cited "lack of direction" the game has to offer is down to the lack of imagination on the part of the player, simply put; Calradia is your oyster.… Expand
  26. Yourself
    Oct 22, 2011
    8
    Recruit soldiers and companions, do battle and train them up. Improve your character. Be a mercenary, a bandit, a vassal to a king or just play nice with the other lords, until you are ready to claim the crown yourself. There are no fixed goals, so you are free to set your own and that's what's so wonderful about this game.

    Battle however are where this game really shines. There is just    Recruit soldiers and companions, do battle and train them up. Improve your character. Be a mercenary, a bandit, a vassal to a king or just play nice with the other lords, until you are ready to claim the crown yourself. There are no fixed goals, so you are free to set your own and that's what's so wonderful about this game.

    Battle however are where this game really shines. There is just something immensely satisfying about toppling knights from their horses, running down fleeing enemies and seeing enemy soldiers tumble from the walls of castles and towns. Plus, with the excellent sounds you can almost feel the arrows and bolts impacting on your shield.

    If you give this game the benefit of the doubt and open yourself up to it's learning curve, you'll find a game unlike anything else around. Depending on your goals a game can last 80 hours and more.    … Expand
  27. PlayerReview
    Nov 13, 2012
    8
    This isn't for anyone. It reminds me of the Total War series... for whatever reason I get addicted to this stuff like crack/cocaine. Sub-par graphics... yet, extremely rewarding for the nerdiest among us.

    This game is hard to stop playing (in a good way). I am just playing vanilla (100+ hours) and have sampled the Floris mod (unrelated, but I don't like the overhauled tournaments in the    This isn't for anyone. It reminds me of the Total War series... for whatever reason I get addicted to this stuff like crack/cocaine. Sub-par graphics... yet, extremely rewarding for the nerdiest among us.

    This game is hard to stop playing (in a good way). I am just playing vanilla (100+ hours) and have sampled the Floris mod (unrelated, but I don't like the overhauled tournaments in the floris mod).    … Expand
  28. dionissos
    Dec 31, 2011
    8
    Very good rpg-strategic game with a excellent massive pvp and with so much mods from the community. Is something new and different in the rpg genre.
  29. Vel
    Aug 31, 2014
    8
    This game is a prime example of how a good idea and solid gameplay can trump graphics and polish. It's basically a combination of strategy/RPG. You start out by yourself, but will quickly recruit an army and travel from town to town, performing various quests, fighting bandits, etc. The world map is huge, with a variety of towns, villages, and castles.

    The good: - An open world truly    This game is a prime example of how a good idea and solid gameplay can trump graphics and polish. It's basically a combination of strategy/RPG. You start out by yourself, but will quickly recruit an army and travel from town to town, performing various quests, fighting bandits, etc. The world map is huge, with a variety of towns, villages, and castles.

    The good:
    - An open world truly gives you the ability to do just about anything (although some activities are encouraged over others)
    - Troops you recruit are fairly unique, and can be upgraded to different classes
    - There is a real sense of accomplishment, with the ability to go from a random guy with a sword to lord of a town and some surrounding villages

    The not so good:
    - The graphics are a bit dated, and some of the combat can be a bit repetitive
    - The menu's and options are a little haphazard in their layout.
    - Unfortunately, creating your own kingdom can be a real nightmare, and absorb way too much time.

    Overall, definitely worth getting if you enjoy RPG's and medieval combat.    … Expand
  30. zalzane
    Jun 1, 2012
    8
    Good game, spent about 30 hours in vanilla before I got bored and installed the Floris mod pack. With the mod pack, this game is easily a 9. Wouldn't recommend this game for casuals or people who aren't patient.
  31. Average_Gamer
    Oct 23, 2012
    8
    Warband has been such a huge breakthrough in medieval combat sims. This game runs great on any pc, has a sufficient open world campaign, and has an extremely fun multiplayer that requires skill. The graphics are decent, but the price is great. This game is a must buy for the genre.
  32. TheGamer31
    Jul 31, 2013
    8
    I love this game, the artistic style, the combat, the scale of the war, and many other things. Although this game does have quite a few downsides, but they are mainly minor things, and I don't want to go into a detailed review, just go buy the game off of Steam or play the demo and enjoy!
  33. ActionBastard
    Jan 14, 2013
    8
    This game was a pleasant surprise. For only ten dollars, it has provided me with hours of entertainment in what has otherwise amounted to a decade of vapid, funless, press-X-to-win video games created by soul-sucking mega-corporations. There is greatness hidden here, and I am looking forward to the sequel immensely.
  34. ColGamers
    Jan 20, 2013
    8
    The online of this game its great but in my opinion you dont have help about learning.

    The story its great like you have your own army, you work for kingdoms and that.

    for me a 8.
  35. BlazingScribe
    Sep 11, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Lets get this out of the way right here and now, M&B Warband is NOT a game for everyone. Aside from a small quest line at the beginning of the game that can be finished in fifteen minutes, there is almost no story whatsoever, unless you count the odd jobs you get from the lords, ladies, occasionally kings, and if you a relatively decent person who cares about honor, the odd villager. Quests in M&B Warband basically boil down to fetch quests, bounties, sabotage (including the freeing of lords from prisons) and the odd mercenary contract. If that is completely unacceptable and are currently sending me spam for enjoying M&M, then you might as well close this review now. plain and simple, M&B Warband IS NOT STORY BASED, AT ALL. Aside from the odd bits of lore that you might pick up, virtually everyone in the world, excluding companions, has absolutely no back story whatsoever, unless your willing to look the lore outside the game. Even the companions, which are basically a NPC characters you can equip and level up, have a few pages of text for back story, and most of them have something to say if you take them to the right place on the map, but aside from that, there's not much to know about them. The Graphics are mundane at best and out right ugly at worst, this is not a game for you to admire grand views, its more of a game where you shrug, and occasionally wince when a character attempts a smile. Also, certain troop types are a little to clearly meant to counter one another, for example; The Rhodok Sargent, a heavy infantry unit, will trump any kind of cavalry if used correctly, where as the Nord Huscarl, will mop the floor TWICE, with absolutely anything that isn't a horse archer. Also, while the game gives you many options for a play style, and most of them work,(you can even be a merchant if you want) some are clearly more useful than others. For example, every faction in the game has, if not decent archers, than certainly guys with throwing weapons, that do massive damage if you don't a shield. As such, two-handed weapons (with the exception of the bastard sword) and polarms, are almost completely useless, unless you want to be a living pin-cushion. Now, that's all the bad things about M&B Warband, and, if your willing to forgive them, you will see why they really don't matter much. If Minecraft is the closest thing possible to a pure sandbox game, than M&B Warband is the closest thing possible to a medieval RPG, sandbox game. Plain and simple, you can do whatever you want. Sick of annoying bandits wandering around the map? Make it your goal to slaughter them all. Want to harass peasants and their livestock? Raid villages and steal from travelers. Want to become a the head of a fame mercenary company? Get a contract from one of the many squabbling kingdoms, and grab your sword and shield. Want to take over the world? You can do that too. Plain and simple, consequences for your actions aside, their isn't much, you can't do within the world of Caldria. "Build you army, call your allies, and make your make your mark on the world" barely cuts it with M&B Warband. You could spend hundreds of hours on this game's single player alone! And that's not even talking about multiplayer. M&B Warband, has multiple game modes for multiplayer, including, deathmatch, TDM, a last team standing type game mode, siege, and dual. And that's just in the main game. The modding community has been busy with this game, that is for certain. There are HUNDREDS of modifications to this game, and all are easy to get working, M&B Warband, actually has a modifications folder, that allows you to download new "modules" which are basically different games running on the M&B Warband engine. There are things I wish were better, sure. I have met rocks more intelligent than then the AI in this game, not that it really matters all that much, as the most complicated thing you are likely to do is a makeshift shield wall, and the sound track is repetitive, but shear content makes up for it by a mile and half. With a huge amount of content, a good combat system, large fan base, modding support, and hundreds of modifications to try out? You will be playing M&B Warband for years to come. And for twenty dollars, thirty if you buy the DLC, this game has conceivably has more value for money than all the Elder Scrolls games combined. Now that's something to brag about. If you are willing to get past its flaws, and intend to download mods, the only reason you should get his game, is if you don't have a computer that can run it. And if you don't steal one from you nearest store, and get this game NOW.… Expand
  36. leaveit
    Dec 18, 2015
    8
    I would recommend this game if you're interested in a novel RPG or historic experience and have patience, but otherwise not.

    PROS: - Rather unique game design - Relatively unique combat system - High amount of unscripted but emergent content - no FMVs, no story save for what the simulation provides, which is 95% of a game with hundreds of hours of gameplay - Decent amount of    I would recommend this game if you're interested in a novel RPG or historic experience and have patience, but otherwise not.

    PROS:
    - Rather unique game design
    - Relatively unique combat system
    - High amount of unscripted but emergent content - no FMVs, no story save for what the simulation provides, which is 95% of a game with hundreds of hours of gameplay
    - Decent amount of character customization and variation
    - Music will get stuck in your head
    - Sex actually matters and is treated with some gravitas instead of pretending it's more progressive to suggest men and women are the same and are treated the same - perhaps the first game to make me feel good about demolishing a smug chauvinist man (I'm male)
    - Optional hardcore difficulty settings
    - Your choices matter in shaping the world
    - If you don't like something about the native game mode, there has probably been a free mod released by the community fixing it effectively like it's the 90s again
    - Dozens of free awesome total conversion mods, including one of Sengoku Japan called Gekokujo (my personal favorite), a War of the Fifth Coalition one, a Middle Earth one, a Crusades one, and a future-of-native-scenario one, plus the paid expansions by the developers which are also great

    CONS:
    - Graphics look straight out of 2000 with DirectX features sprinkled on top; mediocre graphical art assets do this no favors
    - Occasionally frustrating game mechanics like the randomness of tournaments, the obviously team-based "melee" with enemies dropping out of the sky instead of all starting simultaneously, being unable to besiege a castle without first declaring war via an enemy noble, some castle sieges have excruciatingly slow siege tower pushes, many Khergit units are simultaneously useless and yet impossible to kill or capture, and so on
    - Some bugs that will befuddle you, but probably not crash the game, like your units being immobilized in the air after standing on a siege tower
    - "It's all there in the manual," would take hundreds of hours to learn if you don't Wiki the game, though it is possible
    - Questionable design choices like AIs that can block perfectly with their weapons, which just so happen to be indestructible unlike their shields, or the kick which is almost useless in the singleplayer campaign
    - 9 save slots per module, very strange for a game that is otherwise so strongly PC-centric
    - Some skills are actually useless even though there's no indication: throwing weapons are basically terrible in every way except that they can be used with a shield so power throw is folly, iron flesh does very little to help you (though the description may clue you in to this), the bonus from trade is rather small (the description does not clue you in to this), prisoner management is basically pointless after one or two points, and tactics requires an insane investment for almost no reward
    - Occasional lapses in pacing can make the game appear overall boring to newcomers

    If you ever said that the combat in Skyrim is boring, if you ever thought knights or mamelukes or Mongol warriors were awesome, if you liked Dynasty Warriors or Dark Souls but wanted something less Japanese, if you played AoE 2 and wanted it to be a strategy/action RPG instead of a RTS, if you liked Total War but wanted more engaging combat, or if you're one of these SCA or HEMA types, I'd be rather surprised if you haven't played this game already because it's likely up your alley.

    If you're not big into indie games, need a game that reliably requires only a small investment of learning or time, or don't have the hand-eye coordination, reflexes, or grit to at least order a dozen troops around a battlefield in real time if not partake in somewhat realistically timed medieval combat, then you might want to skip this one. Also, if you're new to games and you start out with this it's going to make you cynical for the rest of your life because you're going to see just how banal and derivative most games are, so beware of that also.

    Personally, I bought the game on a whim in the 23rd or 24th year of playing video games in my life, and I was rather pleased.    … Expand
  37. rattusturpis
    Dec 17, 2013
    8
    Good sand Box game in medieval setting. What really makes it shine is the replay value in the many fan made mods. Game play tweaks as well as total Conversions. How does being a noble holding fief for King Robb of the North sound? Well before the red wedding I may add.
  38. Chowda
    Nov 21, 2014
    8
    GOG you got me..........free Mount and Blade download.....played for 10 hours and absolutely hooked. "Had " to buy Warband because it was better...........well played.....this is what they do to kids....give the kids the drugs for free...and then boom they are hooked.....

    Amazing game. Two hours into the game Tundra Bandits stole my horse. Fifteen hours later and over 300 bandits    GOG you got me..........free Mount and Blade download.....played for 10 hours and absolutely hooked. "Had " to buy Warband because it was better...........well played.....this is what they do to kids....give the kids the drugs for free...and then boom they are hooked.....

    Amazing game.

    Two hours into the game Tundra Bandits stole my horse. Fifteen hours later and over 300 bandits sold to the Ransom broker.....still no sign of my horse.

    What I Love:
    If I get swarmed by two or more enemies I get killed.
    Two javelins to the face and I am out.
    Made a bad decision and lost my horse and weapon....all I had left was my bow and some dried meat. It took me close to four hours to get back to where I was.
    Decisions....who do I help....who can I trust.....how much can I afford......
    Fighting mechanics....directional blocking and hitting......
    The sound effects when I make contact with my two handed ax from my horse.
    Helping villagers.
    Caring about my Warband and all the time I put into training them.
    Reading a book takes longer than just pushing a button.
    Weapon skills are advanced by using them.
    The emotions of seeing a village you helped getting looted by a 200+ army and not being able to do anything about it.
    Feeding my Warband butter.
    Not going on a game wiki and discovering new things....
    On going destruction and sense of despair....smoke rising from looted villages.

    My first battle with 7 new recruits against 12 bandits....pure mayhem!!!! We got slaughtered.....    … Expand
  39. BLVegeta
    Mar 7, 2014
    8
    Mount & Blade: Warband is an extremely entertaining game. While starting off as an adventurer, and being able to work yourself up to higher than a king. The game allows you to do things your way and doesn't set a specific path for you to follow. I have played for over 50 hours on this game, and am still playing it quite commonly.
  40. smeeeee
    May 28, 2014
    8
    Not bad, not bad at all. You get a decent combat animation thing, a whole lot of decisions that could either bring about good things or bad, and not too easy.
  41. tonyman97
    Mar 4, 2015
    8
    While the graphics aren't exceptional, this game is great overall. Multiplayer 9/10. Singleplayer 6/10. The one problem with singleplayer mode is that there is nothing that really grabs you, the quests and main plotlines aren't interesting enough to keep you playing for more than a few hours (at least for me). I did enjoy the open world, though, and the weapons and armors are really cool.While the graphics aren't exceptional, this game is great overall. Multiplayer 9/10. Singleplayer 6/10. The one problem with singleplayer mode is that there is nothing that really grabs you, the quests and main plotlines aren't interesting enough to keep you playing for more than a few hours (at least for me). I did enjoy the open world, though, and the weapons and armors are really cool. Multiplayer is the BEST part of this game (IMO), and I have spent countless hours playing online (my favorite mode is siege). I would DEFINITELY recommend this game, if only for the multiplayer, believe me, it's worth it...… Expand
  42. muzmuz
    Nov 3, 2015
    8
    Mount and Blade: Warband is easily one of the best medieval war game out there in the gaming universe. Caution: Highly addictive. ------ Everybody, charge! *war cry*
  43. Dco326
    Mar 2, 2022
    8
    Zanimljiva je igrica i dosta stvri mi se svidja ali je preeeeeeeeeespoooooooooraaaaaaaaaaaa i prerepetativna to je jedini razlog zasto sam prestao da je igram
  44. SharkTankGamer
    Oct 5, 2016
    8
    Mount and blade is the ultimate medieval life sim! You start as a lowly peasant or a lowborn outcast noble and try to make a name for yourself. You can become a mercenary for a kingdom or a outlaw. You can become a lord or a king! There is really nothing you cannot do.

    The only con to this game is that it is lacking in diplomacy and court affairs...If they added a bit more to scheming    Mount and blade is the ultimate medieval life sim! You start as a lowly peasant or a lowborn outcast noble and try to make a name for yourself. You can become a mercenary for a kingdom or a outlaw. You can become a lord or a king! There is really nothing you cannot do.

    The only con to this game is that it is lacking in diplomacy and court affairs...If they added a bit more to scheming with other nobles or planning a coup it would be perfect.    … Expand
  45. AlexanderDM
    Oct 30, 2017
    8
    Warband is an ambitious project that earns the highest marks on its foundation. The scope is perfect, the mechanics are generally well-designed, and I find myself immensely satisfied with both success and failure in the campaign. Unfortunately, almost none of the foundation is fully realized. As you reach kingdom-scale gameplay, weapon skills, management of minutia (grocery shopping,Warband is an ambitious project that earns the highest marks on its foundation. The scope is perfect, the mechanics are generally well-designed, and I find myself immensely satisfied with both success and failure in the campaign. Unfortunately, almost none of the foundation is fully realized. As you reach kingdom-scale gameplay, weapon skills, management of minutia (grocery shopping, personally recruiting, etc), and relationship management fizzle into chores and meaningless numbers. The visuals are admittedly atrocious, but the game inspires enough imagination to fill in the blanks.

    I just want to hand the design docs to a AAA studio; every part of this game is on the right track, but just needs more attention.    … Expand
  46. UncleEd
    Nov 27, 2020
    8
    Many people were introduced to Mount & Blade with the Warband standalone expansion. However, there are a lucky few who have played and appreciated the -at that time- obscure gem titled Mount & Blade. The first time you play Mount & Blade, it will blow your mind. It will give you that [insert your first MMORPG or first Souls game] effect, because it is extremely immersive and there isMany people were introduced to Mount & Blade with the Warband standalone expansion. However, there are a lucky few who have played and appreciated the -at that time- obscure gem titled Mount & Blade. The first time you play Mount & Blade, it will blow your mind. It will give you that [insert your first MMORPG or first Souls game] effect, because it is extremely immersive and there is nothing quite like it. It is also a purely sandbox game, where it truly lets you play it the way you want to play and write your own story.

    Mount & Blade: Warband was the title which managed to reach much wider audience, despite receiving mixed reviews from the critics. Yes, it is very rough around the edges, but for those who are prepared to see past its imperfections, it an extremely deep medieval simulator. To further elaborate, I am an avid reader of history and Mount & Blade helped me to visualise complex history books. The only reason I don’t consider Warband a masterpiece is the fact that I have seen this before. There are some minor improvements, yes, but in my opinion, there isn’t enough to justify a standalone release, as far as the single player parts are concerned. A newcomer will find a masterpiece here. But I felt like Warband was the full release of the “early access” version, the vanilla Mount & Blade.

    It could be my luck but, in my campaign, my faction was rarely in war with another faction and there was too much down time. I know I can start a war, but for roleplaying reasons, chose not to.

    Warband adds another aspect, that is the multiplayer. Combined with Mount & Blade’s satisfying combat and interesting theme and different modes to choose from (Siege, Deathmatch etc.), Warband multiplayer is great fun, especially considering its release date. I would argue it is now surpassed by the likes of Mordhau and Chivalry. Despite its pretty toxic community (definitely less toxic than Chivalry), multiplayer is pretty good given the limited options you have for a medieval multiplayer game.

    If you have already played the original Mount & Blade, I believe Warband doesn’t offer much extra except the multiplayer. If you are a newcomer to the series, Bannerlord may be the right choice as being pretty much the same game with enhanced graphics. If Warband was your first Mount & Blade game and you have played it prior to Bannerlord’s release, lucky you. I bet Warband was a special game for you.    … Expand
  47. Amorph0us
    Jan 7, 2022
    8
    I never expected melee combat could be done that well. For this reason I consider this groundbreaking for the genre and worthy of the high scoring.
  48. Soullex
    Nov 29, 2022
    8
    Kendine has dövüş sistemiyle bir efsane. Daha sonra pek çok oyun bu dövüş sistemini aldı.
  49. Squishydew
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    There is no other game out there that captures being an army commander better than this, I've put so many hours into this indie title It's worth more to me then any Triple A game has ever been.

    While its graphics are pretty poor, the feel of swinging a sword on horseback in warband is just unparalleled by any other game.
  50. medgang
    May 6, 2020
    8
    Great role playing game graphıs are playable still in 2020. if you spend 5-10 hours in this game you can enjoy very much
  51. JohnyBananaman
    Jul 4, 2020
    8
    Rather untaken approach to game design, there isnt a main story you are in a world that is reactive and where things unrelated to you will happen. The story is yours to create, has immense role play potential but the lack of substantial quest line can leave people wandering around sometimes.
  52. sallamayan
    Mar 8, 2021
    8
    I actually love this game, I enjoy multiplayer. The single player version of the game is really boring, it repeats all the time, but try this game in mode! When you do as I suggest, there will be no obstacles. He deserves all the money you give him.
  53. nexus151196
    Jul 18, 2021
    8
    Хорошее продолжение идей, разные локации по стилистике, вариаций прохождений - тьма. Моды ставишь - и балдеешь еще сильнее. Уникальная игра.
  54. HammudHabibi
    Sep 19, 2020
    8
    This game better then bannerlord. Game DLC's is very good especially napelonic wars. You can play napelonic wars in multiplayer its very funny.
  55. apokalipto
    Aug 9, 2023
    8
    Very good game. I enjoyed playing this game a lot. I strongly recommend this.
  56. bar0yka
    Nov 3, 2022
    8
    senaryo olsa çok daha iyi olur saatler harcanan bi oyun modlamaya da çok müsait
  57. Gorbunov2004
    Mar 25, 2021
    8
    Эта игра очень даже неплоха а особенно то, как она сочетает в себе ролевые игры, средневековую войну и экономику. В этой игре вы можете быть почти кем угодно рыцарем одиночкой или собрать свой отряд или армию также можете быть бродячим торговцем или вообще можете даже быть бандитом в грабящим караваны или создать собственное королевство. Конечно у неё есть проблемы например управленияЭта игра очень даже неплоха а особенно то, как она сочетает в себе ролевые игры, средневековую войну и экономику. В этой игре вы можете быть почти кем угодно рыцарем одиночкой или собрать свой отряд или армию также можете быть бродячим торговцем или вообще можете даже быть бандитом в грабящим караваны или создать собственное королевство. Конечно у неё есть проблемы например управления лошадью, И также очень отстойно реализована Осада замков. Но эту проблему уже исправили во второй части.… Expand
  58. Can170
    Nov 27, 2020
    8
    The game is good but sometimes it is boring because you are doing the same things. The best thing is you can play more than 600 hours. It is a long game. If they could do more content in it, this game could be maybe one of the best game ever.
  59. Relenea
    Jul 11, 2022
    8
    Kale kuşatmaları, dev orduların çarpışmaları ve daha fazlası. Kendi tarihinizi yazmanıza fırsat veren bu oyunun, birçok oyuncu tarafından deneyimlenmesi gerekiyor.
  60. Torgall
    Dec 13, 2020
    8
    Without mods that game would be way worse. The graphics are clunky, plot non existent and game itself seems very raw, somehow unfinished. But it's great in what it tries to offer you - basically army commander simulator where you can beat the crap out of hundreds of enemies. Sieges are raw like the rest of the game, but it doesn't change the excitement when you cower behind a shield,Without mods that game would be way worse. The graphics are clunky, plot non existent and game itself seems very raw, somehow unfinished. But it's great in what it tries to offer you - basically army commander simulator where you can beat the crap out of hundreds of enemies. Sieges are raw like the rest of the game, but it doesn't change the excitement when you cower behind a shield, trying to avoid merciless barrage of arrows.… Expand
  61. EnesUgw
    Mar 11, 2021
    8
    Perfect game.But graphics is bad for 2010 and scenario should have been stronger.
  62. Bushido95
    Oct 2, 2021
    8
    В своё время это было что-то действительно амбициозное и у неё были все шансы, чтоб стать одной из самых значимых игр в истории.
    Большая карта, огромные по масштабу сражения сопоставимые с серией Total War, но в отличии от неё ты лично принимал участие в бою.
    Много часов было проведено в игре и я был бы рад поставить игре 9 баллов, но множество багов и не доведенные до ума механики, а    В своё время это было что-то действительно амбициозное и у неё были все шансы, чтоб стать одной из самых значимых игр в истории.
    Большая карта, огромные по масштабу сражения сопоставимые с серией Total War, но в отличии от неё ты лично принимал участие в бою.
    Много часов было проведено в игре и я был бы рад поставить игре 9 баллов, но множество багов и не доведенные до ума механики, а также баланс который со временем ломался сильно подпортило впечатление.    … Expand
  63. 34m2121
    Jul 3, 2022
    8
    Warband has a special place in turkısh players heart. Is this game has a good scenario? NO. Is this game has a good main quest? NO it doesnt have.However. Warband is a wonderful sandbox game. You can do whatever you want.You can create your own kingdom or can o join a kingdom if you want, you can be trader. what about combat system? even combat system is very simple its satisfying evenWarband has a special place in turkısh players heart. Is this game has a good scenario? NO. Is this game has a good main quest? NO it doesnt have.However. Warband is a wonderful sandbox game. You can do whatever you want.You can create your own kingdom or can o join a kingdom if you want, you can be trader. what about combat system? even combat system is very simple its satisfying even today its not feels bad.… Expand
  64. Erenst
    Jul 29, 2022
    8
    Fight 10/10
    Mechanics 6/10
    Battle 8/10
    Siege 9/10
    Graphics 10/10
    Lord's 4/10
    King's 7/10
    mod's 10/10
  65. Seathate
    Jul 30, 2023
    8
    Türk yapımı olan en iyi oyun kuşkusuz. Kendine has ve bağımlılık yapıcı.
  66. Keron_Heruman
    Aug 23, 2023
    8
    A blank canvas. The game creates a world with little restrictions and you play what you want. Excellent combat simulator and infinite options with zero history. The game depends excessively on mods.
  67. MooMan
    Apr 9, 2010
    7
    Being a $30 expansion, I expected Mount and Blade: Warband to be better than the first. I must say that crtl+ unit mass upgrade is by far the best improvement. Some of the castles are bugged and your men won't go up the ladder into the base more than 1 at a time. If you liked the first one, and you bought it for $8 and thought it was worth the money, DO NOT spend the $30. Wait a few Being a $30 expansion, I expected Mount and Blade: Warband to be better than the first. I must say that crtl+ unit mass upgrade is by far the best improvement. Some of the castles are bugged and your men won't go up the ladder into the base more than 1 at a time. If you liked the first one, and you bought it for $8 and thought it was worth the money, DO NOT spend the $30. Wait a few months and then it will go on 75% off sale. Mutliplayer is pretty cool, even though some of the maps have huge advantages. (they might fix the ladder problem in the future).… Expand
  68. P-Migz
    Jun 25, 2011
    7
    Awesome game, first of it's kind in my opinion. It's somewhere in between a Total War Battle and a FPS. You get to ride around the countryside building up a small army and working for a ruler along with other NPC characters who control their own army detachments and multiply that by about 50 and what you have is this chaotic game with factions that behave independently and creates thisAwesome game, first of it's kind in my opinion. It's somewhere in between a Total War Battle and a FPS. You get to ride around the countryside building up a small army and working for a ruler along with other NPC characters who control their own army detachments and multiply that by about 50 and what you have is this chaotic game with factions that behave independently and creates this amazing game.
    The combat system is polished and really effective, no where else have I had so much fun hacking and slashing away in fort attack or defence. Really cool skirmish system with a character building edge to it. Although, don't get too excited about the character building, it's very linear as are the options. The fun is in the battles which are really polished even thought the character side is pretty b grade.    … Expand
  69. GolovA
    Jul 4, 2012
    7
    Very nice game. But make sure you immediately install a set of mods - like Floris. It's really a free-lance game: you start with a sword, and do whatever you want - either serve under a King, or become one yourself. All is possible. Some controls might require getting used to - but don't give up, give this game a go, and you'll enjoy it for several dozens of hours.
  70. Ziamboni
    Sep 19, 2011
    7
    'Tis a great game... in single player. I give it a ten for single player (especially if you install mods, eg. Floris Expanded Mod Pack - it's truly expanded) Freeroaming, choose whatever you like, trade or fight; trade and fight; trade and pay others to do the fighting...
    But Warband was supposed to be all about multiplayer. Instead of a single-in-multi (dont know if can be done) we get    'Tis a great game... in single player. I give it a ten for single player (especially if you install mods, eg. Floris Expanded Mod Pack - it's truly expanded) Freeroaming, choose whatever you like, trade or fight; trade and fight; trade and pay others to do the fighting...
    But Warband was supposed to be all about multiplayer. Instead of a single-in-multi (dont know if can be done) we get stupid deathmatches. Worst thing is that most of the fights you get into are ping-fights not skill-fights. You'll get killed a lot at the beginning just because you have worse ping.

    so, single 10, multi 4. overall, 7.    … Expand
  71. JimCorbett
    Nov 26, 2013
    7
    An unique experience unlike any other that is available. If you're looking for a medieval combat simulator, there is simply no other choice. It's a huge and imaginative game that is well worth the money. Unfortunately it has numerous glaring flaws. The graphics are not good. They get the job done, but they aren't nice to look at, especially the campaign map. Serious works needs to be doneAn unique experience unlike any other that is available. If you're looking for a medieval combat simulator, there is simply no other choice. It's a huge and imaginative game that is well worth the money. Unfortunately it has numerous glaring flaws. The graphics are not good. They get the job done, but they aren't nice to look at, especially the campaign map. Serious works needs to be done to fix the graphics in a sequel. The AI is terrible. They will often ignore you or leave themselves wide open to be attacked. During siege battles you will often see enemies simply standing in place staring into oblivion for no reason. The diplomacy and relations part of the game is very poorly fleshed out. As a ruler, it is impossible to stay in good standing with your vassals. There are like a million ways to lose relation, but only about 3 ways to gain it. These flaws are huge, but they don't prevent the game from being a enjoyable experience.… Expand
  72. gzy91
    Nov 26, 2013
    7
    The idea of this game is really great. Real-time first-view medieval fight, exciting. And you can play it with joy for a while. Then it starts to get boring. The main problem: 1. No plots. Because that's something which can keep you playing. 2. Repeated wars, fights, duals with no new things coming up. 3. The graphics... 4. I don't see a new version of this game coming...
  73. Motcritic
    Dec 5, 2013
    7
    Mount & Blade Warband is a positive experience, one that I routinely go back too, even if just for a battle.

    The singleplayer experience is quite fun, but, being a pure sandbox game, gets boring and very repetitive quite fast. To best enjoy the singleplayer sandbox one has to play without exploiting the numerous exploit possibilities, otherwise instead of becoming a challenging    Mount & Blade Warband is a positive experience, one that I routinely go back too, even if just for a battle.

    The singleplayer experience is quite fun, but, being a pure sandbox game, gets boring and very repetitive quite fast. To best enjoy the singleplayer sandbox one has to play without exploiting the numerous exploit possibilities, otherwise instead of becoming a challenging experience it turns into repetitive grinding and soon after unbearable boredom. So I would say that this game is better when you set some rules for your game. For example, when a warband loses a battle and I your player is made prisoner, the game setback is to remove a few ingame money from your purse and sometimes one item from your inventory, what I do in my games is to remove randomly 50% of my gear so that defeat has a big impact, this keeps my sandbox experience alive and challenging for a longer time.

    The mutiplayer experience is fun, but be prepared to run against players who know all the exploits and tricks, making the game far from the "realistic" setting you may hope for.

    Finally, there's lots of amazing mods, both multiplayer and singleplayer mods, some are very detailed and open lots of possibilities, others are simple and change some game mechanics, this mods keep the game alive for much longer and they get to the point they are much better than the vanilla game, much better.

    Emotionally I would give this game a 9, but I don't believe I can rate a game just for the good moments it provided me, so taking into account the repetitive and boring nature of it after a while, some bugs and some game mechanics I don't think are particularly very well done, I think a 7 is a good score, but keep in mind, this game will give you lots of remarkable moments, totally worth it.    … Expand
  74. Cyliann
    Jun 5, 2014
    7
    An awesome game that is unfortunately quite ruined thanks to an very unrealistic and crude political system whereas monarchs won't "recognize" you or even sue for peace when they are inches away from dying because you lack a magical "Right to Rule" stat.. Which is gained from doing stuff like making peace.

    Multiplayer has also unfortunately turned into a "Who can spin around and swing    An awesome game that is unfortunately quite ruined thanks to an very unrealistic and crude political system whereas monarchs won't "recognize" you or even sue for peace when they are inches away from dying because you lack a magical "Right to Rule" stat.. Which is gained from doing stuff like making peace.

    Multiplayer has also unfortunately turned into a "Who can spin around and swing abuse the most". But still singleplayer is great fun with some mods.    … Expand
  75. Gohenko
    Aug 3, 2016
    7
    This is a weird one. The concept here is great and some of the execution is pretty good, too, but unfortunately the game lacks polish in many areas and comes off as a bit too ambitious for its own good. Most of the game feels like a very bare-bones experience. The music isn't particularly memorable or even enjoyable (this is actually one of the few games where I prefer to turn off theThis is a weird one. The concept here is great and some of the execution is pretty good, too, but unfortunately the game lacks polish in many areas and comes off as a bit too ambitious for its own good. Most of the game feels like a very bare-bones experience. The music isn't particularly memorable or even enjoyable (this is actually one of the few games where I prefer to turn off the in-game music and play something else in the background), NPCs keep repeating the same dialogue over and over again and there isn't any proper voice acting either. The quests are just copy/paste stuff and hardly anything surprising happens anymore after the first 20 hours. There isn't any expansive lore or interesting, well-rounded characters. It's just you and your army trying to become more and more powerful. That's literally the story of this game, so don't buy this if you're looking for a narratively driven experience. The land of Calradia looks and feels dull, you'll be spending a lot of time just traversing around the map without anything to keep you interested. None of the kingdoms have any real personality to them, making it hard to feel invested if you decide to fight for one of them.

    Would I still recommend the game, though? Surprisingly, yes. Like I said, the concept here is great and there aren't many games out there like this. I love the idea of starting from nothing and slowly becoming more and more powerful and influential. The combat system is one of the highlights of the game, even though the mostly bad AI sometimes tries its best to ruin the experience (lance fights in the arena, anyone?). It's also easier to forgive many of the flaws when taking into consideration that it's not an expensive game, currently just 20€ on Steam.

    Overall, I think this is a good game, something that will take up a lot of your time and keep you entertained for quite a while. The modding scene is also very vibrant, lot of good stuff there. This game just could be a whole lot better.    … Expand
  76. Gelaos
    Sep 20, 2018
    7
    Certainly not a game for mainstream players. Deep character development, good weapon and armor upgrading, really complex micromanagement of army/town/kingdom, the economic-political model and interactions of factions is also something that you won't see anywhere else. The combat is truly innovative and makes you more immersed into the tough medieval world of Warband. And if the game startsCertainly not a game for mainstream players. Deep character development, good weapon and armor upgrading, really complex micromanagement of army/town/kingdom, the economic-political model and interactions of factions is also something that you won't see anywhere else. The combat is truly innovative and makes you more immersed into the tough medieval world of Warband. And if the game starts to bore you, there are thousands of mods from community.… Expand
  77. IdleSpace
    Apr 21, 2022
    7
    Песочница, которая могла бы быть отличной, если бы не целая куча недоработок всех планов.
    А так, гнилая цыпленок снизила мораль всего отряда.
    УПД на 100 часов: ИИ просто невыносимо туп... Собсно, он и отбил окончательно желание продолжать играть.    Песочница, которая могла бы быть отличной, если бы не целая куча недоработок всех планов.
    А так, гнилая цыпленок снизила мораль всего отряда.
    УПД на 100 часов: ИИ просто невыносимо туп... Собсно, он и отбил окончательно желание продолжать играть.
  78. ZID346
    Apr 2, 2023
    7
    I understand what was the budget and size of the company that created this game, but the graphics definitely did not look like from 2010. The combat and mission system, as well as the idea itself, is very interesting and innovative. Good game.
  79. Underscore
    Mar 15, 2011
    6
    Do not get me confused, this is a great game - I'm considering 10 a "nearly flawless" game. This game may not be much to look at, but the graphics are indeed wonderful, and runnable with even a normal computer. The animations are livable, nothing too fancy. The combat, it's remarkably fantastic, were I to judge the combat I'd rate it a 9 instantly (So long as the auto-defend is turnedDo not get me confused, this is a great game - I'm considering 10 a "nearly flawless" game. This game may not be much to look at, but the graphics are indeed wonderful, and runnable with even a normal computer. The animations are livable, nothing too fancy. The combat, it's remarkably fantastic, were I to judge the combat I'd rate it a 9 instantly (So long as the auto-defend is turned off). It's very immersive, and rarely do games allow you to just be some average travelling sellsword as apposed to a Legendary Dragon-Slayer. With a bounty of treasure to boot, there's sure to be no shortage of custom content with this game. Plus, the musical score is classic!… Expand
  80. Tomwelcome
    May 7, 2011
    6
    Initially I was going to rate this game a very high score for its extremely fun gameplay, then I encountered a deadly gamebreaking bug that caused one of my companion to disappear. All the effort I've been putting into him in the 30 hours playing time is gone. After doing some searching on Google, I found that this is a known bug that has existed since the game's release. Therefor, a highInitially I was going to rate this game a very high score for its extremely fun gameplay, then I encountered a deadly gamebreaking bug that caused one of my companion to disappear. All the effort I've been putting into him in the 30 hours playing time is gone. After doing some searching on Google, I found that this is a known bug that has existed since the game's release. Therefor, a high score can't be justified anymore.… Expand
  81. llamayarmybar
    Jul 26, 2014
    6
    The amount of attention a game like Mount and Blade has received has been both positive and negative, but strangely, even years after its release, its still positive. Having barely attempted the Multiplayer aspect or many of the overhaul gameplay mods available, I strictly turn my attention over to "vanilla" Mount & Blade: Warband and its singleplayer campaign- if you can honestly call itThe amount of attention a game like Mount and Blade has received has been both positive and negative, but strangely, even years after its release, its still positive. Having barely attempted the Multiplayer aspect or many of the overhaul gameplay mods available, I strictly turn my attention over to "vanilla" Mount & Blade: Warband and its singleplayer campaign- if you can honestly call it that. You are dumped in a world known as "Calradia", and after a rather brief role playing game configuration character screen, you'll pick skills that will effect how you'll play, how you'll fight, or how you'll manipulate the economy or control your band of would-be-rent-a-warriors throughout the experience. Trouble is, their is only but so much you actually need to get through Warband as far as the actual "game" is concerned. Strictly speaking, you should either be a melee character i.e. swords and shields, an archer i.e. crossbows or bows, or an intelligent merciless mercenary i.e. medic skills or being (at times hard to believe) immensely influential over various NPC's- which is apparently a skill a person can "level up" as well. First things first, if you don't trade, build enterprises or loot, you will be fighting all manner of bandits till the end of time. Nord bandits make the most money, hand out the most experience, and ultimately produce the most valuable loot to sell off to various city markets. You can easily a quire ten or so Knights from any faction (aside from the Nords and Rhodoks) and commence this endless harvest of Denars, (the games term for "gold" or money) experience and some of the best armor and weapons in what I'd like the call "the mid-game" period. After this, you simply become a mercenary for a faction, help out here and there and "poof" you can join up and become a semi-permanent addition to a kingdom. This is where the game crawls to a halt. If you're not at war, you will be scavenging for money and loot, if you are at war you will be scavenging for villages to plunder and enemy lords to battle. If you're not doing any of those things, than it means you were trying to protect the many fiefs, Castles or cities that have suddenly been given to by your King for likely being such an awesome person or maybe he just thinks your a swell guy/ gal for having more renown and honor than any other lord in his cabinet. Politics aside, Mount & Blade is fun. Its "simulation" fun, its "babysit army" fun, its tedious battle fun, but it has a combat system not seen since "Dark Souls" and it does having a learning curve. That's more than a lot of titles can claim these days. However, once you've effectively broken the game, this skill ceiling literally collapses under the weight of an antiquated engine, terrible artificial intelligence, and a random sequence of events that can suddenly cause two even three kingdoms to declare war on yours and wreck everything you've been working towards in a matter of weeks. To "break" this game, all you need are all the major medic skills and your intelligence up to 30, once this is complete, you can commence leveling up your Charisma and begin to drag around hundreds of men to do whatever you need at that point. After this, battles become a breeze (even your armies configuration hardly matters) and near one hundred Swadian Knights, for instance, suddenly become your best friends in all the world. This strategy also works with Rhodoks infamous "Sharpshooter" crossbow infantry. Who, as long as they have a hill to perch upon or any elevation whatsoever, are practically invincible and tear apart armies double yours. The true failing of the game, is that after awhile, money stops mattering, skills you once thought about investing in become pointless as you already have enough men to fight without you ever being involved. It eventually does become "babysitting" and no their isn't a better way of putting it. Their is supposedly an automated battle system that is very poorly programmed and tends to output miserable losses on your side, so it best not ever be used unless you have no choice obviously. However this brings up an even worse problem for when you have the ability to heal your army in a matter of half a day the NPC lords are suddenly not particularly scary. Even if you "lose" and "leave" a battle, but take no losses of your own you can march right back up that same enemy army and annihilate them as they've been unable to recover from their losses as quickly as you've been able to. This works for Castle sieges, 2-1 battles, and even looting villages. I understand the game is old, but the developers need to consider putting more effort into a singleplayer experience that is actually fun, not tedious or repetitive and ultimately easily abused. Its a shame, as most of the game is quite well designed even for not having an actual goal to work towards or a story to follow. The more you play the sooner things begin to stagnate.… Expand
  82. FFStudios
    Jun 9, 2012
    6
    After watching my cousin play M&BW on his PC, I eventually decided to seek out a copy. On paper, this game sounds brilliant: 64 players siege battles, variety of weapons and tactical combat. In execution though, M&B is merely a good game which is only let down by some glaring faults. The most predominant fault is the rather obnoxious imbalance of weapons; two-handed weapons swing at almostAfter watching my cousin play M&BW on his PC, I eventually decided to seek out a copy. On paper, this game sounds brilliant: 64 players siege battles, variety of weapons and tactical combat. In execution though, M&B is merely a good game which is only let down by some glaring faults. The most predominant fault is the rather obnoxious imbalance of weapons; two-handed weapons swing at almost exactly the same speed as one-handed weapons, making the multiplayer somewhat frustrating. Another problem is team marking: yes, I know that team mates have circles above their heads but wouldn't it make more sense to have the two teams colour coded so you don't keep killing yourself by accidentally attacking teammates. The graphics are dated, but that's not important, what is important is that Warband is still quite a good game which could become a proper classic if the balancing and gameplay were smoothed out a bit.… Expand
  83. Rem
    Jul 10, 2013
    6
    Warband is a step-up from the original Mount and Blade, but it does not warrant enough for it to stand on its own. Once again it is a simulation type game with you traveling a world map doing quests or joining factions till you eventually become ruler of the land. It doesn't deter from anything more than that, but it sure is addicting. In the end the multiplayer is great if not for theWarband is a step-up from the original Mount and Blade, but it does not warrant enough for it to stand on its own. Once again it is a simulation type game with you traveling a world map doing quests or joining factions till you eventually become ruler of the land. It doesn't deter from anything more than that, but it sure is addicting. In the end the multiplayer is great if not for the intuitive medieval swordplay mechanic. A prettier update is nice, but I don't see much to convince of $10 when I can go back to the original and have the same experience.… Expand
  84. PrincessRose
    Mar 29, 2015
    6
    Hated this game at first not at all amazing to me, just seems like a rather terrible game. Not sure why so many people like this game. It's a sort of ok game.

    The graphics look ugly like something from 2005 or older not such a big deal if the gameplay was good, but the combat feels horrible and clunky moving a mouse in a direction then pressing left click feels awkward. I really suck at    Hated this game at first not at all amazing to me, just seems like a rather terrible game. Not sure why so many people like this game. It's a sort of ok game.

    The graphics look ugly like something from 2005 or older not such a big deal if the gameplay was good, but the combat feels horrible and clunky moving a mouse in a direction then pressing left click feels awkward. I really suck at the combat and keep dying all the time.    … Expand
  85. Shimmeywill
    Mar 11, 2020
    6
    A decent time role playing as a general knight, gets repetitive after a while.
  86. erdogfu96
    Feb 8, 2020
    6
    Very bad graphics even for it's time it was bad and bannerlord will be same also. Sounds and music's were enjoying but not best. Gameplay is revolutionis and we'll designed. Moddable.
  87. arllda
    Feb 4, 2023
    6
    I played a lot with crack, but I bought it from steam to support game makers. My pc is bad, but it's not enough to get 10fps from warband, you still get it from steam, maybe it's a problem with my pc
  88. gdwitt
    Sep 8, 2010
    5
    Pro: This combat mechanics are quite original and the game, with mods, develops a realistic feel. The grahics are fine for most users with mid-level computer. It loads and plays quickly even on a laptop if you keep the battle sizes to under 100.
    Con: The campaign game is heavily bugged. Even a year of mods haven't been able to root them out. The diplomacy aspect is atrocious. Even    Pro: This combat mechanics are quite original and the game, with mods, develops a realistic feel. The grahics are fine for most users with mid-level computer. It loads and plays quickly even on a laptop if you keep the battle sizes to under 100.
    Con: The campaign game is heavily bugged. Even a year of mods haven't been able to root them out. The diplomacy aspect is atrocious. Even with the best player sponsored mod, diplomacy is bizarre and unrealistic. With a campaign that's so time-consuming and tedious to improve your stats, the player expects to be able to create a semblance of a kingdom late game. Alas,it will break your heart over and over if you try to go anywhere beyond a roving mercenary band. The system of honor, right to rule, and reknown end up having minimal weight in the minds of the other kingdoms. If you enjoy endless scenes of grahic violence with a large variety of weapons, this is for you. If you want a true strategy or RPH, try something else    … Expand
  89. MeritCoba
    Oct 29, 2014
    5
    Mount & Blade: Warband is frustrating game because at the heart it has a great idea, but in practice it is poorly implemented. The game reminds me a bit of that old game Lords of Midnight, that combined role play game aspects with a war game mechanism.
    At first the game looks promising. You start out with only a few weapons, a horse and some money and you take it from there. You do some    Mount & Blade: Warband is frustrating game because at the heart it has a great idea, but in practice it is poorly implemented. The game reminds me a bit of that old game Lords of Midnight, that combined role play game aspects with a war game mechanism.
    At first the game looks promising. You start out with only a few weapons, a horse and some money and you take it from there. You do some quests, recruit some troops, invite some npc heroes and slowly improve your small army.
    A first you are involved in dealing with brigands, ruffians, looters and deserters. Nothing that would bring down the wrath of some local lord on you. Eventually you join one side or another as a mercenary so you have an idea of how combat with regular troops works.
    Once you have done some battles you will be eventually involved in a siege.. either as the assaulting party or as the defending party.
    It is all exciting at first.
    At first..
    But after a while this game starts to bore. It bores because it doesn't offer much more than this,
    There is no story line. Conversations with characters have at the best three options and are quickly explored. Once you start your own empire you find out that diplomacy has only four options: declare war, ask for a truce, submit to an adversary or say hello.
    Handling the affairs of you own empire is equally rudimentary implemented. Taxes you have no control over. Handling your lords comes down to giving them a fief, which will increase your influence with them, but decreases your influence with all your other lords. This limits the amount of lord you actually can handle to below ten.
    There is a kind of romance system, which I didn't explore.
    There is a rudimentary trade system, which is useless. Useless because it involves you in buying goods at town a to sell them at town b for a small profit. But given the limited inventory, the limited amount of goods at town a and the fact that town b always is at the other side of the map and thus takes a long time to travel to, it hardly makes give you enough profit to even cover the expense of the army you need to protect you.
    The only other economical thing you can do is buying a factory.. only one per city. The factory brings in money and you have almost no control over the production.
    And that is about it.
    The game then excels in boring repetition.
    Sieges are probably the worst aspect in the game. You can't let the AI handle them as your losses will increase tenfold, so you have to do every siege of every castle and town yourself. These sieges come down to shooting matches which go on until the enemy has no more people left of so few you can ask them to surrender. Which only happens when you have around five time the troops. Consider this: at the max you have around 150 men. The usual castle has around 150 to 200 men. To get them to surrender you have to kill around 130 to 170 men.
    Cities are even worst, some have like 400 men and even more if a lord is also defending that city.
    What is even worse is that these lords regenerate troops very fast. I once had to assault a town containing 5 lords.. and when I marched off to get new troops I found upon returning that they had regenerated fifty troops.. including some elite troops.
    The fact that things look refreshing from a 1st/3rd person view at first and that each castle and city seem to be unique doesn't make the boring tedious sieges any better to bear.
    Recruiting is another woefully boring part in the game. You will be needing a lot of troops to man your castles and towns and you get most of them by recruiting them from the villages. This involves you in travelling around the map recruiting villagers and then transport them to a town or castle to garrison them. Since the amount of villagers you can recruit is limited you will be doing a lot travelling around the map. The game has no automated mechanism to handle recruiting.
    The AI also never gives up. Once you have conquered almost all the cities and castles of an enemy you might think he will surrender, but no way. They all go on until you have capture everything he owns.
    So the game thus boils down to doing sieges and more sieges and even more sieges. Perhaps do some battles in between before doing more sieges and even more sieges. And once you have captured enough castles you have to recruit and recruit and recruit to collect a garrison to protect them.

    So if you like to sit through dozens upon dozens of battles and sieges, most of which are totally irrelevant but which you have to do yourself because the AI is to inept to handle things well, than this is the game for you.
    If you are looking for a game with a good story line, interesting conversations and a involved background - the things that you associate with a good role play game- than this is definitely not the game for you.
    All in all a mediocre warfare game that gets boring fast.    … Expand
  90. Izoeros
    Jun 4, 2022
    5
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  91. ChetL
    Apr 13, 2010
    4
    For a regular priced title, M&B: warband does not deliver what you'd want after playing the original. Naturally, more options and more content were added and the way units interact on the map and in battle have somewhat improved. HOWEVER, and as a result, more bugs were also introduced. One major annoyance comes from the siege battle. It is still the very same way in the original. For a regular priced title, M&B: warband does not deliver what you'd want after playing the original. Naturally, more options and more content were added and the way units interact on the map and in battle have somewhat improved. HOWEVER, and as a result, more bugs were also introduced. One major annoyance comes from the siege battle. It is still the very same way in the original. Your troops clumsily climb a narrow wooden ladder (which has been trumped with slightly more appeal to it LOL) only to be a choke point for your troops. They just line up on that ladder to be cannon fodder to the enemy merciless arrows and bolts and profane shouts or incomprehensible curses as none of your men are able to get off the damn ladder LOL. You wind up watching a slaughter fest of your own men that can take away most of your gaming time and in a loss in the end. Of course, there is that "multiplayer" mode but what good to play that if you can't even take a town from the enemy! A total waste of time and money. Don't buy it if you haven't yet. I do not recommend any games coming from this developer. Support the developers who provide us with a full game not a broken game. They didn't even fix the original FYI.… Expand
  92. jopdecoul
    Jan 2, 2016
    4
    A terrible tutorial, or lack there of. Caused me to waste so many hours and I am no where up to speed. Great idea with some terrible execution. Unless you enjoy wasting 20 (unenjoyable) hours learning, find a different game.
  93. TomL
    Apr 15, 2010
    3
    Dude! This sequel looks just like the previous version with more bloom effect! Nothing much was added to make it any different from M&B 1. The interface is the same, the graphic is the same, the units are the same, the limitations are the same, the siege is also the same loaded with bugs!!! Units get stuck in walls and ladders, the works! Hell no, I'm not buying this scrawny Dude! This sequel looks just like the previous version with more bloom effect! Nothing much was added to make it any different from M&B 1. The interface is the same, the graphic is the same, the units are the same, the limitations are the same, the siege is also the same loaded with bugs!!! Units get stuck in walls and ladders, the works! Hell no, I'm not buying this scrawny duplicate for 30 bucks. Why should I buy the same game over again....hell no. The tavern is as boring as ever. Taleworlds is a laughing stock.… Expand
  94. DaveWTM
    Sep 9, 2010
    3
    The game has huge potential as a concept, but there again as previously mentioned, has little in the way of competition on the market. I'm purely an online multiplayer gamer and have little interest in the single player aspect of the game so this assessment is purely based on my online experiences. After giving the game a go for several weeks, the steep learning curve, number of glitches /The game has huge potential as a concept, but there again as previously mentioned, has little in the way of competition on the market. I'm purely an online multiplayer gamer and have little interest in the single player aspect of the game so this assessment is purely based on my online experiences. After giving the game a go for several weeks, the steep learning curve, number of glitches / exploits, lack of interesting servers (most are DM or Battle, very few are CTF or Siege in our part of the world) ruins any form of enjoyment for me so I'm reluctantly giving it a 3...… Expand
  95. veraceszk
    Apr 6, 2012
    3
    3/10 for the concept, the hitboxes are so terrible in this game that you cannot even hit anyone effectively. Several times I have shot arrows going straight through people with them taking zero damage. It's so buggy, and it doesn't seem like the developers intend on fixing the hitbox horrors. I wish a game like this existed with a similar concept but with proper execution.
  96. Caputalis
    Jul 14, 2014
    3
    It's annoying that some of these reviewers are rating the game 10/10, when they even admit that there are some pretty bad flaws in this game. Yes, the game has huge potential. Does it live up to that? No.
    Mount and Blade: Warband is what you would get if you mixed a crappy version of Dragon Age Origins with an even more crappy version of Skyrim, and then threw in a broken version of    It's annoying that some of these reviewers are rating the game 10/10, when they even admit that there are some pretty bad flaws in this game. Yes, the game has huge potential. Does it live up to that? No.
    Mount and Blade: Warband is what you would get if you mixed a crappy version of Dragon Age Origins with an even more crappy version of Skyrim, and then threw in a broken version of Chivalry. Map movement is slow and bland. Combat is broken and stiff. Movement is yawn worthy. Overall gameplay is weak. The only saving grace is that it's addicting, but even then, you just hate yourself for being addicted to this broken mess of a game.
    There's a lot of potential with this game, but it ultimately went to waste when the developers decided to take a huge **** all over their game.
    I'd normally give it a weak 6/10, but since people here are exaggerating their positive reviews, I'm evening the field with 3/10 . . . and that's not even a far stretch.    … Expand
  97. alboin
    Mar 30, 2015
    3
    Worse than its predecessor, better graphics and more options to do in RP, but worse combat and AI. Fancy combat moves which have no place and mostly wont hit, like mounted attack right into horses head. Rubber horses are back, even in my favourite mod Brytenwalda. I still like first game most of all M&B's.
  98. McBritches
    Sep 11, 2013
    1
    Awful combat, awful quests...graphics not too bad but not worth the money. If you like a game where there is no real goal and you keep having to repeat certain quests, this is the game for you
  99. Emiraly
    May 10, 2011
    0
    I tried to love this game, I wanted to, sounded like the perfect game, but this was the worst 12 dollars I've ever spent on a utter ineptI tried to love this game, I wanted to, sounded like the perfect game, but this was the worst 12 dollars I've ever spent on a utter inept developer.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The single player is akin to the space stage in Spore, but with slightly more depth, even more grind and horrid pacing. Spending days of play time trying to get anywhere in the game, using a pseudo turn-based style which makes me only yearn for a better game like Civ 4 or Gal Civ. Totally unable to raise your diplomatic standings with lords other than repeating the same 5 basic quests over and over often half way across the world, the game becomes a **** chore as you fight battles with brain dead AI that you can kite in a circle.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In multi-player, the combat in this game is incredibly hard, if you plan to be any good at it plan to spend at least +100 hours of practice - giving you the most control in any game also means that you shouldn't expect to kill anything as you'll be getting 0/0 or 0/20 kill/deaths as you will be killed instantly in most cases or ganged upon with no way to defend yourself other than the directional blocking which is awful or shields that shatter after 4 hits. I can get like a 11/6 at best but the vast majority of players you'll see will get a 1/1 K/D with the exception of 4 out of 60 players who will be 20/1. It all works in theory, but for 99% of the population, dealing with multiple targets is hard enough while blocking and attacking, but directional blocking and stuns (a split second to block otherwise you're dead) make it completely overwhelming as you'll be killed from behind by someone you didn't see because you were trying to focus on blocking rather than situational awareness. And players who get high K/D? They just kite players into 1v1 situations and kill them that way rather than charge in, its not possible to master. There is so much more I can go into about this, but I will say only that "easy to learn, difficult to master" does not apply to this game like a well-designed game should - no tutorials, no guide, nothing easy about it and mastering it is not rewarding at all - this isn't like Demon Souls where it is designed to be hard, this is due to their sheer unintentional ineptitude as a developer.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    To be honest the only great thing about this game is the +200 person cap on servers and massive battles, but nearly everyone will tire of it immediately as you will often be killed by anyone you engage for 5-10 hours until you can kill maybe 1 person a match or shot by arrows or lanced by a horseman you didn't see. And you can't help your team in any way, only get in their way, no engineering, nothing, only the very clunky combat system.
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    If you are anything like a normal gamer, a gamer who loves strategy games, or anything other than a person willing to dedicate months to master a game with an awful single player and brutally difficult multiplayer should just avoid this piece of garbage.    … Expand
  100. MeningsMod
    Feb 6, 2012
    0
    First downloaded a demo of this game, seemed fun. Then bought the whole game, seemed fun. Then played singleplayer... got borring pretty fast.
    Then played multiplayer, gamed seemed pretty lame (to say the least).
    This game looks and feels like an Alfa version. Bugs like arrows stopping in mid air!!?! WTF! Overpowered weapons, pick-up of items is a mystery, bunny hopping to avoid    First downloaded a demo of this game, seemed fun. Then bought the whole game, seemed fun. Then played singleplayer... got borring pretty fast.
    Then played multiplayer, gamed seemed pretty lame (to say the least).
    This game looks and feels like an Alfa version. Bugs like arrows stopping in mid air!!?! WTF! Overpowered weapons, pick-up of items is a mystery, bunny hopping to avoid arrows??! Slow swing/fast swing never knowking when, and the list goes on. So much potential, so many bugs... What a shame. When they release the final version (un-bugged), I will give it a go. This game is just pure crap... People, do your self a favor, do NOT buy this game. (Yes, they want money for a alfa version).    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

53
#53 Best PC Game of 2010
11
#11 Most Discussed PC Game of 2010
7
#7 Most Shared PC Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. PALGN
    80
    Although there is still room for improvement, Warband's excellent combat system, respectable multiplayer and a lifespan that will prove to be a total timesink means that the game is well worth the USD$29.99 price tag on Steam. Fans of the action RPG genre and medieval games in general would do well to pick this one up.
    Read full review
  2. RPG Fan
    80
    All in all, Mount and Blade: Warband is a great game, even despite its flaws. The overall concept is satisfying, and with a more heavyweight publisher behind the team at TaleWorlds, this is one game that could be absolutely great.
    Read full review
  3. GameStar
    68
    On the one hand, there are the open world and the freedom to do what you want to do, on the other hand, the world is lifeless. It's a great game for some people, but the opposite for most.
    Read full review
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