User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1353 Ratings

User score distribution:
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  1. HerkeV.
    Apr 26, 2010
    10
    Best medieval game simulation! very realistic and it has really unique game play, objects and quests. i am playing since beta and they are still improving the game.. and its really nice to have a forum on the game's site, so you can just post your suggestions, they are considering the users a lot. lots of ideas in the game have been proposed on the forums first.. thanks for this Best medieval game simulation! very realistic and it has really unique game play, objects and quests. i am playing since beta and they are still improving the game.. and its really nice to have a forum on the game's site, so you can just post your suggestions, they are considering the users a lot. lots of ideas in the game have been proposed on the forums first.. thanks for this great game taleworlds! Expand
  2. KellyK.
    Apr 23, 2010
    10
    One of the best games I've played. If you're tired of the same old fantasy games of magic, elves, dragons, ect. than this game is for you. It's totally original, authentic, and realistic, the only game of its kind and it's about time. Give this game a try you won't be sorry.
  3. MatL
    Apr 16, 2010
    9
    The game is very addicting. The immersion of riding your horse to battle with arrows flying all around you and knowing each of them would kill you right there is just amazing! M&B:WB is a truly unique medieval "simulation." Altough a little buggy right now, the game is fully playable for most people and the company is known to fix problems.
  4. DAnderson
    Apr 15, 2010
    9
    Not the most polished game ever at the moment. Very dedicated dev team and I expect things to work out smoother. Many complaints of ugly graphics make little sense to me, looks quite nice with details at max and 3d integrates spectacularly. Very deep combat and imo enough additions(need to dig, not all easily apparent to average person, module stuff for example) to justify a already low Not the most polished game ever at the moment. Very dedicated dev team and I expect things to work out smoother. Many complaints of ugly graphics make little sense to me, looks quite nice with details at max and 3d integrates spectacularly. Very deep combat and imo enough additions(need to dig, not all easily apparent to average person, module stuff for example) to justify a already low price compared to most blockbuster games. Expand
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. AlexV
    Apr 13, 2010
    9
    Really good, plays more or less like the original except you can be a king, the graphics have been brushed up a bit, and a lot of other things has been expanded. I did rather feel that they could have added more which they undoubtably will in the third, and it is a bit rough around the edges. Still has far and away the best medieval third person combat crucially, and has that addictive Really good, plays more or less like the original except you can be a king, the graphics have been brushed up a bit, and a lot of other things has been expanded. I did rather feel that they could have added more which they undoubtably will in the third, and it is a bit rough around the edges. Still has far and away the best medieval third person combat crucially, and has that addictive one more more battle effect. Expand
  8. VulgarNormal
    Apr 10, 2010
    9
    For its price, for its deep and polished combat mechanics, for its amazing single player with intricate politics and its array of choices, for its upgraded graphics and for such a dynamic and energetic multiplayer this sequel to Mount and Blade would sure deserve a maximum score. But the game was released without being at its full strenght, with some showstoper bugs on the single player For its price, for its deep and polished combat mechanics, for its amazing single player with intricate politics and its array of choices, for its upgraded graphics and for such a dynamic and energetic multiplayer this sequel to Mount and Blade would sure deserve a maximum score. But the game was released without being at its full strenght, with some showstoper bugs on the single player game (multiplayer as none) - althought now, Tale Worlds is sure making the effort to fix them all. Excellent game overall - be sure to get it! Expand
  9. 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.
  10. 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
  11. Duh
    Sep 29, 2010
    10
    You might ask yourself whether Warband is worth its money. The answer to that are your personal preferences, since there are a lot of great things in the game, but also things that will anger you till you tilt, especially because you will - at that point - know that the game has a huge potential which seems to be not used. The PROs include The best fighting system there is. You are inYou might ask yourself whether Warband is worth its money. The answer to that are your personal preferences, since there are a lot of great things in the game, but also things that will anger you till you tilt, especially because you will - at that point - know that the game has a huge potential which seems to be not used. The PROs include The best fighting system there is. You are in control of your attacks and blocks, the direction, the timing, the distance and the speed. The fights are intense.
    Amazing battles sizes not only in the singleplayer, but also on the multiplayer. No not only 64 as falsely proclaimed in many reviews, there are servers that offer room for up to 222 players. The Singleplayer mode is in Vanilla limited to 150, but by using the MBW Battle Resizer the only limitation is your hardware. I play with a battle size of 700.
    The SP world. Kingdoms rise and fall with or without your doing. This war-torn country of Calradia does not need a player to function :-D.
    The multiplayer. You will hate it for crushing you (I have no clue how so many people can be so good). You will love it for the excitement, the rush of adrenaline when being faced by a group of enemies, the joy of making a kill - finally, and the tactical thinking.
    A great community. It is a must for anybody buying this game, to use the forum. Otherwise you will never get the full potential out of this game. The Mods are the true jewels here. More on that later.
    The developers put a lot of effort into fixing bugs and improving the game. Since the release in March there have been 6(!) official patches i know of, that fixed bugs, rebalanced weapons, added new game features, etc. . The game was playable from the beginning, it just got better.

    The CONs
    The singleplayer lacks a tutorial. The game is very complex and especially the character creation is too complex for newbies. Later on you will be happy for the amount of choices tho. A mission to start off with was added, which helps a little on getting into the game.
    No big questline. You can roleplay the squat out of this game, but you will have to create your story yourself.
    At some point the game becomes repetative. Its after getting started, gaining power and before starting your own kingdom. Overall the Vanilla Singleplayer is missing something to keep it interesting.
    Sieges are the biggest flaw in Vanilla SP. The AI sucks here and the possible choices - really opposing the general game theme - are basically nonexistent. It is a pity that the multiplayer siege options werent implemented into the SP.

    The conclusion:

    The Vanilla game has highs and lows. 30 Bucks is acceptable for it, but its not a great deal.

    HOWEVER Mount and Blade: Warband is a long term investment. This is due to the huge modding community of the game (Forum!). You dont like the graphics? Get Polished Landscapes. You dont like the Battlesize? Get a Resizer. You dont like time period? Download a total conversion, which plays in the Renaissance or WW2. There are even mods solely dedicated to the Multiplayer. F.E. You dont like to always have to choose from the same troops and equipment? You want to customize your character? You want to change your skills? Get the CRPG mod and play it on their servers, which hold up to 120 spots for players. This ever growing amount of mods add amazing things to the Multiplayer and the Singleplayer and thats why the game is in my opinion worth the buy. You will get not only 1 game, but you will get a growing number of games. Therefore a tip of my hat to Taleworlds and their modding community.
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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 23
  2. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.