There is no structured plot, dictated end goal, or elaborate narrative constructed by the creators within Mount and Blade. Once you have decided upon a character and where the game begins, as well as if you wish to assist a distressed merchant, the land of Caldaria is the player’s oyster, albeit a violent medieval world, engulfed in constant warfare between numerous factions, and plagued by countless bandits.

The player is encouraged to recruit followers, trade between large cities, protect or raid small villages, and even engage in the affairs of kings, but never does TaleWorlds wrest control from the player, forcing a specific path. This freedom allows for the organic development of unique emerging gameplay throughout a single playthrough, as the player initially starts fighting for their own life against bandits, and later can lead armies in siege warfare involving hundreds of soldiers, while also balancing the safety of their own castles and cities, ripe for invasion. The use of an overworld for continental travel and diplomatic relations that can seamlessly transition to a third-person perspective for melee combat and interpersonal communication is the key to the gameplay’s versititaly, and the varied mechanics and methods of play available to the player means playing the game is always a fresh experience at every stage. In order to fill the world with landholding NPCs that can be reasoned with, fought against, or married to, the communication options may seem repetitive as a character progresses, but the true strength can be found when the player actively participates in the royal circus, working hard to curry the favor of a certain lord in order to gain support for vassalage, or eager to betray a weak King when the player wishes to defect and sow the seeds of their own empire.

Mountain Blade is a wonderful game that I can not recommend enough, and also can’t possibly do enough justice to in a single review. The game is a steal on sale, and if you ever possibly grow bored, there’s a sea of mods offering near limitless options to enhance or fundamentally change your experience, as well as a strong multiplayer scene.

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