Recent reviews by ArcticWolfE

This game deserves way higher than mixed reviews. Fresh, satisfying, original take on the 4x genre.

I went in thinking it would be like Civ. It's not like Civ. I had to play part way through two different games before I got what the game was getting at, but once I understood "One more turn" syndrome did indeed set in. Give yourself some time with it to learn how the resource management and production works and keep an open mind. I grant it's rough around the edges, I mute ig music and play my own and the menus can be difficult to navigate, but the game will impress if you let it.

Bottom line: it's fun. If you want something more than fun like a serious combat experience, this may not be the game for you. That said, it is one of the lowest-investment highest-payoff games I've played in a long time.

Some points in this games favor:
1. Physics based combat is super cool and satisfying to play with. I can see what it gets from Mount and Blade, but as someone with about a thousand hours across the M&B franchise, this feels very different. Honestly it's a breath of fresh air.
2. Fun and (relatively) strategic combat that can get really tense.
3. Some interesting gladiator management between rounds that doesn't get in the way of combat.
4. Dev who clearly cares.

Some points against this game:
1. Combat can be janky. In my experience it's almost always goofy and not disruptive, e.g. enemies getting their arms stuck behind their backs, dropped weapons stuttering and flying off into the ether, etc.
2. Some unintuitive bits with how patrons work.
3. Win conditions can feel a bit artificial. "Kill 80 aspirants," "get 100k gold," etc. Might be nice to have just a career run focused on building up the scollo that produces the GOAT or something. Boss fights would also seem to fit in naturally and could make progression more interesting.

There's so much to see and do!

Impeccable vibes. Amazing dev team and a stunningly deep and original world. A work of art.

Conjures the real road trip vibe, which is exactly what I was hoping for. I can't wait for more content to be added, I'd love to see more interesting places and encounters in the wastes, and see my equipment saved when I leave the game. Also perhaps a bit of an introduction at the beginning of the game to explain the point.

Extraordinary.

The best game I have ever played.

Bannerlord please.

Level to 10 and promptly create guild
"The Gubbins"
Run around preaching the gospel of Gubb
Others join
Build army of fanatics 10 strong in 2 hours
Level 300+ guy joins
Take over Tamriel

It's a great day to gubb.
10/10 - Would gubbin agubbin.

Fantastically laced with amusing secrets, this game is most definitely one of the best of its kind.