Mount and Blade: Warband (PC DVD)

I'm first timer at M&B so I can't compare this with original.

First the graphics: Mostly nice if you have good gpu and double core cpu. I think most rewievers haven't found how to max their settings, its in ingame menu (not in start screen).
At max graphics are at 2009 quality, so no complaints.

Gameplay: Learning curve is almost the steepest I have seen, even at the "easiest" difficulty, after first quest you are cast to huge world with crappy gear, and little money.

You start with items, money and skills determined by your origins, for an example: poor, steppechild forced out of home has no money but has good horse and skills. The ultimate goal is to become king or queen of all, and to succeed in this requires MANY MANY addictive playing hours, and ofcourse skill and loyal army.

Overall: If you have any interest in medieval game and/or rpg this is your game! also modding community is VERY active, and multiplayer servers offer 111 vs 111 battles

First of all, I too am firmly against forced subscriptions, limited activations, etc. If I had known this game required me to install and sign up with Steam, I would never have bought it in the first place. Normally I research these things beforehand, but this was one of the rare occurrences where I shrugged and said "If the original Mount & Blade had no such issues, why should it's expansion pack?"

Now onto the stability issues. My computer isn't particularly new, but it plays the original M&B with no problems and can run Dragon Age. Yet it has trouble with Warband. I have to play on the lowest settings, sometimes there's the odd crash, but worst of all are the load times when booting up or shutting down the game, which take literally five minutes.

And with that, FINALLY, I get to the content of the game. The single player is... well, it's Mount & Blade with a couple of added features. The single-player mode maintains it's highly addictive freeform adventuring, and the new opportunity to become a king may encourage veterans of the previous game to start calling in sick all over again. All that said, if you're buying Warband, it'll probably be for the multiplayer.

The multiplayer is glorious. My first game I was planted on the Nord team. My bearded friends were charging like maniacs and getting picked off by cavalry. I gave orders to form a shield wall on the hill over the chat, and wouldn't you know it, they actually listened. A hail of arrows constantly rained down upon our shields. Sometimes a lucky shot would send the occasional man to Valhalla, but we held firm. As the calvary lost all speed advancing up the steep slope, we cut them down. That's when we broke rank and took the infantry and archers head on, our shouts of "For Odin!" filled the valley as we charged down into their disorganized rabble. Within moments they fled in every direction, to be cut down one by one by large angry men wielding axes the size of an oak tree. I can still hear screams...

There's plenty of match types to be found, and in each you earn money through kills, thereby letting you purchase superior equipment. Balance isn't a major issue here, because an advantage in armour provides a disadvantage in speed. One of my favourite moments which demonstrates this, is when a guy wearing nothing but a loincloth (his name might have been Conan) was wielding a massive two-handed orcish looking sword. Six of us surrounded him in a circle. His sword moved at ungodly speeds, and he took us all out Kill-Bill style.

I played the original and single player was great fun but this version almost replicates it with some minor improvements, its harder, slightly better graphics, some new missions and paths, new map, new faction,etc but dosnt feel any different as the battle ai is still weak, so its fun but hoped they would have but some more effort here..3 star

BUT multiplayer, thats a different story! thats where it shines through, when i first played it i was getting killed every possible second by every vet and pro gamer and i was about to throw in the towel but slowly you pick up pace and get used to timing your swings, how to aim, how to move and block..Its great fun and a clear 5star for me. Advice, be the footman and not the horse man, its addictive fun being the underdog foot slogger trying to spear the enemy as they charge you down, you busy looking everywhere and staying close to teammates as those knights dash past trying to lance your back!

Great multiplayer and ok single player if you have already played the first one = 4 stars

In addition: I dont normally edit my reviews after so long but there are great MODS for this game! If your tired of single player and basic multiplayer THEN play even more with the CRPG Mod! This is multiplayer but records your online battle rewards of gold & exp, you then upgrade your stats and buy weapons/armour for future online battles. Start off as a farmer + pitchfork then make your way up to a full plate tank or uber sniper archer or whatever you like