I've been a long-term fan of the Mount & Blade series. I've played since the original game (IIRC, before TaleWorlds got set up with a publisher), so I've seen it all before. I've played probably dozens of mods, and enjoyed most of them. But that's aside the point.
With Fire And Sword is the newest addition to the series. It's got a relatively simple premise- it takes place in a "historical fiction" world with superpowers fighting in Europe some time after the invention of gunpowder. Everyone worth their salt has muskets and fancy stabby stuff. It mandates a slight change in strategy from the earlier games. No longer does mid-range armor really make a difference (what's armor to a bullet?), though the really heavy stuff pays off quite nicely. Horses are useful, but with muskets you can't count on making it to the other end of the battlefield if you're facing a lot of foes.
It's a lot like earlier mods that add in muskets, but as a general rule much better in quality. There's multiplayer, but for the most part it's a medieval Counter-Strike style thing. It's fun if you like the gameplay, and also if you've got friends (or enjoy bots), but it gets old quickly (though I did play a lot of Warband multiplayer). The advent of gunpowder means that multiplayer rounds end with you dead a lot more than they used to, because skill doesn't help you avoid bullets nearly as much as swords or arrows, meaning it's basically random chance who gets hit.
That said, some of the new multiplayer mods sound cool, but evidently one of the latest updates really messed them up, so I haven't been able to try them.
The graphics are a mix of good and meh, but there's not really anything eyegougingly bad, just some stuff that shows that the trees are still the same. Of course, the game doesn't run perfectly on my rather lackluster system, so it may look better on higher settings, but the gameplay really sells the deal here. I mean, it's not ugly, but the graphics are not necessarily top-budget blockbuster (which also helps them feel real, since evidently top-budget means brown). At least the graphics are colorful and inviting.
The music is a mixed bag. There's a lot of stuff I've heard through more or less every Mount & Blade installment, so I'm not necessarily dying to hear it again, but there's a lot of new songs built around the same motif, so you know it's Mount & Blade but it's also got a new feel. I like it.
There is a storyline, but I've never followed it. Apparently it's based off a series of novels (or a novel, I'm not quite sure). I've typically been more involved raiding, looting, and pillaging either on my own or as a Swede (which means no storyline, since only three of the five factions get one). However, you get a Steam Achievement for following storylines or conquering the whole world, depending on storyline availability, so that's fair.
It's not too expensive, it won't break your budget, and it's really, really awesome. If you haven't played With Fire And Sword, you may wanna get it, though I haven't heard of mods for it yet, which is a disappointment since Mount & Blade as a s
With Fire And Sword is the newest addition to the series. It's got a relatively simple premise- it takes place in a "historical fiction" world with superpowers fighting in Europe some time after the invention of gunpowder. Everyone worth their salt has muskets and fancy stabby stuff. It mandates a slight change in strategy from the earlier games. No longer does mid-range armor really make a difference (what's armor to a bullet?), though the really heavy stuff pays off quite nicely. Horses are useful, but with muskets you can't count on making it to the other end of the battlefield if you're facing a lot of foes.
It's a lot like earlier mods that add in muskets, but as a general rule much better in quality. There's multiplayer, but for the most part it's a medieval Counter-Strike style thing. It's fun if you like the gameplay, and also if you've got friends (or enjoy bots), but it gets old quickly (though I did play a lot of Warband multiplayer). The advent of gunpowder means that multiplayer rounds end with you dead a lot more than they used to, because skill doesn't help you avoid bullets nearly as much as swords or arrows, meaning it's basically random chance who gets hit.
That said, some of the new multiplayer mods sound cool, but evidently one of the latest updates really messed them up, so I haven't been able to try them.
The graphics are a mix of good and meh, but there's not really anything eyegougingly bad, just some stuff that shows that the trees are still the same. Of course, the game doesn't run perfectly on my rather lackluster system, so it may look better on higher settings, but the gameplay really sells the deal here. I mean, it's not ugly, but the graphics are not necessarily top-budget blockbuster (which also helps them feel real, since evidently top-budget means brown). At least the graphics are colorful and inviting.
The music is a mixed bag. There's a lot of stuff I've heard through more or less every Mount & Blade installment, so I'm not necessarily dying to hear it again, but there's a lot of new songs built around the same motif, so you know it's Mount & Blade but it's also got a new feel. I like it.
There is a storyline, but I've never followed it. Apparently it's based off a series of novels (or a novel, I'm not quite sure). I've typically been more involved raiding, looting, and pillaging either on my own or as a Swede (which means no storyline, since only three of the five factions get one). However, you get a Steam Achievement for following storylines or conquering the whole world, depending on storyline availability, so that's fair.
It's not too expensive, it won't break your budget, and it's really, really awesome. If you haven't played With Fire And Sword, you may wanna get it, though I haven't heard of mods for it yet, which is a disappointment since Mount & Blade as a s