Mount & Blade
- November 3, 2008
- Taleworlds
- 22h median play time
Mount and Blade is a huge game worth revisiting over and over again. The graphics are nothing to look at, but the gameplay, especially the battles, is very well done.
Get on Steam"Mount & Blade" is a free-form sandbox medieval combat game set in the war-torn land of Calradia. Experience groundbreaking horseback combat and advanced sword-fighting systems using a variety of weapons. Gain reputation, amass an army, and build your own realm through strategic planning and interactions with hundreds of characters. The challenging AI will put your combat and strategic skills to the test.
PC
Windows
Nintendo 3ds
Wii
Wii U
Reviews
- Mount & Blade offers a unique and immersive medieval sandbox experience, allowing players to build armies, manage kingdoms, and engage in large-scale battles.
- The game features deep combat mechanics that provide a satisfying and rewarding experience, especially when mastering the use of various weapons and tactics.
- Despite its age, the game has a dedicated modding community that enhances replayability with a variety of mods, including popular ones like Star Wars Conquest and The Last Days of the Third Age.
- The graphics and animations are dated, which may deter some players looking for modern visuals and polish.
- The game can feel repetitive over time, especially with limited quest variety and a lack of a structured storyline.
- Some gameplay mechanics, such as troop management and AI behavior, can be clunky and frustrating, leading to challenges in commanding armies effectively.
- graphics228 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The graphics of Mount & Blade are widely regarded as outdated and rudimentary, often described as "crude" or "ugly" by users. While many acknowledge that the visuals do not meet contemporary standards, they emphasize that the gameplay experience compensates for these shortcomings, making the game enjoyable despite its graphical limitations. Overall, players suggest that while the graphics may not impress, the engaging gameplay and modding community enhance the overall experience.
“The graphics may appear dated by contemporary standards, but they aptly serve their purpose.”
“The game offers some really nice graphics and a nice yet simplistic aesthetic which is pleasant all the same and has some amazing attention to detail even though it is a little rough around the edges.”
“Despite its aging graphics and sometimes frustrating combat, this game is a brilliant strategy mixed with real-time combat allowing complete user decision.”
“The graphics in Mount & Blade are crude and a little ugly.”
“Weird bugs, weak graphics, hilariously bad animations, a very rudimentary interface, and so on.”
“The graphics are dated, but that is to be expected of a game released in 2007.”
- gameplay205 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Mount & Blade is characterized by its engaging open-world mechanics and deep combat system, which many players find addictive despite the game's dated graphics and simplistic mechanics. While some reviews note a lack of detailed explanations for game mechanics and occasional frustrations with controls, the overall experience is praised for its freedom, replayability, and the unique blend of strategy and action. Newer players are often advised to consider the more polished Warband version for enhanced gameplay features, but the original still offers a compelling medieval sandbox experience.
“The open-world gameplay, combined with its deep combat system, creates a sandbox that can be incredibly engaging.”
“The gameplay is unique enough to offset the age.”
“It is still extremely fun and addicting to play, and is a testament to how amazing the core mechanics of the franchise really are.”
“Certain aspects of the game, some of its fundamental mechanics and controls, are very poorly designed, or feel half-baked, like they didn't get enough testing and development before release.”
“The game features barebone mechanics, giving the player not many options to manage... anything, really... from inventory to troopers on the battlefield, everything is so basic that after a while becomes simply boring.”
“I don't like this game, the tutorial is terrible and the gameplay is bad.”
- story152 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The story aspect of "Mount & Blade" is largely characterized by its lack of a structured narrative, with many players noting that the game offers minimal plot and repetitive quests. Instead, it provides a sandbox experience where players create their own stories through their actions and choices, leading to a highly personalized gameplay experience. While some players appreciate the freedom this offers, others find the absence of a compelling storyline and engaging quests to be a significant drawback.
“Very imaginative and adaptive story mode; I have been coming back and forth to this one for years, and every time I play, I go about the same world a different way.”
“The ability to create your own story and your own army is just awesome.”
“From the start of your game, with nothing to your name but a rusted sword and tattered robes, you must carve your own story through the myriad friends and foes of a medieval society.”
“There is no story or plot in Mount & Blade.”
“The game doesn't have a storyline, which is why it becomes a bit boring and pointless after a while.”
“Unfortunately, it shows its almost decade-old age with okay graphics, no quest variety, empty environment, no story, and no achievements.”
- replayability28 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability, largely due to its engaging combat, diverse gameplay options, and a wealth of community-created mods that continually refresh the experience. While some players note that the core gameplay can become repetitive, many find ways to keep it feeling fresh, leading to countless hours of enjoyment. Overall, it is praised for its depth and variety, making it a standout in terms of replay value.
“Very nice game only found it by chance, very replayable; be a bandit on your own mission, or pick a side and become a king.”
“Honestly, one of the best games I have ever played, due to its replayability, largely thanks to the countless mods which are still being made, long after the game was first released.”
“With incredible gameplay, a vast amount of things to do, and unlimited replayability, you owe it to yourself to play this indie masterpiece.”
“The game itself is good, the combat is fun and there's plenty to do with a lot of replayability, but it becomes repetitive real fast and once you've got the hang of things there's basically no challenge anymore.”
“People say the game has no replayability, but it can be pretty cool to find ways to make the game feel new.”
“Neither magic nor alchemy is needed here; the setting of this game is medieval fiction rather than mythological fantasy but it has enough interesting elements, depth of gameplay, and replayability to draw you back and try something new.”
- stability18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with numerous users reporting frustrating bugs that can hinder quest completion and immersion, though many agree that most issues are minor and not game-breaking. While the game runs well on modern systems, its dated graphics and occasional crashes—especially when using mods—are notable drawbacks. Overall, players find the experience enjoyable despite the persistent glitches.
“The game runs smoothly on newer computers, despite its 2008 graphics.”
“This game is compatible with titles from before 2000 and still performs excellently on Windows 10.”
“It's a great game with very few bugs and it runs exceptionally well.”
“Some quests can be frustratingly buggy, preventing completion and breaking the immersion.”
“The only downside is that it's always been very buggy unless you follow their instructions on the best setup to use.”
“Overall, this is a very good game, with a lot of problems and glitches.”
- music16 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some finding the world map and city tracks generic and repetitive, while others praise the battle themes and overall soundtrack as fantastic and atmospheric. Many players appreciate the soothing quality of the music and its fitting nature within the game, contributing to a well-polished experience. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a highlight, enhancing the gameplay despite some criticisms of repetitiveness.
“Graphics are greatly improved, the combat is greatly improved, the soundtrack is amazing and the atmosphere is electric.”
“Fantastic musical score to this game, as well as a fairly balanced morality system implemented, and you'll always hear two sides to any argument.”
“The music is a little generic on the world map and in cities, but the battle tracks are great.”
“The soundtrack is decent.”
“Overall, I recommend the game for its well polished free form gameplay, exciting soundtrack and decent graphics.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 92 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that grinding is a significant aspect of the game, often described as tedious and time-consuming, particularly when building an experienced army. While some players find enjoyment in the grind, others feel it becomes monotonous over time, suggesting that the game may be more enjoyable if purchased on sale. Cheat codes are available to bypass some of the grinding, which can enhance the experience for those who prefer a quicker progression.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Having to protect my entire kingdom by myself with no help was just too grindy.”
“It was decent, fun combat and a good idea, but it got really tedious and monotonous; get it if it's on sale.”
- humor9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurdly poor graphics, clunky animations, and a rudimentary interface, which collectively create a comedic experience. Players find the combat system amusingly chaotic, with moments of hilarity stemming from the game's awkward mechanics and exaggerated scenarios. Overall, the game is seen as entertainingly silly, with a charm that arises from its imperfections.
“Huge map, tons of features, lots of quests, and a clunky but hilarious combat system.”
“Combat is fun and satisfying; hitting people in the face with a lance is funny every time.”
“It's hilariously silly.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised for being less demanding than Warband, making it accessible for lower-end PCs, with a performance rating of 9.5/10. However, users have reported significant compatibility issues with Windows 10 that may require extensive modding or workarounds to achieve smooth gameplay, leading to mixed experiences.
“AI structure, intel, performance, settings, etc.: 9.5/10.”
“The game runs smoothly with the right optimizations, making it accessible for a wider range of hardware.”
“It's not as strenuous as Warband, and definitely a better option if your PC isn't high performance.”
“11/10 performance on any low-end machine (well, most).”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Reviewers consistently highlight the game's electric atmosphere, enhanced by improved graphics and an amazing soundtrack. While combat mechanics receive praise, many players feel that the immersive atmosphere is the standout feature, contributing significantly to the overall experience.
“Graphics are greatly improved, the combat is greatly improved, the soundtrack is amazing and the atmosphere is electric.”
“For me personally, M&B is great rather for its atmosphere than for how it handles swordplay, which many people praise in all their reviews.”
“The weapons, battles, atmosphere, everything is great.”
“The atmosphere is so dark and murky that I can barely see what's happening, making it hard to engage with the story.”
“The game's environment feels lifeless and uninspired, lacking the immersive qualities that would draw me in.”
“I found the sound design to be underwhelming, failing to create the tension and mood that the game desperately needs.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is enhanced by RPG elements that allow players to forge bonds with companions, who level up and can be customized. However, the experience is marred by a lack of quest variety, a simplistic skill tree, and minimal in-story character development, leading to a less engaging overall narrative.
“With RPG character development elements in play, you also forge bonds with companions along your journey – these comrades ultimately become your most dependable assets, leveling up alongside you and customizable to suit your preferences.”
“But firstly, let's quickly sum up the downsides of the game which are as follows: very low variety in different quests, no over-the-top skill tree or leveling system, bad (too much texture-based) graphics, lifeless surroundings, shallow economy, and no in-story character development.”
“The character development feels incredibly shallow, lacking depth and meaningful progression that would make me care about my character's journey.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of character growth; it felt like my choices didn't matter and the characters remained static throughout the game.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find "Mount and Blade" to evoke a sense of emotional engagement through its immersive medieval European setting and combat, making it a recommended choice for those seeking a wholesome single-player experience.
