Mount & Blade: With Fire & Sword

About

"Mount & Blade: With Fire & Sword" is a Historical Role Playing game with enhanced combat mechanics featuring firearms, in an open sandbox world with a single and multi-player mode. The game is based on the novel "With Fire and Sword" by Nobel-prize winning author Henryk Sienkiewicz, set in a new century of warfare with pistols, muskets, and grenades. Despite being very grinding and buggy, it boasts a good plot and humor, making it a unique addition to the Mount & Blade series.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Mount & Blade: With Fire & Sword screenshot

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 6,254 reviews

story138 positive mentions

graphics56 negative mentions

story
750 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
73%
9%
The story in "Mount & Blade: With Fire and Sword" is based on the historical novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz, focusing on the conflicts in 17th-century Eastern Europe, particularly the Polish-Ukrainian wars. While the game offers multiple faction-specific storylines and quests, many players find the quests to be repetitive, buggy, and lacking depth, often requiring guides to navigate effectively. Overall, the narrative is seen as a mixed bag, with some appreciating the historical context and variety, while others criticize the execution and frequent technical issues that hinder the storytelling experience.
- “The game and its storyline loosely follows the novel *With Fire and Sword* by Henryk Sienkiewicz, depicting Poland's 1648-1651 war against the Khmelnytsky Uprising in present-day Ukraine, and its sequels dealing with the invasion of Poland by Sweden and with Polish wars against the Ottoman Empire.”
- “Mount & Blade: Fire and Sword has been a good addition to the franchise due to its historical storytelling in its singleplayer.”
- “The story modes are the Polish Commonwealth, Russia, and the Cossacks.”
- “Warning: you will need to rely heavily on guides for quest/story/achievement completion as decade-old bugs remain since the game's release.”
- “Most quests are either fetch-and-retrieve or copy-pasted with no real storyline to be followed, and if you attempt to follow the storylines available in the game, you will often find them bugged and impossible to complete.”
- “The story is a bit dull, quests are boring and repetitive.”
gameplay
462 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
62%
9%
The gameplay of "Mount & Blade: With Fire & Sword" retains the core mechanics of its predecessor, "Warband," while introducing new elements such as firearms and a larger campaign map, which some players find engaging and immersive. However, many reviews highlight issues with clunky mechanics, bugs, and a lack of innovation, leading to a mixed reception where the gameplay is seen as both addictive and frustrating. Overall, while it offers a rich RPG experience with significant replayability, it struggles with balance and polish compared to "Warband."
- “The gameplay is immersive, engaging, and offers large replayability (for instance, you could play each faction so there are five plays alone. I am not even a quarter through my first campaign at 50 hours).”
- “With its unique blend of historical accuracy and open-ended gameplay, this game invites you to carve your own path to glory in a fascinating era.”
- “The gameplay is solid, the battles intense, and the changes made to combat set it apart just enough from the other Mount & Blade titles to feel unique.”
- “Some of the gameplay in Mount & Blade, Mount & Blade Warband, Mount & Blade: With Fire & Sword is really clunky at times. You can get crashes to desktop, there are annoying mechanics like getting hit by a random musket from 200 yards and the battle is over, getting stuck in your units at the start of a battle and unable to move.”
- “The gameplay is ruined for me by the fact that for whatever reason, I can't recruit troops from villages. I'm not sure if this is a glitch or a gameplay mechanic, but it ruins the flow of the game because it makes getting high-tiered troops impossible.”
- “The sad part is that it's not the inclusion of the firearms, but rather their mechanics. The overall gameplay, however, isn't as good as Warband's.”
graphics
254 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
61%
22%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated, with many reviewers noting that they do not meet modern standards and can be reminiscent of older titles. Despite the poor visual quality, players often emphasize that the engaging gameplay and immersive story compensate for the graphical shortcomings, allowing them to overlook the visuals while enjoying the overall experience. Some users also mention minor graphical glitches and issues, but these do not significantly detract from the enjoyment of the game.
- “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.”
- “Graphics are greatly improved, the combat is greatly improved, the soundtrack is amazing and the atmosphere is electric.”
- “Fantastic game, don't let the out of date graphics fool you; this is a game of tactical battles and party management.”
- “The graphics are poor, gameplay a little unbalanced, the AI is underdeveloped, and various bugs sprinkled throughout the entire experience make the overall experience lacking in quite a few areas.”
- “Outdated graphics (at least 20 years old) and very dated game mechanics.”
- “The graphics went crazy during battles and the buttons were somewhat different causing me to surrender instead of fighting.”
stability
148 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
1%
97%
The game is widely criticized for its instability, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players have experienced issues such as freezing, quest failures, and graphical anomalies, leading to frustration and, in some cases, abandonment of the game. While some find charm in its imperfections, the overall consensus is that the game's stability is a major drawback, making it difficult to recommend.
- “This game is far too buggy to play properly. I have wasted so many hours trying to fix bugs that break the game, so I've finally given up on this game and uninstalled it.”
- “I don't recommend this video game because it is riddled with bugs and glitches, and for the most part, the quests are almost impossible to complete.”
- “The game is rough around all edges, is buggy as hell, and can get tedious.”
music
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
66%
9%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its ability to evoke the historical setting and enhance the atmosphere, while others criticize the lack of nostalgia due to the removal of older tracks. Many players appreciate the new compositions and the overall quality of the soundtrack, although some find it repetitive or lacking in excitement. Overall, the music contributes positively to the gaming experience, but opinions vary on its execution and impact.
- “A great soundtrack.”
- “Graphics are greatly improved, the combat is greatly improved, the soundtrack is amazing and the atmosphere is electric.”
- “You should definitely try this game which provides peace to our hearts with its unique music that we can adventure into the Middle Ages.”
- “Solid modification for the warband, compared to some older physical version of it, that I got back in the days. It adds some new stuff (new equipment and some improvements), though I noticed so far all the music from that older version is gone and it took away that nostalgic charm.”
- “A lot of music from Warband is reused, which I don't like.”
- “But I found the soundtrack a little dull and I think some of the weapons and armor are oddly priced.”
grinding
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
95%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely noted as tedious and time-consuming, particularly in the early stages where players must engage in repetitive tasks to gain renown and experience. While some players appreciate the grind as a casual pastime, many find it excessively demanding, requiring hundreds of hours to complete the story or achieve 100%. Overall, the grinding can detract from the enjoyment, especially given the game's lackluster storyline and buggy mechanics.
- “Ok, so the beginning is rather slow and you need to sweat a lot, enduring this really tedious process in order to complete quests and fights with bandits, just so you can save enough renown points to join a faction.”
- “Alas, completing the game's story or doing 100% of all the achievements here requires lots of grinding, hundreds of hours of free time or cheats.”
- “Campaign gameplay in 'With Fire and Sword' mainly boils down to running away from bandits and endlessly playing errand boy to local lords, and is both needlessly difficult and extremely tedious.”
humor
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
93%
7%
The humor in the game is frequently highlighted, with players finding amusement in the quirky AI behaviors, absurd quest mechanics, and unexpected outcomes during battles. Many reviewers enjoy the comedic elements of the gameplay, such as the ridiculousness of certain tasks and the hilarity of using grenades in unconventional ways. Overall, the game is described as entertainingly funny, contributing to a lighthearted gaming experience despite its slow-paced nature.
- “Being a grenadier is hilarious; I spent a lot of time charging behind the enemy army to the spawn location and throwing grenades at opportune times. It almost feels like cheating.”
- “Funny stuff happens when you kill a guy off a castle wall into a pond. XD”
- “Interesting and funny wars.”
- “Avoid garden quests for hunting down garden thieves - when you're supposed to look for them in the villages, mother gardens are standing in the bushes or beside rocks. Simple tasks take then a few times more than they should in an unfunny way because sometimes they are literally on the edge of the maps.”
replayability
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
42%
12%
The game boasts high replayability due to its rich historical context, diverse factions, and numerous quests, allowing players to experience different perspectives and strategies. Many reviewers highlight the immersive gameplay and extensive content, suggesting that players can enjoy countless hours of varied gameplay without it becoming repetitive. Overall, it is regarded as a must-buy for fans of the genre, offering significant replay value and longevity.
- “This historical richness not only provides a captivating backdrop but also enhances the game’s replayability, as players explore the various perspectives and challenges each faction offers.”
- “There's lots of quests, lots of cities and towns, lots of different methods to take in order to secure victory, the replay value is very much present, and as many battles as I take part in, it never seems to get old.”
- “All in all a fantastic game with a long life span and high replay value.”
- “There's lots of quests, lots of cities and towns, lots of different methods to take in order to secure victory; the replay value is very much present, and as many battles as I take part in, it never seems to get old.”
- “With a new setting and multiple challenging main storyline campaigns, WFAS provides numerous hours of gameplay and replay value.”
- “For those who enjoy the Mount & Blade series, this is a must-buy as it adds new challenges and plenty of replay value with the addition of main stories for certain factions.”
optimization
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
59%
27%
The optimization of "Mount & Blade: With Fire and Sword" has received largely negative feedback, with players reporting significant performance issues, including lag and stuttering, regardless of settings adjustments. While some users noted that the game can run smoothly on capable systems, many others experienced crashes and bugs that detracted from the overall experience, leading to recommendations to stick with "Warband" for a more stable gameplay experience.
- “M&B: With Fire and Sword (WFAS for short) is a great game in matters such as historical scenarios, faction balance, and smooth running in terms of performance.”
- “This game runs smoothly with nothing bad happening, though it might crash rarely, but it's no problem if you save your game from time to time.”
- “In terms of the engine, WFAS and Warband are essentially identical, so expect smooth performance on any remotely reasonable gaming computer even at maximum settings.”
- “Horridly un-optimized causing lag no matter how to change the settings.”
- “With Fire and Sword has an interesting concept; however, due to bad optimization, bugged quests, and randomly denying parts of the game, I can't recommend it. If you want the M&B create your own adventure experience, just stick with Warband.”
- “I wanted to play more to see if it got better later on, but the performance of this game is terrible.”
atmosphere
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
41%
14%
The game's atmosphere is a standout feature, often described as electric and immersive, particularly during sieges, despite some criticisms regarding its polish and graphics. While some players find the overall aesthetic too shiny or reminiscent of a mod, others appreciate the nostalgic feel and the vibrant setting, especially for fans of the time period. Overall, the atmosphere is deemed essential to the experience, making it a must-try for those who enjoy the game's historical context.
- “Especially sieges have perfect atmosphere.”
- “Graphics are greatly improved, the combat is greatly improved, the soundtrack is amazing and the atmosphere is electric.”
- “Awesome atmosphere, must buy if you like the setting!”
- “The atmosphere of the game is very weird; everything is too shiny, and it feels like a bad mod that has been installed onto Mount and Blade.”
- “Aside from the experience points problem and the stacked cards against you in the gun-crazed Eastern European atmosphere, the balance for the game feels a bit off, and nothing is as 'pretty' here as Warband.”
- “The map is more alive, but I find that it has far less atmosphere.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some players feeling deeply immersed in the character and historical context, while others express disappointment and frustration with gameplay mechanics and character interactions. Many compare it unfavorably to its predecessor, "Warband," citing a lack of emotional impact and overall enjoyment, leading to feelings of disillusionment. Overall, the emotional engagement varies significantly among players, with some finding it compelling and others feeling let down.
- “It made me feel very immersed in my character and the history of the time.”
- “My first feeling from Warband was awesome... this made me cry.”
- “I will try this game more, because the stupidness should be lowered with the number of soldiers raising.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of the game is widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many users feeling it lacks originality and quality, comparing it unfavorably to a poorly executed mod of Warband.
- “Clearly a cash grab 'game' that's just a bad Warband mod.”
- “As much as I love Warband, this is just a shameless cash grab.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The reviews highlight a notable emphasis on strong character development, indicating that characters are well-crafted and undergo significant growth throughout the game. This depth adds to the overall narrative experience, making players more invested in the characters' journeys.
- “The character development in this game is incredibly strong, making each character feel unique and relatable.”
- “I was impressed by the depth of character development; it really enhances the overall storytelling experience.”
- “The strong character development allows players to form emotional connections with the characters, making the journey more impactful.”