Mount&Blade
Encyclopedia
Mount&Blade is a medieval, single-player, open-ended, action role-playing
video game for Windows
, developed by the Turkish company TaleWorlds
, and published by Paradox Interactive
. Its retail version was released on September 16, 2008, in North America, and three days later in Europe. The game originated as an independent project of Armağan Yavuz, founder of TaleWorlds, and his wife, İpek Yavuz. Prior to its retail release, beta versions of the game were published on the developer's website. The game was made available on Steam on November 3, 2008.
Mount&Blade is an action-oriented role-playing game with emphasis on mounted combat. Unlike most other titles of the genre, the game contains no fantasy elements. It does not restrict the player to a certain storyline, but instead presents a sandbox medieval realm named Calradia, in which the player is given the ability to either join one of the five available battling factions, assume the role of an outlaw, or take a neutral side.
Reception on Mount&Blade has been overall positive. Reviewers praised the game for its innovative combat mechanics, complex character skill system, and large modding
community, but also criticized it for its repetitive quests, dialogues, and locations, as well as low graphics quality. A sequel, Mount&Blade: Warband, was released in March 2010, and a spin-off, Mount&Blade: With Fire & Sword
, based on the historical novel With Fire and Sword
, was released in May 2011.
According to Armağan Yavuz, the game's inspirations include Sid Meier's Pirates!
, The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
, Frontier: Elite II, and older Koei strategy titles such as Genghis Khan
, as well as historical fiction novels, particularly those by Bernard Cornwell
.
At the start of the game, the player is offered a set of options to customize the character. The player selects the desired gender and facial features using a system similar to those in The Sims 2
or The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
, then answers a series of multiple-choice questions about the character's past, which generate the character's initial attributes.
Traveling to other locations, or interacting with other parties is done by point-and-click
ing the desired destination. Upon encountering enemy parties, the player can try to avoid a conflict, or can engage in a battle with them. In Mount&Blade each battle is attributed a renown value, according to the number and power of the members of each party. The player then gains the renown if he wins the battle. With increased renown, the player achieves higher standing in the game and may be offered vassalage by the leaders of one of the five factions. By becoming a vassal, the player is given control over a certain fief, which he or she can manage and collect taxes from. By solving quests or defeating opponents the player is awarded experience point
s, which can be used to improve attributes, skills, and weapon proficiencies to further develop the character. Weapon proficiencies can also be improved over time by inflicting damage on other opponents.
Damage is dealt depending on multiple factors. Aside from each weapon's quality, its effectiveness is also influenced by the character's skill with that type of weapon, and the speed of the player relative to the target: for example, a javelin thrown while running or riding a horse will be potentially more damaging than a javelin thrown while standing still. Further, weapons have certain ranges where they are minimally and maximally effective, which gives the different weapon types different playing styles. A spear, for instance, will do minimal damage when used on an enemy very close to the player, where a hammer could cause maximum damage.
and 73% from Game Rankings
. Reviewers acknowledged the game's potential, but also said it suffers from poor production values. GameSpot
concluded that the game "feels more underdeveloped than it does flat-out bad", and Eurogamer
made a similar review, saying that Mount&Blade has "foundations [...] for something really quite special, but in its current state the game is nowhere close to delivering on its promises". The game also received more positive reviews, IGN
saying that it may be "the best game about medieval life ever made", while PC Advisor
called it "the first, great medieval role-playing game".
Combat has been one of the game's most widely appreciated elements. Critics like Eurogamer, GameSpot, IGN and PC Advisor praised it, describing it as one of the best implementations of medieval combat ever created. Not all reviewers agreed on the quality of the combat system; PC Zone
criticized it, claiming that melee combat feels random in its effectiveness on both foot and horseback. The complexity and thoroughness of the character skill system was also well received.
Mount&Blade has received negative reception from critics for its repetitive quests, dialogs, and locations, as well as poor graphics quality. Eurogamer said the graphics engine "does little to entice you deep enough", and GameSpot said that conversations with NPCs
feel more like "consulting a travel guidebook for Calradia than actually speaking to a human being".
The fandom has received positive attention from both developers and critics. During an interview, TaleWorlds declared itself to be "most proud" of its community, considering that "Mount&Blade has arguably some of the best mods developed for a computer game". Reviewers such as GamePro
and Game Industry News also admired the number of mods made available for the beta versions even before the game's official retail release.
CD Projekt
has released a spin-off called Mount&Blade: With Fire & Sword, based on the historical novel With Fire and Sword
(Polish: Ogniem i Mieczem) by Henryk Sienkiewicz
, developed by Snowberry Connection, Sich Studio, and TaleWorlds Entertainment. The game is set in Eastern Europe, and includes the playable factions Poland–Lithuania
, Cossack Hetmanate
, Russia
, Sweden
and the Crimean Khanate
. The game was released on May 3, 2011
Action role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
video game for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, developed by the Turkish company TaleWorlds
TaleWorlds
TaleWorlds Entertainment is an independent game development company located in Ankara, Turkey. TaleWorlds is an official brand of İkisoft Software Company. They have been developing PC games under the brand "TaleWorlds Entertainment" since 2005...
, and published by Paradox Interactive
Paradox Interactive
-External links:*...
. Its retail version was released on September 16, 2008, in North America, and three days later in Europe. The game originated as an independent project of Armağan Yavuz, founder of TaleWorlds, and his wife, İpek Yavuz. Prior to its retail release, beta versions of the game were published on the developer's website. The game was made available on Steam on November 3, 2008.
Mount&Blade is an action-oriented role-playing game with emphasis on mounted combat. Unlike most other titles of the genre, the game contains no fantasy elements. It does not restrict the player to a certain storyline, but instead presents a sandbox medieval realm named Calradia, in which the player is given the ability to either join one of the five available battling factions, assume the role of an outlaw, or take a neutral side.
Reception on Mount&Blade has been overall positive. Reviewers praised the game for its innovative combat mechanics, complex character skill system, and large modding
Mod (computer gaming)
Mod or modification is a term generally applied to personal computer games , especially first-person shooters, role-playing games and real-time strategy games. Mods are made by the general public or a developer, and can be entirely new games in themselves, but mods are not standalone software and...
community, but also criticized it for its repetitive quests, dialogues, and locations, as well as low graphics quality. A sequel, Mount&Blade: Warband, was released in March 2010, and a spin-off, Mount&Blade: With Fire & Sword
Mount&Blade: With Fire & Sword
Mount&Blade: With Fire & Sword is a stand-alone expansion for the action role-playing video game Mount&Blade. The game is developed by Sich Studio and TaleWorlds and was published by Paradox Interactive in Europe. The game and its storyline is based on the novel Black Mace by Alex Trubnikov...
, based on the historical novel With Fire and Sword
With Fire and Sword
With Fire and Sword is a historical novel by the Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz, published in 1884. It is the first volume of a series known to Poles as the Trilogy, followed by The Deluge and Fire in the Steppe , also translated as Colonel Wolodyjowski...
, was released in May 2011.
Gameplay
Mount&Blade is a single-player, action-oriented role-playing game without any fantasy elements, which takes place in a medieval land named Calradia. The game features a sandbox gameplay style, in which there is no storyline present. The player is able to join one of the five battling factions, fight as a mercenary, assume the role of an outlaw, or take a neutral side.Sid Meier's Pirates!
Sid Meier's Pirates! is a video game created by Sid Meier and published and developed by MicroProse in 1987. It was the first game to include the name "Sid Meier" in its title as an effort by MicroProse to attract fans of Meier's earlier games, most of which were flight simulators...
, The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall is a first-person, traditional role-playing video game for MS-DOS developed by Bethesda Softworks and released in 1996. It is a sequel to the RPG The Elder Scrolls: Arena and the second installment in The Elder Scrolls series. On July 9, 2009, it was made available...
, Frontier: Elite II, and older Koei strategy titles such as Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan (video game)
Genghis Khan, named in Japan, is a NES, Amiga, DOS and MSX turn-based strategy game developed by Koei.-Plot:The game takes the player inside the virtual life of either Genghis Khan or one of his archrivals. The player must arrange marriages, father children, appoint family members to governmental...
, as well as historical fiction novels, particularly those by Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell OBE is an English author of historical novels. He is best known for his novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe which were adapted into a series of Sharpe television films.-Biography:...
.
At the start of the game, the player is offered a set of options to customize the character. The player selects the desired gender and facial features using a system similar to those in The Sims 2
The Sims 2
The Sims 2 is a strategic life simulation computer game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to the best-selling computer game, The Sims, which debuted on February 4, 2000. It was first released on September 14, 2004 for Microsoft Windows. A port to Apple Mac OS X...
or The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a single-player action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks and the Take-Two Interactive subsidiary 2K Games...
, then answers a series of multiple-choice questions about the character's past, which generate the character's initial attributes.
Traveling to other locations, or interacting with other parties is done by point-and-click
Point-and-click
Point-and-click is the action of a computer user moving a cursor to a certain location on a screen and then pressing a mouse button, usually the left button , or other pointing device...
ing the desired destination. Upon encountering enemy parties, the player can try to avoid a conflict, or can engage in a battle with them. In Mount&Blade each battle is attributed a renown value, according to the number and power of the members of each party. The player then gains the renown if he wins the battle. With increased renown, the player achieves higher standing in the game and may be offered vassalage by the leaders of one of the five factions. By becoming a vassal, the player is given control over a certain fief, which he or she can manage and collect taxes from. By solving quests or defeating opponents the player is awarded experience point
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
s, which can be used to improve attributes, skills, and weapon proficiencies to further develop the character. Weapon proficiencies can also be improved over time by inflicting damage on other opponents.
Combat
There are four main areas where battles take place: on the open map when two or more hostile parties meet, in tournaments organized in town arenas, in siege combat where the player is either defending or attacking a fortification, or in settlements after a triggering event (village is infested by bandits, guards catch the player sneaking in, or the player is ambushed). The number of soldiers each party can hold is limited by the "leadership" skill and the renown of the leader. Participants in a battle can be either mounted or on foot. The player has to indicate the direction in which he wants to swing by moving the mouse accordingly. Aiming with a ranged weapon is also done by using the mouse.Damage is dealt depending on multiple factors. Aside from each weapon's quality, its effectiveness is also influenced by the character's skill with that type of weapon, and the speed of the player relative to the target: for example, a javelin thrown while running or riding a horse will be potentially more damaging than a javelin thrown while standing still. Further, weapons have certain ranges where they are minimally and maximally effective, which gives the different weapon types different playing styles. A spear, for instance, will do minimal damage when used on an enemy very close to the player, where a hammer could cause maximum damage.
Reception
Reception on Mount&Blade has been generally positive; the game was awarded an aggregated score of 72/100 from MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
and 73% from Game Rankings
Game Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
. Reviewers acknowledged the game's potential, but also said it suffers from poor production values. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
concluded that the game "feels more underdeveloped than it does flat-out bad", and Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
made a similar review, saying that Mount&Blade has "foundations [...] for something really quite special, but in its current state the game is nowhere close to delivering on its promises". The game also received more positive reviews, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
saying that it may be "the best game about medieval life ever made", while PC Advisor
PC World (magazine)
PC World is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal-technology products and services...
called it "the first, great medieval role-playing game".
PC Zone
PC Zone was the first magazine dedicated to games for IBM-compatible personal computers to be published in the United Kingdom. Earlier PC magazines such as PC Leisure, PC Format and PC Plus had covered games but only as part of a wider remit. PC Zone was founded in 1993.The magazine was published...
criticized it, claiming that melee combat feels random in its effectiveness on both foot and horseback. The complexity and thoroughness of the character skill system was also well received.
Mount&Blade has received negative reception from critics for its repetitive quests, dialogs, and locations, as well as poor graphics quality. Eurogamer said the graphics engine "does little to entice you deep enough", and GameSpot said that conversations with NPCs
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
feel more like "consulting a travel guidebook for Calradia than actually speaking to a human being".
The fandom has received positive attention from both developers and critics. During an interview, TaleWorlds declared itself to be "most proud" of its community, considering that "Mount&Blade has arguably some of the best mods developed for a computer game". Reviewers such as GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
and Game Industry News also admired the number of mods made available for the beta versions even before the game's official retail release.
Sequels and spin-offs
Paradox has produced a sequel for the game, called Mount&Blade: Warband, which includes multiplayer support as well as improved diplomacy, graphics and artificial intelligence. Warband also includes an updated map, and a sixth faction. The expansion was originally set to be released Q3 2009, but was delayed until March 2010. Closed beta testing began on August 2009, and became open in February 2010, before the sequel's release on March 30, 2010.CD Projekt
CD Projekt
CD Projekt is a Polish video game publisher. The company was founded in May 1994 by Marcin Iwiński and Michał Kiciński. From the beginning their goal was to publish software in the Polish market on compact discs...
has released a spin-off called Mount&Blade: With Fire & Sword, based on the historical novel With Fire and Sword
With Fire and Sword
With Fire and Sword is a historical novel by the Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz, published in 1884. It is the first volume of a series known to Poles as the Trilogy, followed by The Deluge and Fire in the Steppe , also translated as Colonel Wolodyjowski...
(Polish: Ogniem i Mieczem) by Henryk Sienkiewicz
Henryk Sienkiewicz
Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz was a Polish journalist and Nobel Prize-winning novelist. A Polish szlachcic of the Oszyk coat of arms, he was one of the most popular Polish writers at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1905 for his...
, developed by Snowberry Connection, Sich Studio, and TaleWorlds Entertainment. The game is set in Eastern Europe, and includes the playable factions Poland–Lithuania
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
, Cossack Hetmanate
Cossack Hetmanate
The Hetmanate or Zaporizhian Host was the Ruthenian Cossack state in the Central Ukraine between 1649 and 1782.The Hetmanate was founded by first Ukrainian hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky during the Khmelnytsky Uprising . In 1654 it pledged its allegiance to Muscovy during the Council of Pereyaslav,...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and the Crimean Khanate
Crimean Khanate
Crimean Khanate, or Khanate of Crimea , was a state ruled by Crimean Tatars from 1441 to 1783. Its native name was . Its khans were the patrilineal descendants of Toqa Temür, the thirteenth son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan...
. The game was released on May 3, 2011
External links
- Official page on Paradox InteractiveParadox Interactive-External links:*...
's website - TaleWorlds official website
- TaleWorlds official forum
- Mount and Blade Character Creation / Builds Strategy Guide
- Mount&Blade Wiki
- Mount&Blade Community Modding Wiki
- Mount&Blade's Module System Command Database