With all the AAA titles coming out of E3 this year, many gamers may not have noticed the smaller, but no less interesting, indie titles being announced this year. One such title is Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, a medieval action RPG developed by TaleWorlds Entertainment, and a prequel to the 2010 game Mount & Blade: Warband. While the game was originally announced back in 2012, it kept getting delayed as the developers strove to improve the graphics and gameplay features. After the release of some gameplay footage at this year’s E3, it looks like the game might finally be ready for release.
Despite the low-budget nature of the original Mount & Blade game, it has a very strong following, with fans praising its combat mechanics and skill system. A large number of mods have also been developed for the game, including one that lets players fight in the world of Game of Thrones.
According to an article from COGconnected, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is an epic action game filled with grand battles, horseback combat, and sword fighting. The game won’t have a very strong focus on story, though, as the developers have instead opted to let the player decide which path to take and which faction to fight for. The game also got rid of the steep learning curve that plagued the original entry, with the first objectives designed to introduce beginning players to various game mechanics.
During the epic battles, players can command their troops to attack the opposing army, giving Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord a strategy or tactical RPG vibe. The goal of these battle is to kill the opposing army’s generals. As great as fighting enemies yourself is, the gameplay seems to encourage players to focus on commanding their troops instead. In fact, even if you die, you can still win the match if your troops complete their objective.
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord does not yet have an official release date, but it is rumored to release either in 2017 or early 2018. It will initially launch on PC, but the developers have talked about bringing the game to consoles.