MOUNT AND BLADE.
It’s hard to describe it really. It’s not your run of the mill RPG. It’s not a strategy game either. I would call it Skirmish Simulation? It does little credit to a game so immersive and addictive.
I will describe a scene I just played a few minutes ago.
-this is not a flavor text. It’s the actual description of what happened in the game-
My 35 strong party of mounted knights is challenged to a fight with an army of Dark Knights. I am standing on the top of the snowy hill (on my horse) weilding a great sword of war and a Longbow. It’s a bit foggy so I cannot see very far. I tell my men to hold this position on the top of the hill and wait for the enemy charge.
I have spend so much time building my army and I really don’t want to lose it. So I wait there feeling butterflies in my stomach.
Then beyond the fog I hear the galloping of a hundred horses getting louder and louder. Out of the haze appear the Dark Knights. The whole valley floods with them. I feel the urge to flee. I find my self muttering: “its too many of them!” Suddenly my bow and my arrows feel so useless.
The Dark Knights are in range. I fire an arrow really high up and hit a knight on the shield. Damn what is this I am feeling? I am scared. I am scared! This is a damn game and I am scared! I get off my horse…
I draw another arrow and aim at a rider. I wait for him to gallop close until he lowers his shield to hit me. I can see him looking at me behind his shield. He holds his lance ready to impale me. “Fly my arrow and fly true!”
It hits him right between the eyes and a spray of blood stains my armor as the enemy rider falls from his horse, his foot still caught on the saddle and gets dragged across the snow.
I draw my blade just in time and yell Charge! (Press the Charge button) when the rest of the knights fall on us. Metal on flesh. The horses neigh and rear while the riders exchange deadly blows. Blood and screams! I run into the melee like a maniac. I swing left and right letting curses out everytime I plunge my blade into an enemy skull! It feels so good. It feels so real! I am such a nerd!
An enemy horse charges on me and I fall on the ground. In the edge of my view I see a dismounted dark knight raising wis sword over his head to finish me.
I block his attack just in time even before I stand and swiftly plunge my blade hilt deep into his torso. He dies gurgling blood. On me!
I turn around quickly as another rider charges on me. I side step fast while I prepare a mighty swing. He misses and I strike the horses side as it passes.
The horse dies and tumbles on the ground with the rider. I run over and raise my sword over my head! He holds his shield up, I swear I can see terror on his eyes. My sword falls on his shield and shatters it. He stands there unable to defend him self while I thrust my sword into his collar! By blade is red!
I turn around and see my a part of my army cornered. It’s time to use that damn bow. I fire almost half a quiver! Damn Dark Knights are wearing some serious armor. I have to fire as many headshots as I can. About ten of them fall dead. But there are fifty more to deal with. I run over to my horse and charge into the battle swinging and thrusting on men and horses alike.
Some minutes afterwards I am still alive. Half of my army is still alive too and they are chasing the rest of the Dark knights. I am physically tired. My fingers hurt. I breath heavily and I am kind of sweaty…
It’s over.
We won. We killed a hundred dark knights. One by one.
And this… my friend is exactly how it happened!
Now… This game is only 35 megs and it is developed by a team of 2 people! It’s free to download (trial version) and it only costs around 10 bucks to unlock. It has a few bugs but then again…it is still under development.
I have played many games in my life. Many expensive games. Proffesional Games. No game has ever conveyed such intensity to the player before!
http://www.taleworlds.com/
Just try it for free. Unfortunately the trial version allows you to play up to the sixth level. Which is not much but you will get the idea. But once you unlock it you will discover what a good game is all about! Mount and Blade is for the rpg genre, what Operation Flashpoint is for the Shooter genre.
It is really that good!
I seriously cannot stop playing. If you have any questions you can try the mount and blade forums or ask me. I have been playing for a few months now and I pretty much know all you need to start.
Note: The graphics are full 3d and look really sweet but don’t expect any Quake 4 eye candy. And most of all. the game is really HARD. I CANNOT STRESS THAT ENOUGH. During the first few levels you will be as effective as a mouse in a cage of lions. But stick with it! If you play it enough you will see it. The gaming perfection is there.
I cannot possibly imagine the finished version. I game that good in its Beta version can serioulsy kick some ass. I am in love…
