Mount & Blade - Open Ended, Single Player, RPG

[Jon]

YouTube - Mount & Blade Trailer

Just got an email from Amazon recommending this game because of Diablo II and PC RPGs. Never heard of it before now, but it looks a lot like Morrowind/Oblivion and such.

Mount&Blade is a 3D, open-ended, single-player, third- or first-person computer role-playing game in its final beta stage of development (currently at version .960), created and distributed by TaleWorlds, an independent developer started by a Turkish husband-and-wife team.[1][2] Mount&Blade has a medieval setting, without any fantasy elements. Mount&Blade is notable for its emphasis on realistic cavalry combat, which was common in the era, but is largely absent in most RPG titles.



Face generation.

The gameplay is open, similar to games such as Elite or Darklands. The game currently has a skeleton plot and the player is free to do as he wishes. While combat is the main draw of the game, it is for the most part optional.

Characters can make money and gain experience by trading goods between towns. The game features a basic dynamic economy based on supply and demand.

The player's party can be formed by recruiting unique non-player characters (NPC), known as a hero or companion, or more generic soldiers. The player can increase his maximum party size by either investing in certain skills, or earning renown by winning battles.

The player can develop the skills of his character and companions over the course of the game. Certain skills affect the party as a whole, so companions can be used to complement the skills of the player character. Skills can be improved by gaining levels or reading and holding books.

As of version .890, recruits can be hired from friendly villages. The player can also own a fief, a faction-related village given to the player by the faction leader. Mercenaries can also be obtained at a tavern, and prisoners can be rescued from enemy parties. Prisoners that the player character captures during battle can also be forced to join the player's party, though they will often desert the player. As these generic soldiers fight, they will gain experience and can be upgraded into stronger, more specialized soldiers. Soldiers will often have multiple upgrade paths.

The player can siege enemy castles, towns, and villages. If the player wins the siege, his faction takes control of the territory. Occasionally, the faction leader will reward a captured territory to the player. In the recent version .950 the player also has the option of declaring seccesion from his liege and owning an independent state. This option comes after being refused control of a fief that the player captured.

As of version .950, every kingdom also has a rival claimant to the throne. Should the player choose to back this claimant, then a civil war occurs between the rebels of that faction and the loyalists of that faction. The tournament system has been revised, the graphics overhauled, and the game rebalanced.

No multi-player option exists, nor is one planned.



A siege in progress. A nearby siege tower can be seen.

Read more at Wikipedia

Mount & Blade on Amazon



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[rottenpuppets]

It doesn't look bad I just wish if it was going to be more SP style to at least have a coop mode with 1 other person. It's fun to tandem a game with a friend causing carnage along the way.

MP would be fun with that style of mounted combat tho maybe they'll sell that mount tech to one of the bigger mmo companies.

[Jon]

I definitely agree with you on the coop. My gf and I play a lot of coop games together (Halo, Samurai Warriors, WoW), but it's hard to find really good new coop games.

[rottenpuppets]

Someone needs to make a spoof called Coop Carnage.Where you fight Coop mode in a Co-op Apartment complex. Make it artistic with the blood splattering on your screen and dripping down. I'd be all for it!

[ThisIsATest]

coop carnage with coop mode in a co-op apartment complex? How about a little more coop huh? Just kidding, I enjoy coop games that are done right (Halo, Dynasty Warriors, the old Gauntlet Legends, etc.)

[rottenpuppets]

Do not forget the original coop games like contra, double dragon, gauntlet!!!!