Here’s some great news for anyone out there that loves a historical strategy game: Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord has been released today (October 25). This strategic role-playing game was first released on Early Access back in 2020, but the full game has now arrived and is available to play on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. A launch trailer was released too, which you can watch below.
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is the prequel to Mount & Blade: Warband but it is more of a standalone expansion to the 2008 game Mount & Blade. Developed by the independent Turkish studio TaleWorlds Entertainment, this game aims to take everything you’ve become accustomed to in the previous games and build on it with a great story, superb mechanics, and gameplay, and with a huge boost to the aesthetics as well.
This latest installment is set on the fictional continent of Calradia, 210 years before the events in Mount & Blade: Warband during the decline of the Calradic Empire and the formation of the factions that you saw in previous games. You could say that the fall of the Calradic Empire is based on the fall of the Roman Empire, and it would make sense seeing as though the game uses events such as the Migration Period, the formation of the Middle Easter, North African, and European realms of the Middle Ages as a blueprint for in-game events. Not only that but the armor, weapons, and architecture that is seen in the game are inspired by the real world, more specifically between 600 and 1100 A.D.
The fundamental gameplay of this game is the same as the previous installments in the series. Players must build up fearsome groups of soldiers so they can perform a variety of quests that are logged on an overhead campaign map. Battles are usually played out on the battlefields, and this allows players to personally get involved in the combat alongside their bannermen. Due to this game coming sometime after the other entries, it means that there will be significant improvements to the gameplay too, which will be very welcomed.
The sieges in this game are supposed to be a lot more strategic than they were in Warband, with the player needing to construct several different siege engines and cleverly position them before the battle begins. This helps you target certain sections of the enemy forts that you will find yourself attempting to invade.
The game was announced back in 2012, with TaleWorlds Entertainment releasing a teaser trailer to get us all riled up. One of the most noticeable aspects that players will be aware of is the huge improvement to the graphics compared to its predecessor, with this game aiming to have a lot more detail and higher quality characters and scenery. And speaking of characters, the animations have been created using motion capture technology, with the facial animations also being significantly improved. It all sounds very impressive, and we can’t wait to play it.
