This extra prudence can be something of a killjoy at times, especially for those who loved the freewheeling cavalry rushes you could launch into with little fear in Warband.Īt the same time, this great danger adds more tension to battles, along with a tactical layer that makes you think before using those spurs. Now, you have to be more cautious before embarking on such assaults because most packs of foes tend to have a rifle-toting goon or three in the ranks who can turn out your lights with a single shot. Before, you could mount a horse and make half-crazed charges into enemy mobs, slashing and sticking the bad guys at will. In addition to the standard swords, warhammers, and bows, you can now cut to the chase and whip out pistols, muskets, and even grenades. Going to your tried-and-true sword is still the best option for many situations.Ī big part of this grimmer atmosphere has to do with the presence of firearms. But it would have been nice to have that lesson taught in more involved ways than smashing some drunk's teeth in over and over again. Sure, life was pretty rough and hardscrabble in the 1600s. This extracurricular activity is fitting given how this grittier world has been stripped down to the basics of survival, although such one-note scrapping gets dull after a few bouts. Just about all you can do here for recreation is hit up taverns for bare-knuckled brawls, John L. Whereas before, you could take a break from the more story-oriented quests and go off to try to win a noble's daughter or get into a tournament either on foot or atop your horse, now, you're generally stuck working for the man. This greater concentration comes at the cost of some of the sandbox feel that is a hallmark of the franchise.
Generally, though, you just need to buy in the south and sell in the north, so you can make a fortune without too much trial and error. Grabbing that cash with both hands and making a stash is a snap because you can clear tens of thousands of the in-game thaler currency in just a single trip as long as you find the right place to market your furs, velvet, and so on. You can now establish highly profitable caravans (also defensible by moving them into wagon forts for those times you're attacked by highwaymen) and stick money in banks to earn big interest. Some adjustments have also been made to financial matters. This lets you get right to the point and build a mercenary career posthaste. Now, instead of wandering in a totally freeform style, you can head to the nearest hamlet or town on the main map and accept faction-specific jobs right away to deal with taxes, keep the peace between feuding lords, and so forth. The plot is easier to grasp, however the focus is on five familiar historical factions.
So most of the gameplay and interactions are similar if not identical to those found in the previous games. The game uses the same dated graphics engine of its two forebears, which means you're still stuck with chunky player models, a travel map that looks more like the greens at the local mini-putt than topography, and an awkward, text-heavy interface. The only real difference is that you're now dealing with the likes of Poles and Muscovites instead of the inhabitants of the fictional Calradia. As with the first two Mount & Blade games, you play as a mercenary wandering the land, looking for fame, fortune, and some people to trample under the hooves of your fine Arab charger. But don't worry if you've never heard of that you don't need a history degree to understand what's going on here. Some of the plot and characters are based on historical events and people in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during the Khmelnytsky Uprising. In contrast to the original Mount & Blade from 2009 and its 2010 follow-up Warband, the new game shifts the focus to Eastern Europe in the 17th century. But they take forever to load, so when you find yourself in a situation like this, you had better not miss.Ī realistic campaign setting is the most immediately noticeable twist in With Fire and Sword. Muskets can be very useful in With Fire and Sword. When you toss in a new historical setting and a more orderly campaign with structured missions that play out similarly to those in traditional role-playing games, you have a sharp sequel that will hook you for many, many hours.
This sequel from developer TaleWorlds adds guns to the cavalry charges and other derring-do to this growing franchise, altering the landscape just enough to provide series veterans with new challenges. The medieval world of Mount & Blade gets a little more modern in With Fire and Sword.