Mount and Blade is one of those games to which I owe my love for breathtaking RPGs in general, as it was the first role-playing experience that managed to completely pull me in and make me sink hundreds upon hundreds of hours into it.
Even 11 years after the release of the original, and 9 years after the stand-alone semi-expansion known as Warband hit store shelves, fans still can’t get enough of this occasionally janky, yet incredibly charming and addictive medieval experience. The story doesn’t end there!
The Warband modding community is one of the biggest active ones out there, with thousands of mods being made for it every year, ranging from minuscule tweaks to complete overhauls. The fun virtually never has to end! Upon receiving the news that a sequel has been announced, my excitement rose to an all-time high. Oh boy, more of the same, but with better graphics, polished gameplay, improved AI, and much much more.
The thing is, that happened way back in 2012 – more than 7 (SEVEN) years ago! Truth be told, the developers haven’t exactly been sitting on their hands, supplying us with more info whenever the opportunity arose. With the early access release being scheduled for March 2020, hope has been rekindled and the time seems fitting to take a look at everything we know about Bannerlord so far.
Bannerlord Trailers & Videos
The first official glimpse was released in September 2012 in the form of a 30-second teaser, after which a year-long silence ensued. That silence was broken in November 2013 when the industrious boys and gals from Taleworlds Entertainment blessed us with their very first developer blog, a trend of keeping fans up to date with their progress, which continued all throughout the development cycle.
In those blogs, the Turkish team talked in detail about the various aspects of the original that they were improving, as well as new features that were being implemented. The first real peek into Taleworlds’ kitchen came in 2015 when a 3-minute gameplay video was shown at Gamescom, composed of work-in-progress snippets featuring many of the game’s novelties.
Aside from the obligatory graphical improvements, the video displayed an all-new weapon crafting feature, as well as the ability to play board games, weather and seasons cycle, a replay editor and the implementation of usable siege weapons, which in Warband served as a mere cosmetic gimmick during sieges. ‘’Oh boy, this is really happening!’’ was the sentence that echoed inside fans’ minds.
A year later, fans at E3 were provided with an extended siege gameplay video from the player’s perspective. Though still a bit rough around the edges, the work in progress presented showed promise. The siege system has been drastically enhanced compared to the original, as it was arguably the game aspect that needed the most work. With over 500 units simultaneously present on the screen, upgraded tactics and AI, things were surely looking up.
The highlight of the demo was without a doubt the demonstration of siege weapons. The player is given the opportunity of aiming and shooting from the catapult, while allied forces make an effort to break down the gates using the battering ram. To even out the odds, the castle walls are further reinforced by large mounted crossbows whose bolts can decimate large groups of soldiers in an instant.
But that’s not all! Gamescom 2016 was used as an opportunity to demonstrate 30 minutes of proper campaign gameplay, featuring a slew of new additions to the game. The character creation tool has seen a massive revamp, boasting a wider array of editing options.
Additionally, it was revealed that the game will take place 210 years before its predecessor, which the world map reflects through changes in different location names and the introduction of eight new factions. Expanded menu options and more location info are welcome inclusions that make the UI much more convenient and accessible to newcomers.
All of these features combined further instilled faith in the hearts of fans that the sequel might overshadow the original by a significant margin.
The year 2017 was rich in Bannerlord trailers, videos, and weekly development diaries from the developer, along with an insight into new game mechanics, such as how field battles might look and play out. The core combat mechanics have remained identical but were significantly reinforced by clever AI and an impressive weapon and ragdoll physics.
Sword swings and arrow flights have a more natural feel to them and add to the overall immersion. Troops behave according to the flow of the battle, regrouping or retreating when casualties start rising and switching up their formations to give the player a slightly bigger challenge, forcing him to invest some time into mastering tactics. Oh, and there’s shield bashing too, so it’s GOTY material for sure.
Unfortunately, up to this point, the release date has been postponed numerous times, and fans simply gave up on the game, adopting a ‘’I’ll believe it when I see it’’ mentality, which resulted in Bannerlord trailers and gameplay footage garnering an underwhelming reception during 2018.
Not much has changed since 2016, including the graphics. What seemed jaw-dropping just a few years prior started looking quite average and unimpressive due to a significant advancement in gaming visuals. Still, not all hope is lost!
Talesworlds surprised us with implementing a nifty troop tree, complete with stats and potential upgrades listed under each troop type, which will surely make the army building process much less tedious. Aside from that, nothing much has changed, but then again – why fix something that isn’t broken? Fluid combat, a compact UI, improved AI… all that was left is the announcement of a release date. Bannerlord when?
Finally, in 2019 the prayers have been answered! Well, sort of. On August 20th, Talesworlds has scheduled the early access release date for March 2020, thereby giving us the closest thing to a full release date we’ve gotten so far, as well as a new trailer. Even with so much encouraging information, the question remains: will Bannerlord see the light of day anytime soon?
Bannerlord Release Date
In short: we have no idea. Talesworlds was never keen on providing us with the exact date, but rather giving us a rough estimate of when the game might be released from that certain point in time. Years have passed, during which the release dates have been rescheduled more times than one could count. Upon going through a myriad of articles discussing the game, sentences such as ‘’the game is expected to hit store shelves during 2016/17/18/19’’.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me more than 5 or 6 times, and you’re probably gonna have to reconsider your release date estimates, I always say. Jokes aside, the developers are very well aware of the self-implemented deadlines which they’ve numerously passed time and time again.
With open access coming in Spring of 2020, and a closed beta on the way, which leads us to believe that the legendary day is coming soon. How soon? I don’t know! Less talking, more raiding!
Bannerlord Setting & Factions
As briefly mentioned earlier, Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord serves as a prequel to the preceding game(s), taking place in approximately 210 years before the events of Warband, and in a much more different Calradia than the one we were introduced to more than a decade ago.
With inspiration taken from the Migration Period of the Early Middle Ages, corresponding to the fall of the Roman Empire, the developers will try to evoke a similar struggle for dominance on the war-torn continent of Calradia. The once-powerful Calradic empire has been weakened by constant invasions on all side, and the end seems nigh. The unyielding conflict causes doubts inside the Empire and threatens to turn into a three-way civil war.
Sooner than you could say ‘regicide’, the factions from inside the Empire turn on each other, thus creating a power vacuum of sorts, which isn’t an ideal turn of events considering the fact that neighboring factions can’t wait to get a piece of that delicious Calradic cake.
This time around, Calradia will be split into 8 different factions, each one based on their respective real-world counterpart: The Calradic Empire (Rome, Byzantium, or Greece) split into the Northern, Western and the Eastern Empire, The Aserai (Pre-Islamic Arabs), Battania (Celts), Sturgia (Early East Slavs), Vlandia (Normans), and the Khuzait Khanate (Mongols, Huns).
To top it all off, each faction will be internally divided into several clans and minor factions, which is a welcome touch that makes room for a bunch of options. Everything is game, so don’t be surprised should your faction start crumbling from the inside at the height of its power due to a betrayal by your own soldiers and generals. Tired of being at war with the Aserai?
Make a deal with the minor faction of Jawwal by helping them reach power via military coup, and sign a peace treaty afterward. Diplomacy, hell yeah! The increase in the number of factions will hopefully amend the issue of everyone ganging up on a single faction from the very beginning and tearing it from all sides (sending thoughts and prayers to the people of Swadia #weremember). So far, so good!
Bannerlord Gameplay
Fans of the original games will feel right at home, while also leaving room for newcomers to join in and craft the experience to their preferences. The level of freedom in campaign mode remains the same, if not even greater than before.
You are free to make your own path and choose how you will go about your journey, be it making the whole continent kneel at your boots, becoming the most notorious bandit in the whole of Calradia, becoming a medieval Jeff Bezos through business and trade via the improved economy system… there’s something for everyone!
Though the map size remains relatively unchanged, the number of settlements, factions, and possibilities has been increased, thus making the world feel slightly bigger in comparison. In Bannerlord you will be recruiting troops via NPCs called notables, who are stationed in villages and towns across the land.
Improving relations with notables with grant you access to better troops from the start, with each notable having their own favored troop types, which gives you more room to build your army to your desires and needs. Thankfully, AI lords will also have to recruit new troops through notables, which fixes the issue of lords magically regenerating their troop count.
Finally, gone are the days of chasing armies and imprisoning entire lordships in hopes of making the faction surrender (you can still do it if you want to, though). This also means that you will be competing with rival lords for fresh recruits. Get ‘em while they’re hot!
Making and maintaining good relations with villages, towns, and cities is still imperative to the survival of your empire. By completing quests given by the villages you’re sure to make locals (and notables) grow fond of you in the process, which in turn yields better tax efficiency and an increase in prosperity… or you can just raid them and make sweet cash in an instant. If the villages didn’t want to be pillaged, then why are they made of profit?
Sieges have seen a massive facelift in Bannerlord as well. Before engaging in an all-out assault on castle walls, you’re given the option of strategically placing siege engines before making an attempt to storm or defend a castle. You’re given a choice between mangonels, ballistas, siege towers, siege ladders, trebuchets, and battering rams.
Make sure that your siege engines are well guarded by your troops, otherwise, they’ll end up as useless as they were in Warband. After breaching the walls, you’ll be faced by a last stand of soldiers rallied together deep inside the castle walls in an effort to use tight corridors to their advantage.
They won’t give up without a fight, so prepare for claustrophobia-inducing bloodbaths if you wish to claim the castle your own, along with all the surrounding villages connected to it. Goodness gracious, how could we forget? The multiplayer is back, and it looks more fun than ever! The implementation of the game’s multiplayer class system means that the player will be able to choose from a set of preset load-outs which fit their playstyle best.
Each class comes with certain strengths and weakness, and after each round, the points earned can be spent on purchasing a new and improved class for the next round. Your ability to manage class load-outs and point spending will be a deciding factor in who eventually comes out on top.
The biggest change in multiplayer comes in the form of an all-new Captain Mode. In this mode, each player is assigned a squad of troops to command on the battlefield, with 2 or more players teaming up against each other in an effort to best their enemies. Communication and teamwork is key in Captain Mode, as well as getting to know the basic troop commands and formations.
This mode might prove to be the most fun out of the entire game, promising hours upon hours of addictive action and careful strategizing.
Bannerlord Platforms
Aside from the expected PC release, Talesworlds hasn’t given us any information on whether console ports are planned for the game. Recent PS4 and Xbox One ports of Warband haven’t been received as favorably as one might’ve hoped, so consoles might have to sit this one out.
Who knows, maybe the developers opt for a change of heart and decide to port the game over to the PS4, highly-awaited PlayStation 5, or maybe even PS6, depending on the release date. Only time will tell…
Conclusion
Everything we’ve seen up to this point looks highly promising. Talesworlds seems to have captured the essence of what made the predecessors so loved and adored by gamers across the world, while simply tweaking some of the drawbacks and adding a bunch of highly requested improvements to the core game.
Sure, the exact release date hasn’t been announced yet, and sure, the developers might have overstayed their welcome with infinite delays, but fear not! Any product that has as much passion, hard work and love poured into it from day one is bound to be a roaring success. There is a clear effort to make the game hit the store shelves in as perfect of a state as it can be, and that deserves praise, especially in this day and age.
Worst case scenario? Our grandkids will love it for sure!
In the meantime, check out our guides on some of the most amazing MMOs and some outstanding multiplayer games.