Review: Mount & Blade: Warband (PS4)

Mount & Blade: Warband is the iconic entry in the series that brought medieval battlefields to life with its realistic mounted combat and detailed fighting system.

Pros:

• Huge in depth tutorial (optional) section. You can choose from all types of combat to the in game menus.
• Can invert controls.
• Create a character engine: Choose your parents history, Trade, Gender and then get down to setting attribute points, Name and detailed creator tool.
• Save and exit option.
• Strategy game play. Create armies, Attack and defend towns/cities, Make alliances, Play roles within families and get right into the game politics that will define choices.
• Third and first person views.
• World map to navigate and choose where you go and who is moving where and when.
• You can marry into families for love, Money or your own dastardly agendas.
• Story in non linear meaning you can basically play how you want and do what you want to do. Start fights or be the peace keeper or do both, Its all up to you.
• 32 player online skirmishes.
• Addictive game play. Its hard not to get addicted to a game where you do what you want, Within a good world with random instances and politics and tactics meaning it always feels different.
• Controls do feel janky at first but you soon learn to love them. Considering mouse and keyboard is the heritage of the controls layout, This is a good attempt at putting them on to a controller.
• Many regions can populate your world each containing unique loot and armies and families.
• Combat is not turn based and all in real time. You start most of them charging into battle and with that brings a more visceral experience and feel to it.
• Really deep and rewarding game play.
• Decent music.
• Intelligent AI in both movement and action.
• Huge scale battles can be had.
• Surprisingly easy to control 100s of soldiers/fighters thanks to some clever game controls.
• Atmosphere is absolutely nailed on for the Medieval era.
• You can take part in quick setup arcade games or opt for the more in depth and lengthy campaign.

Cons:

• Some rather ugly textures in the game.
• A lot of information to take in.
• Combat does feel a bit slow and clunky with some soldier types.
• Still behind the PC version especially for the mod support and online settings.
• Random glitches.
• Very bland colours with some towns looking very brown and grey.