It seemed that everything was clear about “With Fire and Sword” – the Ukrainian add-on to the cult Mount & Blade – long before its release. We knew that the developers would keep the signature mechanics: free travel across the map, army recruitment, work for different factions and the ability to capture entire states. But they added a plot to this – clear, connected, and, most importantly, based on real history. The scenery changed from a fictional world to a completely recognizable Europe of the 17th century, with its gentry, Cossacks and muskets. In addition, firearms, siege fortifications in the spirit of the gulyay-gorod and even the ability to blow up castle walls with gunpowder appeared. It would seem that everything is clear, all that remains is to see how this is implemented in practice. But, alas, the launch of the game was not the pleasant surprise we had hoped for.

Mount & Blade: With Fire and Sword Free Steam Account

The release of Mount & Blade: With Fire and Sword left us with mixed feelings – on the one hand, it seems like a new release, but on the other – the feeling of déjà vu does not leave from the first minutes. Everything looks as if the developers came to us again with a familiar “dish”, slightly warmed it up in the microwave, added a few new spices on top – and served it as something fresh. And now they seem to be saying: “Well, here is another portion of what you love so much. We have refreshed the graphics a little, added a couple of cool features – why are you frowning? Can’t see the difference? Take a closer look. Can’t see it? Well, buy it anyway. We need to earn a living somehow. And no, please don’t download from torrents. Otherwise we won’t go on vacation … But very soon – maybe next year – we will add DirectX 10. Or at least in five years. But definitely someday!”

The problem is that all this is already starting to tire. We still want to avoid being sold slightly dusty, but still beloved old stuff under the guise of a new product. The visual changes are barely noticeable, the gameplay is still on the same rails, and even if they added a few innovations, there are catastrophically few of them to talk about a real evolution of the series. Everything is too recognizable and predictable. Too much déjà vu. Yes, the action now takes place in 17th-century Europe, and this in itself is intriguing. The focus is on the era when cavalry attacks began to give way under the onslaught of smoky and clumsy muskets. In the game, this was expressed in the appearance of hand-held firearms – primitive, but still powerful. In the single-player campaign and multiplayer, you can now bang from guns with a dull, pleasant sound of a shot, and then slowly reload them, as the spirit of the times requires.

It’s not that easy to hit the target, though – the sight shakes, the trajectory goes off to the side, the enemies deftly slip away. But all this, oddly enough, is part of the idea: the developers tried to maintain realism. In reality, they say, not everyone shot at the bull’s eye either. But sometimes you get the feeling that in their minds in the 1600s, no one hit anything at all. However, if you miss – no problem. You can always throw a grenade. Fortunately, you even have a special ability at your disposal to throw them with special pleasure. It must be admitted that in this part you can feel a step forward – albeit a very cautious one. New types of weapons, historical surroundings, a fresh map, a slightly modified economy and political map of the world. It seems like they added a lot – but it still feels a little “on the side”. The basis remains the same: familiar mechanics, familiar rhythm, familiar sores. Still the same Mount & Blade, just in a different hat.

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So if you’re a fan of the series and haven’t played for a while, you might enjoy it. But if you’re expecting a real leap forward from the game, With Fire and Sword will likely disappoint you. And that’s probably the most offensive thing, because the Mount & Blade world still has huge potential. I just want it to finally be truly revealed, and not just change the scenery and add a couple of “features” to the old foundation.

Mount & Blade: What’s New in Multiplayer and Singleplayer Campaign

Let’s start with the juiciest thing – multiplayer. After all, it is thanks to it that Mount & Blade still stays afloat and does not lose interest among loyal fans. The developers once again bet on network battles, and this was probably the right decision. Global revolutions did not happen here, but something fresh still appeared. In addition to the familiar modes, a new one was brought in – “Captains”. It is interesting in that now you are not just a lone warrior in the thick of the battle, but a squad commander giving orders to dozens of soldiers controlled by AI. You build them into battle formations, choose a strategy, and then watch as your subordinates crush enemy ranks (or turn themselves into mincemeat – depending on your genius).

This mode is especially good on large maps – up to 200 fighters on the battlefield create a truly epic atmosphere. If you’ve ever dreamed of feeling like a commander, here you’ll have such a chance. And the best thing is that there’s almost always someone to play with online. Servers, especially European ones, are lively and active, people come even on weekdays. The times when you had to wait 20 minutes for a team to form are gone – everything is lively and fast. As for the single-player game, everything is a little simpler and, frankly, more familiar. We again climb into the boots of an adventurer who decided to build his empire from scratch. We wander around the map, carry out assignments, accumulate influence, gather a squad, found settlements, go to serve the local rulers. And then, if everything goes well, we ourselves become one of them.

Here is just a small list of what you can do in a single-player campaign:

• Participate in battles and tournaments, earning fame and money;
• Conclude alliances and raise rebellions;
• Manage the economy of your own settlements and strengthen them;
• Train and equip fighters for further campaigns;
• Complete tasks from lords and influential characters;
• Improve your own skills, creating a unique character.

It seems not bad, but we have already seen all this – and more than once.

Old-timers of Warband, of course, will remember the nice details of the previous game – like the opportunity to marry the daughter of a noble lord and strengthen your political position through marriage. In the new part, there are practically no such “social mechanics”. Romance, flirting, court intrigues – all this has evaporated somewhere. The developers clearly decided to simplify the storyline and remove everything that is not directly related to war and management.

And now let’s talk about the graphics. Here we were expecting big promises – and very modest results. The developers cheerfully reported that the game has become “visually better”: they say that the textures are now juicier, the models are more detailed, the environment has become more alive. In fact, all this looks like a light make-up applied over the old, long-familiar appearance. Yes, it has become a little prettier. Yes, the interface is a little neater. But if you were expecting a qualitative leap forward, alas, it did not happen. The engine, in essence, remained the same, and this is felt in almost every aspect – from animations to lighting. So it turns out that Mount & Blade is still standing still, pretending to move forward. It is clear that the studio is working with limited resources, and it is impossible to expect AAA-level breakthroughs from them. But at least we want bold decisions, unconventional finds, a real update of the formula. In the meantime, all this is more reminiscent of a slightly rewritten old chapter than a new one.

Is the new Mount & Blade DLC worth playing?

It seems that Mount & Blade can already have its own section: “Mini-patches, maximum hope.” Or, say, “Half a gram of update for riders who care.” And with each new addition, this idea sounds less and less funny. We again get a product that is presented with the appearance of “look, we added something,” but in fact, there are almost no changes. It feels like the developers are just checking how far they can go in this endless marathon of microcontent. This is not even disappointment – it’s already a habit. A habit of expecting something significant from Bannerlord every time, and each time getting another seasoning for the same old porridge.

There is a sense of fatigue. Yes, we love this game. Yes, we understand that not every update is obliged to turn everything upside down. But at some point you just want to stand up and say: “Enough!” Stop feeding us with add-ons that are more like mods than full-fledged add-ons. Especially paid ones.

Add-ons of this scale in any other game come out as part of a patch. And here they are presented as an event. We are not against supporting the game, but not when “support” turns into a business model: add one mode — get cash, change a couple of lines in the balance — back to the showcase. But the game has huge potential. We remember Warband. We remember how each new step seemed like development. Here, there is a feeling of stagnation. There is no spark, no sense of progress that was there before. Even things like romantic lines that could enliven the campaign were again left overboard.

Pleased with:

• Online battles with firearms are unexpectedly lively — shooting in the thick of things gives a truly new experience.
•  The “Captains” mode is really interesting — a bit of tactics, a bit of chaos, and all this is seasoned with the unpredictability of the players. There is life in it, we will not argue with that.

Disappointed with:

• Innovations — a pittance. Everything that could be developed was left untouched.
• The campaign never gained depth. Politics, relationships, palace intrigues — all this is again somewhere behind the scenes.

We are not asking for the impossible. We do not need revolutions every month. But if we are going to release paid add-ons — let it be something that will make you want to come back, get stuck for a couple of weeks, forget about time. For now, it looks like another checkmark on the checklist: made, posted, earned.

Mount & Blade: With Fire and Sword System Requirements

How to play Mount & Blade: With Fire and Sword for free on Steam via VpeSports

Want to escape from everyday life and dive headlong into a world where the fate of states is decided on the battlefield, and a word and a saber mean more than the law? In Mount & Blade: With Fire and Sword, you yourself become a hero of a bloody era – a free adventurer, a mercenary or even a commander of an entire army. There is no place for boredom: city sieges, brutal battles, treacherous allies and the opportunity to change the course of history – everything is in your hands.

We tried to make sure that you do not waste a minute on unnecessary settings. It’s simple: go to our website, create an account – and the game is already waiting for you. If you want – launch with detailed instructions, or if you want – take a ready-made free steam account with the game and hit the road. No headaches, only real drive from the first minutes.

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