The editorial office is buzzing right now. It could be that it’s Friday, it could be that it’s sunny, but most of all, it’s that sitting on our desks right now are copies of FEAR, Civ 4, Black and White 2, and Myst 5. It’s truly a great time for anyone with even a passing interest in having fun with a computing device. And gamers, well, you already know what you’re in for.
But, that’s not what I want to talk about. Hidden among the highest ticket games of all time coming out right now, there’s a game that has consumed more time for me than most in recent memory: Mount&Blade.
Developed by a Turkish husband and wife team, M&B is a crossover between Pirates! and a traditional RPG. It attempts to be historically accurate (no potions or spells), which, combined with its freeform gameplay, harkens back to one of my all-time favourite games, Darklands.
Although some basic quests carry the game along, there’s no large story arc to speak of. Instead, this is all about making the best medieval combat engine ever created. The mounted combat is particularly stunning, and the character options are refreshingly varied and instantly cool. You can become a knight, grab a lance, and lead a charging war party into enemy forces; or you can order your archers to hang back over the hill while you run rings around the enemy, picking them off with your bow from horseback.
Just as unique is how you get your hands on the game. While it’s still in beta (currently, 0.700), it’s still immensely playable, so Taleworlds is offering the game at a discounted price. The price goes up as the game gets closer to 1.0, but if you pay now you’ll automatically be granted the full version. I saw promise in it from the first hour in the trial version (which caps out a level six), and was happy to cough up the USD$12.
I can’t recommend Mount&Blade enough. It’s odd to offer a recommendation with so many stellar releases hovering around the corner, but this game demands attention. Go get it now at: www.taleworlds.com. Seriously, it’s that good.
I found this by accident, and it makes me wonder how many other accidentally astonishing games are slipping beneath my radar. Know of something left of mainstream? Let me know at dkidd@pcauthority.com.au.