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Summary

I'll start off saying that I'm a dedicated fan of Mount and Blade: Warband. The series was a revitalizing game to a declining open rpg genre. Multiplayer is a blast and I've been very happy with the improvements from the awesome community with cRPG and other fantastic mods. With Fire and Sword unfortunately does not improve the series much.

With Fire and Sword started off a bit shaky with taking out unique aspects to M&B by taking out the background of the character, it leaves your character feeling more like a blank slate than one that's directly involved with the world.

Starting out in single player everything just feels pretty familiar. The pace of the game is slowed down greatly. Horses are slower, good weapons and armor have increased in price, two handed weapons can't be used on horseback, all which are excusable for a more realistic feel for the game. The introduction of guns is interesting, but difficult to accept almost. They are satisfying, but getting hit by one shot from a musket can be incredibly frustrating in the larger battles. It adds a more random chance than skill to the battle system.

The same can be said for multiplayer. Since the muskets have such a long reload and a fairly large cone of accuracy, the multiplayer seems a bit mediocre. I don't even feel that same satisfaction for kills or even really winning like in Warband. I feel like the slower pace also kills the competitiveness a bit especially in the sieges. For example, on more than one occasion when defending, the majority of my team was more focused on getting long distance musket kills than actually defending the doors or keeping the other team from capturing the base.

It's not that With Fire and Sword isn't necessarily a bad game, its more that free Mods like Brytenwalda and Sword of Damocles have made much stronger strides with the M&B system. Overall, With Fire & Sword just feels too much like a mod than a full fledged sequel.

Summary

While I will agree w/most about this seeming like a mod more than a game...it is only $15....so you get what you pay for. I have already seen alot of the bugs patched.

This is an EPIC MP game and deserves to be in your collection. It does have a huge learning curve. I forced all of my friends to play this game for a full hour before they reviewed....all of them are continuing to play it. This game is about innovation...not graphics or sound. It is probly the most MP fun I have had w/my friends in a very long time.

Seriously, it is only $15, how many times have we rolled the dice on a $50 game. It is worth the gamble to figure out if you like it. Since I have bought it, I jump out of bed before work to play:P

AC

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Summary

It's unfortunate that this release didn't just make things all the sweeter. But like most developers do, they try and give a different flavor and add a little spice when they already have the right formula.

It's like going out to eat your favorite meal...only this time you order it and they changed it up so it doesn't taste quite the same, but the whole reason you ordered it in the first place is because that's what you wanted.

In one word what changes everything is guns. You like charging into a pack of enemies, slashing and hacking people with a nice shiny weapon and glistening armor? Well don't try it because you'll get shot and die. Even though the guns are inaccurate they are still accurate and powerful enough to take you out, and since it doesn't take many shots it kills the fun, the fun of why the game was just mindlessly entertaining at times, a retro feeling to the game.

While I hope they take out guns and improve the mechanics of warband which is an already fundamentally good game this will probably just keep going in this direction. I think they should give the people what they want instead of making them taste something new and different. It just isn't revolutionary, it's something you've done before in another game and just is ultimately disappointing considering what they had going.

Summary

Mount and Blade: With Fire and Sword, is a difficult game to like. If you are like I am, a fan of previous games in the series, then you relish any opportunity to go peasant stabbing. Mount and Blade has conjured up some of the most innovative and interesting gaming ideas of recent years, unfortunately they are poorly executed, With Fire and Sword is no different.

Guns are fun, if underwhelming. The switch to more tactical combat only ensures that the inadequacies of both the enemy AI and the tactics system come to the fore. Despite this, pistol drive-bys on horses are fun, along with peasant shooting.

The overall interface still needs work and progress made in Warband has been removed, along with a layer of diplomacy, no longer can you marry in game. The story missions are too vague and hard to find and too rigid for the flowing nature of the in-game world.

If you liked the earlier entries in the series, then by all means give this a try. Expect nothing truly special and moreover, expect to be exasperated when the peasants shoot you back!

Summary

Which is very sad for me to say indeed, as I absolutely loved Warband. It wasn't graphically stunning but really made the player feel like a hero as you hacked away at your enemies.

If your hoping for a game similar to Warband think again. The game has changed drastically and if you wish to charge in as previously you will be severely disappointed, as you will be shot almost immediately and killed. "1 shot 1 kill". Therefore all the thrill is gone, I found carrying multiple guns to be quite entertaining but if an armored cavalry is charging at you its GG.

WFAS just does not make you feel special at all, its as if you are a regular chump on the battlefield and when you get shot and killed (Surprise, Surprise) The guns are extremely overpowered, sure if its a group of melee guys you can kite and kill all day, but if its a musketeer or whatnot its game over. The battle ends and you can possibly lose the weapon you played so long to acquire(which is a reason why I'm so upset) .

The terrain is like bleh. I would be more descriptive but it just green and a couple of trees and rocks..... If there is guns I would like something to hide behind please.

Maybe I haven't played enough but there is no sense of loyalty in WFAS, you could not start in a specific nation and your character is just going to be bland without background or allegiance, LAME.

To all you gamers I highly suggest you stick away from this game if you have not played M&B, buy Warband and live like a hero, instead of a weak chump like in WFAS.

I abosolutely love M&B but :( is the only way I can express my feelings.