Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord

Crashing castles in a massive medieval sandbox

- Fraser Brown

I’m determined to own a castle. A big fortress with thick walls and tireless guards willing to throw their lives away for me. Good thing, then, that Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord’s demo plonks me in the mid-game, with loads of gold to spend on warriors. Finally, this humble writer is going places.

First order of business – build an army. Instead of recruiting individual troops to take with me on my grand adventure, I hire captains, each with their own wee army. Prior to being hired, these mercenaries wander around the map and do their own thing, so it takes some time for them to merge with my growing horde.