Castles in the Sand

- Phil Savage

Mount & Blade is an unlikely success story of the kind that only really happens on PC. Awkward, weird, and not particularly pretty, it’s nonetheless a triumph of sandbox design. It mixes tactical combat, RPG progression, and strategic simulation, all in a sandbox world full of possibilities. In Mount & Blade: Warband, 2010’s standalone expansion, and easily the best game in the series, players are free to explore a massive, politically intriguing medieval kingdom.

Now, after years of waiting, a full sequel is on the way. TaleWorlds’ sizeable, dedicated fan base has been clamoring for Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord ever since its announcement back in 2012. It’s one of my most anticipated games of the year, and I’m excited to find out how it has progressed since the footage shown at last year’s PC Gamer Weekender. Tale Worlds doesn’t disappoint, and I get to watch as community manager Frank Elliott plays through an hour of a new campaign.

A new character, Yasmin, is created. She’s spawned into the Southern Empire—a once mighty imperial power, now on the brink of collapse. Banner lord is set 200 years before Warband, and depicts the early days of some of this world’s great powers. Despite the fictional nations, this is no fantasy land. Weapons, armor, and architecture are all designed to resemble historical equivalents from between 600 and 1100 AD.

Character creation is skipped in the demo—TaleWorlds has previously shown off the creation sliders, but isn’t ready to detail the full extent of customization. Needless to say, there should be plenty of options, including new builds that are part of an improved progression system. “Bannerlord’s skill system builds upon what we had in