Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Reviews
Bannerlord doesn't excel graphically or in storyline, but makes that up in flexibility and scale. The vibrant world evolves even without the gamer and offers both opportunities and threads that can be exploited. This is a true mediieval sandbox where the player can act as he wishes, but always has to face the consequences. While much great effort is put into making this game playable on consoles, the sheer number of options, menus and controls make this better suited for PC.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Though Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord provides a fun outlet with its battles and the strategies you can employ within them, everything else is lacking in comparison. You might get a solid 5-10 hours of enjoyment out of the campaign before you it dawns on you that there's not much else to discover but a disappointing realisation.
Like Total War, when the players massive armies clash in battle it is a sight to behold, luckily the game offers the option to simulate battles and watch the AI troops clash. This, to me was massively more enjoyable than trying to struggle through the games clunky combat. While I loved the depth offered in the RPG elements of the world, I came away disappointed enough by the combat that is just made the whole experience feel like a chore to play; combine that with the lack of a real story and I Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord just didn’t turn out to be the total medieval simulator game I was hoping for.
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord combines RPG mechanics with grand strategy and features battles so epic they can be overwhelming at times. It has some rough edges, and the interface can be unwieldy, but at its core lies a roleplaying experience that is virtually unrivalled in scope - especially on console.
I’ve never been a big fan of games that require you to invest huge amounts of time before they get good. Our time is valuable and while Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord does eventually get good, the uninteresting grind along the way and lifeless world didn’t do much to pull me back. Fans of the series will still have a great time and if you are willing to invest your time you’ll definitely be rewarded for it, but its frustrating to see so much potential for an even better game left unrealized.
My return to Calradia wasn't entirely jubilant, though Mount & Blade 2 Bannerlord is a game I'll likely stick with, simply due to my love of the original. A wealth of new systems and activities help this sandbox strategy sim feel more alive than ever, though the busywork required to get anywhere can feel like a grind. Overall, existing fans will rejoice while newcomers may look on unimpressed, unsure what all the fuss is about.
Mount & Blade 2 Bannerlord is the pinnacle of sandbox medieval RPGs. There is much to learn and master for those willing to spend hundreds of hours perfecting their command.
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is very much a superior sequel in so many ways. It's still a bit of a brick wall to get past in terms of understanding its finer points, but keep hammering away and you will find them.
Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord is a masterfully crafted game, an absolute spectacular successor to the first game that will satisfy the hunger of any strategy games fnatics ou there though we don't recommend going for a third installement for this franchise at least for the time being.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
A unique experience that finally comes to consoles in its final version.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord is, in spite of some missing features, a must-play experience for anyone who's remotely interested in kingdoms, claymores and combat.
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is a wonderfully in-depth adventure RPG. You'll love its sprawling open world, and its time-sink campaign. Sadly, its multiplayer option isn't as captivating, but that matters not. With vast battles and folksy audio, this will impress you throughout.
Bannerlord, in spite of its shortcomings, is a great game to play for tactics enthusiasts and players that love huge battles. Its simulation style of gameplay is fairly unique and keeps me coming back. An easy recommendation to all that love their sandboxes.