Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord

The studio also published today a summary of the most relevant changes and additions to the game during its first 10 weeks in Early Access

TaleWorlds Entertainment announces today that Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is now available on the Epic Games Store. First released on Early Access on March 30th to the universal praise of critics and gamers alike (with an 87% approval rating on Steam), it quickly became one of the most successful games released on Steam of this year.

Applauded for its deep and engaging gameplay, its vast and alive world and the sense of freedom that is the mark of the franchise, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord reaches the Epic Games Store at last with a 20% release discount. The game is also available from today with the same 20% off on taleworlds.com, Steam, and partner stores such as Humble Bundle or Greenman Gaming, etc.

Since its first Early Access launch, TaleWorlds has released dozens of patches and updates, not just fixing performance issues but also adding new content and features, paving the road for the months to come until full release. The studio just published a summary of the most important improvements and new content implemented since March 30; you can read more info about all the changes that have been released so far HERE.

TaleWorlds Entertainment has released two videos showing an extended look at the large-scale, epic combat in their upcoming follow-up to Mount & Blade: Warband – Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord.

[VIDEO] Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord E3 2017 Cavalry Sergeant Gameplay

[VIDEO] Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord E3 2017 Horse Archer Sergeant Gameplay

KEY BATTLE IMPROVEMENTS

Battles are at the very core of the series and play better than ever in the latest installment.

• Advanced Formations – Merge and split forces at your behest, with intuitive but powerful control over the movement, form and behavior of every unit! Order heavy infantry to hold together, shoulder-to-shoulder in a slowly advancing but near impenetrable shield wall; or launch your cavalry in lightning charges using the skein formation.
• Battlefield AI – AI commanders can execute complex tactics, utilizing the advanced formation options to present a formidable challenge. Their behavior is drawn from actual historical tacticians, for example Alexander the great, who used his superior cavalry forces to rout their counterparts in the opposing army, before delivering a crushing blow to the enemy’s main force. This not only creates the feeling of an authentic medieval battle but also proves effective in-game, as in reality.
• Sergeant System – Commanders now designate units to other lords in battle, including the player! Execute the orders issued by your commander throughout the fight, and use your own instincts to do your part and help secure victory on the field of battle. Lead the horse archers as they skirmish and harass the enemy to disrupt their lines before your allies finish them off, or take control of the cavalry and charge into the fray to devastate entire units at once!

KEY COMBAT UPDATES

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord also features greatly updated combat, which builds on previous installments in a number of ways while retaining its intuitive, direction-based core that made it so popular among players.

• Directional Shield Blocking and Shield Bash – These two features revitalize the sword & board gameplay, making it a more engaging experience than ever before! Blocking in the wrong direction will not necessarily get you killed but it will cause your shield to break faster, leaving you defenseless against missiles and vulnerable against multiple foes. Shield bashing, a highly requested feature, temporarily stuns your opponent and knocks them back, lowering their defenses and giving you room to breathe.
• Attack Chaining – Swings that complete their motion can now be chained into follow-up attacks which can catch your opponent off-guard after a miss. Unbalanced weapons such as hammers and axes also use the momentum of the first swing for a faster follow-up!
• Improved Animations and Combat Engine – Huge effort has gone into making Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord’s combat as fluid and visually appealing as possible. Damage dealt is now calculated with a great degree of physical depth, factoring in the weight distribution of every individual weapon. This means that whether you are executing a perfectly timed thrust while thundering towards a hapless archer on horseback or shooting an arrow across the battlefield to whittle down your opponent’s infantry forces before the melee, the game will understand all of the forces involved and produce consistent, realistic and satisfying results every time.

“It is great to be back at E3 with Bannerlord, demonstrating the best Mount & Blade battles ever. Our team worked very hard on developing all aspects of the battles, which are so central to the game. We are thrilled to showcase our work and looking forward to seeing the response.”
Armagan Yavuz – CEO / Founder, TaleWorlds

More game information is available via the Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord website.

TaleWorlds Entertainment has lifted the lid on upcoming title, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord‘s greatly anticipated siege gameplay.

Players will have the chance to take part in authentic medieval sieges, utilising a variety of siege weaponry, including ballistae, catapults, siege towers, battering rams and more. A variety of castles, that not only look realistic, but function as defences, making use of flanking towers, choke points and murder holes, which work just like those in reality.

Destructibility and fire damage create dynamic environments, which players can manipulate to their advantage. But intelligent AI will do the same, adapting while attacking and reacting to threats in defence.

Beyond the chaotic struggle of the assault, sieges also test players’ strategic abilities, when maintaining a besieging party, constructing siege engines and bombarding enemy walls.

In addition, this is the first look at the Sturgia faction in Bannerlord. The Sturgians occupy the northern forests of Calradia, preferring to fight on foot, with swords and axes. Fearsome helmets cover their eyes, giving them a demonic appearance and they excel in close-quarter melee combat, fighting in cramped towers and atop ramparts.

Videos:

• E3 2016 Siege Gameplay Trailer
• E3 2016 Siege Gameplay Short

More game information is available via the Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord website.

Source: Gamer’s Hell

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord has been in development since the release of Warband in 2010 and features an all new engine, developed specifically for the game

Releasing these eight screenshots, TaleWorlds confirmed the development of Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, the next installment in the much beloved Mount & Blade series. Set 200 years before the events of Mount & Blade: Warband, the game delivers on player requests for richer lore by including an optional storyline into the sandbox environment. It features dynamically changing seasons, crafting, a working ingame economy driven by ever-changing supply and demand, and more.

Siege battles now feature a variety of machinery with full player control over how to breach the walls, catering for deep strategic thinking and dramatic assaults.

A bit more game information is available via the Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord website.