Is Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord worth playing in 2022?

Much like its predecessor Mount & Blade: Warband, Bannerlord, too, has extraordinarily detailed strategic action-RPG gameplay in which players lead soldiers into combat and fight alongside them.

The franchise is also lauded for how detailed the simulation parts of the games are, such as Bannerlord's simulation of multiple cities' economics. While many long-time fans advised staying with Warband in 2020, Bannerlord has received several significant changes in the previous two years.

The developers have been releasing updates for Bannerlord on a regular basis to fix issues, tweak game dynamics, and include new content. The game presently has enough content to justify the purchase price. However, several fans have been put off purchasing the game because of the content. Here's a look at the game's state in 2022.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinion.

---

Bannerlord may surprise players who were unhappy when it first came out

Compared to its state at launch, the game is in much better shape than it was previously. Warband is likely to be more enjoyable for players searching for a much more full and reliable experience. Considering the significance of modding in the Mount & Blade community, it's worth noting that Warband is a significantly better game to mod simply because of its totality.

In terms of esthetics, Warband pales in comparison to the beauty of Bannerlord's on-foot sections. The game clearly demonstrates how much graphical prowess in video games has progressed since 2010. However, fans of this franchise don't buy the games just for their esthetics. The intricate gameplay system is the game's key selling feature, and in this area, the series has seen significant improvement.

Due to the upgraded enemy AI and motion-captured animations, one-on-one battles seem substantially more dynamic. The series' famous army vs. army battles are still as strong as ever. However, fans have complained about the game's new city sieges.

The biggest limiting factor for the game is that Warband delivers a more reliable and refined experience compared to the newest 1.7.0 edition of Bannerlord. According to recent Steam reviews, many dedicated Mount & Blade gamers believe Warband offers a superior experience.

Another major complaint that the game had at the time of its debut was its functionality. The ability to not only observe but also participate in gigantic battles between two massive armies is a big aspect of Mount & Blade's appeal. Since few games allow players to do this, many fans were left questioning if the graphics boost was worth it when Bannerlord's functionality during large fights was poorer than its predecessor's.

Two years later, it seems that many of the issues with efficiency have been resolved. While the nature of the game as an Early Access title ensures that performance may vary through updates, some major fights appear to run smoothly on PCs that are capable of handling them.

This game is a good place to start if players have never played the Mount & Blade series before. In terms of gameplay, it's by far the most sophisticated game in the series. For those who enjoy commanding massive armies, this is an interesting game to check out in 2022.