Coming in September is the new RPG from Paradox Interactive called Mount and Blade. Although I have only seen the preview code I have to say if this is anything like the finished article it will be a very puzzling game to review and score. On the one hand the graphics are very dated not matching the standard we are used too and expect in 2008 at all but on the other it is for some reason a very addictive game that you cannot help but play and go back too.

At its most basic level it is a medieval RPG set in the land of Calradia a place affected by war and conflict between the various factions that live there, a land where you can barely move without coming across a set of roving bandits or war deserters who give you the choice to either hand over whatever coin you have or fight and believe me the most interesting option is to fight.

At the beginning of the game as with most RPG’s you set your characters setting. Interestingly this also includes giving your character a bit of background story as it asks you what your father did and various other questions. Then it is just a matter of designing your face as you want it, giving your character a name, setting his skill settings on various things and then off you go.

There is a training mode available which I would advise you play and then it is into the actual game itself which presents you on horseback and off you set into the adventure whether you decide to be a lonesome adventurer, a conniving merchant or a commander of armies.

This is a completely sandbox type of game. It is up to you where you go and what you do. Along the way you will find literary hundreds of different characters for you to interact with as you get used to the unique horseback combat and the excellent sword fighting system.

It is the combat sequences that make the game so addictive. Even when you are beaten it makes you think I could have done better there, and to be honest quite often you will probably save the game before you enter a combat situation and then go back to the save point if you fail. The combat on horseback is probably the most realistic ever featured. Other games have tried to represent this and failed but here you actually feel like it makes a difference. For example charge an opponent at speed and strike with your blade and providing it does not get blocked the added momentum of how you are travelling will cause your blow to have a much greater effect on your opponent. There are times however, when you will find yourself too enclosed to make use of this so you will have to dismount and face your foes face to face in the dirt.

Graphically as I said this is no great game. It is like a trip back in time to much older computers then the current PC’s that are on offer. The plus side of this of course is that it means you don’t need an up to date graphics card to get the game to run.

Sound wise, there is music which suits the game perfectly, however there is no speech (everything is presented in text) and few sound effects.

Overall as I said at the beginning if this is what the finished article will be like then this will be a very odd title to review. I can imagine there will be a lot of people who will either see graphical stills from the game or load it up and view its basic nature and either never try it or stop playing there and then. That would be a crime because actually the combat presented within the game makes this one of the most original and addictive RPG’s of the year. Unlike most RPG’s there is no magic present in the world of Calradia so you have no healing potion or anything like that which means that when you manage to defeat a group of soldiers or bandits you get a sense of achievement that you might not get in other such titles. It also means you have to be careful of the number of hits that your character actually takes and learn to parry and block any blows that come your way.

It is not going to appeal to everyone but if you are a RPG fan and you are looking for something different then try this I don’t think you will regret it. Recommended.