The PC Gaming Show unveiled the first ever gameplay footage of Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord, the sequel to the cult classic. The pre-recorded demo focused on the single-player game's siege gameplay, and promised battles with more than 500 troops at release.
Bannerlord is developed by TaleWorlds Entertainment, a studio based in Turkey that burst onto the scene in 2008 with the release of the original Mount & Blade. Originally published by Paradox, the title was in many ways ahead of its time — combining a sophisticated first-person melee combat system with a strategic layer.
Bannerlord was first announced more than four years ago, and community manager Frank Elliot was on hand to share footage of the improved siege combat.
"You're a regular person in the world," Elliot said. "But eventually you can become a lord, lead a faction. You can fight in the battles, or lead them. It's really a feudal simulation game."
The demo showed peasants launching flaming arrows against a heavily fortified castle, and featured fully destructible castle walls and gates. Massive siege engines pounded against the fortress, including towers, rams and ballistas. The expansive castles, Elliot said, can be assaulted from any angle. The team even used historical documents to add details like murder-holes and gatehouses. Bannerlord will launch with the complete set of developer tools for modding.
