This week’s game is another game that you have to purchase. It’s called “Mount and Blade.” It is older, which means the price is incredibly low, and it is also an “indie” game, which makes it even better.

“Mount and Blade” is a role-playing game made by Tale World where you are an adventurer in the land of “Calradia.” Various factions are in a constant struggle for ruler of the whole land. Using a completely open, or “sandbox,” world you can explore every inch of the map, fighting bandits and brigands for gold and glory.

However, fighting a bunch of lowly looters and raiders is not the only path you can take. You can raise your own army and then become a mercenary for one of the many powerful factions trying to dominate Calradia.

You gain titles and vassals and perhaps even get your own fiefdom. Then, on top of all of this, you can perhaps use your influence among the other lords and ladies and attempt to take the crown for yourself. The possibilities are endless and the opportunities just as much so.

“Mount and Blade” is an amazing game. It combines all that is great about role playing games and what is unique and interesting about real-time strategy games and merges them into a game that gives you complete free rein of what you can do in the world.

There are only a few problems with the game, but these are things you can get around. First and foremost, when it comes to the real-time strategy aspect, it’s hard to control. You can’t make split second decisions because the controls for commanding troops are too slow. This makes it very hard to call that flanking maneuver for the unit you had waiting in the woods because you are too busy trying to figure out the controls.

The second biggest problem in this game is that this huge world and endless possibilities can make it rather complicated. There are a lot of things that you have to keep track of. For some, I can see this being too much work while, for others, I can see this as a great challenge offering them the kind of realism they want.

I absolutely love playing it despite a few minor setbacks. This game has a little of everything for everyone whether they are the hero, the conqueror or the mercenary. This is why I have no problem giving it five out of five stars.