Life is short if you're not on a horse: the game.

Holy cow is this game addictive! The very first thing I noticed was that the graphics are a bit dated; there are sprites and menus that could use some work, and some of the animations have some glitches here and there. It just doesn't have the polish and motion capture sparkle of modern games and I thought that would translate into me hating it. But, the actual game play is addictive and exhilerating.

Start off with the fact that this game is a sandbox. You are not the chosen one, the world does not revolve around your actions, your story is exactly what you make it and nothing more. This means you travel where you want, do what you want and you weather the consequences. I got the feeling that I was a very small cog in a very big machine and for once I felt like a game gave me a sense of perspective.

The strategic map offers it's own set of challenges as forces of varying strength roam the world looking for fights. You have to pick your battles, and keep your eyes open for opportunities. Then when you get on the battlefield, it is all hard charging and bloodshed and life just being awful for footsoldiers. Honestly, I've gotten to the point where the biggest threat to me is a cramp in my axe arm, and I feel a little bad for those poor schmucks on the other side of the map. The action could use some tinkering, but I've been having so much fun playing it, I can't say that it is really broken.

I bought this game on sale and got my money's worth. It's worth more than that. I've had a lot of fun!

Life is short if you're not on a horse: the game. Holy cow is this game addictive! The very first thing I noticed was that the graphics are a bit dated; there are sprites and menus that could use some work, and some of the animations have some glitches here and there. It just doesn't have the polish and motion capture sparkle of modern games and I thought that would translate into me hating it. But, the actual game play is addictive and exhilerating. Start off with the fact that this game is a sandbox. You are not the chosen one, the world does not revolve around your actions, your story is exactly what you make it and nothing more. This means you travel where you want, do what you want and you weather the consequences. I got the feeling that I was a very small cog in a very big machine and for once I felt like a game gave me a sense of perspective. The strategic map offers it's own set of challenges as forces of varying strength roam the world looking for fights. You have to pick your battles, and keep your eyes open for opportunities. Then when you get on the battlefield, it is all hard charging and bloodshed and life just being awful for footsoldiers. Honestly, I've gotten to the point where the biggest threat to me is a cramp in my axe arm, and I feel a little bad for those poor schmucks on the other side of the map. The action could use some tinkering, but I've been having so much fun playing it, I can't say that it is really broken. I bought this game on sale and got my money's worth. It's worth more than that. I've had a lot of fun!