Mount & Blade: No Coconuts Included Company: Paradox Interactive If one of your greatest fantasies happens to be recreating the infamous scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail in which Sir Lancelot performs a vicious equestrian drive-by on an old history professor, Mount & Blade is probably going to sound like the best game ever made. This downloadable game from Turkey-based independent developer TaleWorlds and Paradox Interactive aims to deliver a fresh perspective on the role-playing genre. Mount & Blade places a heavy emphasis on realistic horseback combat and features several large-scale cavalry battles. The game borrows a number of tried-and-true elements from successful franchises such as The Elder Scrolls and Neverwinter Nights, and treats them as fertile grounds for noticeable, yet interestingly subtle innovation. After creating your own character and allocating skill points to your design, you are thrust into the land of Calradia, a 13th century medieval province that is caught up in never-ending political turmoil. In Mount & Blade, Calradia plays host to a conflict between five factions: the Nords, the Swadians, the Khergits, the Vaegirs, and the Rhodoks. Each of these factions has their own kingdom; city names are color-coded on the map, indicating the faction they belong to. Mount & Blade begins with several solo quests that are ready to undertake, but a large part of the gameplay has to do with engaging in large-scale conflicts as a part of one of the five factions. The choices given to you include but are not limited to: which faction your character aligns with, who in that faction you pledge yourself to, and how far you will go to obey the conventions of that faction. These choices are game-altering and carry their own consequences. Mount & Blade's key feature, as its title suggests, is its implementation of realistic mounted combat. Occasionally, while traveling from city to city, you will be set upon by different types of enemies, from sea raiders to bloodthirsty highwaymen to military deserters. The game shifts to the appropriate environment, and you engage the miscreants in combat from an over-the-shoulder perspective. With regards to the combat, Mount & Blade aims for realism; there are absolutely no elements of fantasy in this game, and the tools at your disposal are no doubt pulled straight from the medieval era. Once the melee is won, the defeated party is looted and prisoners are taken (the "lucky" few that were knocked unconscious rather than slain in cold blood). These prisoners can either be recruited into your militia or sold into slavery. Combat offers more options than simply riding in a continuous figure-eight and swinging a weapon. These options include throwing hand axes or using a crossbow to snipe approaching enemies from afar. If things end up becoming desperate, the option of running headlong into enemies with your horse is a valid strategy. The remaining options are morbidly funny and undeniably dishonorable, but all I'll say about them before the official review is that they will definitely help you avoid capture if your back is against the wall. Mount & Blade's unique blend of role-playing and old-school strategy elements seems destined to appeal to hardcore role-playing veterans, but the fast-paced cavalry combat may end up reeling in some new players. If you have even a passing interest in cavalry combat, Mount & Blade is definitely something to keep on the radar until its North American release on September 16th as both a download and retail boxed copy. -FenixDown, GameVortex Communications AKA Jon Carlos Related Links: Mount & Blade's Official Website