Rough edges, obtuse features, same A.I. and bug/balancing issues keep this title from measuring up to it's predecessors.
The Good:
Firearms and explosives! Plain and simple, it was the selling point for this incarnation of M&B; The storyline, which is based on a Trilogy by a Nobel Prize winner, might also be well received by people in Eastern Europe where it is better known.
WFS also brought larger armies, fully customizable mercenary units, and many new ways to interact with locations either peacefully or aggressively.
Castles, Towns and villages reflect the architecture and zoning of the time giving a larger sense of space in comparison to the previous cramped medieval settings.
The Bad:
No new A.I. improvements (likely to chase fleeing enemies rather than engage aggressive units), poor interface for new features, diminished variety in armor and weapons.
At times it feels as if the game completely removed the improvements of Warband and went back to the very first Mount & Blade.
Tournaments and Arena fights have been replaced by 1-on-1 Tavern kicking contests and Tavern Brawls if you happen to toast the wrong King; The rewards aren't any better, a handful of coins and reputation decrease with the town.
The Ugly:
Bugs, Multiplayer crashing and unpolished delivery. It is know that Third party developers aren't likely to deliver the same quality as the originals, but WFS seems to fall to the trappings of average mod teams. One would have expected Taleworlds to place this game through a wringer and straightened out some glaring flaws.
Bombs seem to be fickle enough that they decide to injure you even if you are halfway across the map (and these are big maps) yet seem to ignore everyone that is between you and the explosion.
Some of the voices provided for the units seem to clash drastically with the original shouts, screams and victory cries (Why does that unit 10 feet away sound like they are whispering in my ear?)
Balancing also suffers, oddly enough, from the introduction of firearms themselves. How can someone make firearms strong enough to be a threat, yet weak enough so units are able to be on a level field with the rest of the weapons offered? The answer seems to be missing in the game.
Conclusion:
Avoid purchasing this game until they have both released patches AND offered a substantial discount.
I am getting used to the flow of the game, but the issues presented keep me from truly enjoying it. It is only my fanboyism for the series that made me give it a six, had I not been introduced to M&B's previous titles I probably would have rated it a 4.5