Mounted calvary and wonderful mods make this one of the best bangs for your buck ever.
I went to the first town I saw, and spoke to a Lord who gave me a mission. Easy enough. Take a message here, bring someone to justice... fight breaks out and I lost.
I couldn't believe I lost my first battle in this game. Not only did I lose, I had fun doing it.
Then I fought some bandits, and recruited some followers... life in Mount & Blade had begun.
I swore allegiance to a King, fought in grand wars, laid siege to castles, won the favor of Ladies, entered tournaments, and fought against overwhelming odds to win the day. This game had me hooked.
I play this game regularly. Sometimes I play one of the many, very good mods out there, sometimes I play it as its meant to be. No matter if its a new game, or an old game, it is always fun.
I want to give this game a higher score than 9.0, but I think I'll leave it at a 9. The most deserved 9 of any game I have ever played. The people who made this game, deserve every penny they get from this hidden gem.