Watch On
War Sails, the big naval expansion to Taleworlds’ strategy RPG Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, turned up at the Future Games Show today with a new trailer depicting the arrival of the new viking-inspired Nord faction. And hoo boy was it loud.
The trailer makes clear that for all intents and purposes, the Nords are vikings: They’ve got the longboats, they’ve got the axes, they’ve got the groovy beards, and they seem eager to fight pretty much everyone, everywhere. It’s a little hard to keep track of who’s who when they really start mixing it up, but you can tell the vikings—sorry, the Nords—are definitely having a good time based on all the axes they’re chucking around.
Anyway, it’s not the most informative video but it’s fun to watch all these thousands of guys hitting each other with pointy bits of metal while—speaking of metal—Swedish death metal band Amon Amarth screams about glory and honor and putting your back into the oar in the background. And hey, who am I to argue with anyone shouting this aggressively.
As for what’s actually coming in War Sails, here’s the lowdown:
- Meet the Nords: Chart a course to the Northern Kingdom, home of the fearless Nords. Trade, recruit, or fight in a land of jagged peaks and icy fjords. Will you join the North or take their riches?
- Master Naval Warfare: War Sails brings naval warfare inspired by medieval battles. Master wind and water physics, board or ram ships, cripple foes by shattering oars, sinking hulls, or tearing sails.
- Explore an Expanded Map: Calradia expands for naval warfare with a northern sea, islands, rivers, and open waters. Sail past barriers, resupply, and battle foes on land and sea.
- Build Your Fleet: Choose from 18 ships, each with unique handling shaped by wind and waves. Upgrade with siege engines, sails, and rams. Acquire vessels, upgrade ports, or win ships and figureheads.
- Embark on a Naval Campaign: Sail rivers and seas to strike deep into enemy land. Keep armies supplied, sink foes, and blockade towns. But beware—storms and attrition can undo even the best-laid plans.
- Expand your Arsenal: Gather new companions, Nordic banners, hairstyles, tattoos, and armour. Develop your naval skills, craft unique weapons, and wield new spears, swords, and axes to rule land and sea.
- A Living, Evolving World: Naval systems and Nord faction integrate into Bannerlord’s world, reshaping trade, warfare, and diplomacy
War Sails was initially set to launch in June of this year, but Taleworlds pushed it back just a few weeks prior to release, saying that “after taking a hard look at where things stand, it became clear we won’t be ready by the originally planned release date.” A new release date hasn’t been announced—and no, sorry, nothing new on that front today, sorry—but it’s expected to be out sometime this fall.
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