Really nice environment modelling, and a reasonably authentic feeling first person combat system...

Beta?

I was looking at that one... Steam only I presume?

The screens don't blow me away right now, but I expect things will look even better closer to release...

Bug ridden beta, but when it's working it's pretty and the sword fighting blows Mount and Blade out of the water IMO

Yes, currently Beta (and buggy as hell and back)... not Steam though (at the moment no Steam keys are available at all, with new purchases only via Warhorse directly). Later on Steam is supposed to be an option again though (earliest Kickstarter alpha codes were via Steam, and those users still have Steam codes for their Beta access).

It is highly unoptimised and runs poorly on strong hardware - this is inefficient threading of AI primarily, as CPU and GPU loads are light. Lots of potential though, and interesting for it's historically based story.

and no MP and no plans for MP Would love a game like this with 4 person coop. Ah well. I have it and it is still fun to mess around in. This version is larger and less bug ridden than the previous few so there is at least some progress.

I have high hopes for this one. I'm an early backer too but the Alpha demo and now new Beta just perform so badly. I know optimization is said to be coming and is usually done at the tail end of development but the performance is keeping me from actually seeing all that the game is offering. I'm not discouraged just frustrated with it with regards to performance. I'm kind of starting to wish they weren't using Cryengine but that being said, I have other Cryengine games that run well and look great so hopefully its just a matter of time.

Some of the development team members worked on Hidden and Dangerous 2, Mafia and Vietcong so I'm faithful they won't let us down.

I like what I've seen and played so far but its just way too laggy for me to stomach. Even turning settings to low and setting lod distances to low barely help. Optimizing, bug fixing and content is what we need. I love the medieval setting. I LOVE the music. As with some of the previous Illusion Softworks games listed, their score is performed by the Czech Symphony Orchestra and its beautiful. It also has some nice Witcheresk, comic book style illustrations for the intro.

Thanks Lieste and the others for the feedback.

I enjoyed M&B, also Warband... and I like the idea of a true-to-life medieval RPG without magic. Didn't know they use their own DRM/Activation.

Coop really wouldn't make much sense unless there was a dedicated MP mode. I could do without the story and such; if they just had Mount and Blade against AI with their combat mechanics and realistic equipment I'd be a very happy man.