Electronic Theatre delivers a hands-on preview of Paradox Interactive's forthcoming Mount & Blade: Warband, the sequel to 2008's Mount & Blade, set to be available in April 2010.

The game plays as would be expected online, with the familiar gameplay modes of Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Conquest, Battle, and Siege. Players get the opportunity to buy new equipment prior to each round, increasing statistics of attack, defence and other variables, but the new equipment must be purchased again in every new game. Like ShadowRun, this system gives the player flexibility and allows them to experiment, mixing-and-matching the various options with little worry about how they spend their winnings. However, it does also mean that each battle acts as an individual, rather than another part of the player’s career.

kevcothirtythree via electronictheatre.co.uk »