Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is a game I’d describe as a giant time sink, but in the best way. You’ll open the menu to manage your army, and boom, three hours have passed. Then, before you know it, you are knee-deep in a regional war because you thought you were a tough guy.
Despite all the depth that Bannerlord provides, it was always missing one thing: the ability to attack from the Sea. With War Sails, that glaring omission is now filled with content and a whole new region to explore. While you board your ship and set sail, you may notice these waters are unfortunately rougher than expected.
The Sea Is Yours, But It’s A Bit Choppy
War Sails adds a new Nordic-inspired faction, naval warfare, seafaring mechanics, and a new map to the game’s already sprawling sandbox.
This sounds like exactly what Bannerlord needed to freshen up. When it works, it is what the game needed. Naval battles are chaotic, the same type of chaos the series is known for. Ships get blown to bits and catch fire. Soldiers meet their fate in the cold waters as they float lifelessly after losing a battle. They added new skills to the skill tree based around naval combat. You have a mariner, a boatswain, and a ship master. The game now feels broader and provides more freedom for the player’s choice.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work. First, the structure of the DLC is kinda of rocky for a first-time player. It will not hold your hand; instead, it treats you like a seasoned player. When boots hit the ground, you have to find a way to raise money for your ship. This is done by hopping from town to town and taking on quests; make sure, while you’re in town, you recruit some people for your small army. In terms of length, battles can be very short or sometimes last a bit, and can make you try to strategize like Alexander the Great.
I highly recommend playing through the base game first so you don’t get overwhelmed.
Beneath the Water’s Surface
Despite the promise, I need to bebe honest about what’s going on here: this is an ambitious, albeit unpolished, experience that’s still worthy of our love. Ambition won’t always translate to polish, and performance issues are the anchor that weighs this DLC down.
Large naval battles can tank frame rates and cause crashes. On mid-range PCs and consoles, the issues are common enough to disrupt the joy of destroying the enemy’s fleet. You will run into visual glitches and moments where systems don’t seem to know how to communicate with each other.
Bugs can bring humor to the chaos that we see in Bethesda games, for example. They can also be incredibly annoying. The latter is what’s happening here. War Sails can be incredible at times, but other times, you will feel as though the DLC is too rough around the edges. This will also cause you to question the value of the DLC at times. If you are a fan of the series, this is easier to swallow because you know the game, but newer fans might get scared away.
If you’re patient, you’ll be rewarded by the promise and potential that lies within War Sails. Unfortunately, not everyone will be eager to hoist anchor, raise the sails, and navigate the rough waters that await you.
Final Thoughts
War Sails is ambitious and exciting, but it is also rough around the edges. When the combat clicks and everything is running full speed ahead, you get some of the most memorable moments in your Bannerlord career.
Then the technical issues hit, pulling you out of those moments and causing some frustration. If you are a hardcore Bannerlord head or someone who enjoys the sandbox style of storytelling, this is for you. For others, it might be best to watch for a few patches.
This ship may be powerful, but it still needs some work. I will say that the update that was just released did a lot for the game’s problems. Performance can still be iffy, but you are in good hands. The team over at TaleWorlds Entertainment is working tirelessly to patch issues. My suggestion, if you are new to the series, is to play the base game and its tutorials. Learn all the systems you can; that way, you can get the most value from War Sails.
Score: 7.5/10
Pros:
- Naval battles are engrossing
- DLC is a decent size
- Strategizing mid-battle is enthralling
Cons:
- Decent amount of bugs
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