After a brief stint in beta, Taleworlds Entertainment’s free multiplayer mode, Invasion, is now live on the main branch of Mount & Blade: Warband on Steam.
Mount & Blade: Warband originally launched on steam nearly 81 months back, in Spring of 2010. Despite nearly six years under its belt the series’ multiplayer and modding community is still alive and kicking. That’s not likely to change anytime soon either as the game’s developer -Taleworlds Entertainment- have released a new multiplayer mode for the game for free. This even as they continue work on the sequel which is expected to launch next year.
Invasion sees you and other players (it’s a PvE affair) holding out against waves of enemies, all determined to see you felled and crushed underfoot. It’s a first for the game as all other MP modes are player versus player conflicts, requiring a stable connection, and a busy server, in order to get the most out of them.
Even better, it’s not just humans on your side on the defensive. You’ll be joined by the AI companions from the story, redressed into certain class types.
In addition to all of the above, enemies will occasionally drop items on defeat – armour for healing, as well as an extremely powerful bow that lobs javelin.
For those unaware of the Mount & Blade series, it’s an open-world title set in a late middle-ages setting where you can join up with a warring faction, or simply make your way as an independent trader or raider – think Sid Meier’s Pirates. In addition to this, conflicts in the series play out on major scales with upwards of 80 units in certain battles and reinforced as combat goes on; it’s all powered by a damage and battle system which is dependent on momentum, angle, armour and hit location.
Mount & Blade: Warband – Invasion, is a free update available now for M&B:W on Windows, Mac & Linux
