Many reviewers say that the GOG version of SR2 is much better than the Steam port, and others say it performs exactly the same. (The Steam version is quite bad, for those that didn't know) Unfortunately, I fall into the poor performance side of things with my experince of the game. Even after uncapping the framrate via NVidia and using The Gentlemen of The Row mod AND defragmenting my hard drive (as one other reviewer suggested), the game struggled to maintain 30 fps, frequently stuttering below it, rarely going above. The gameplay itself is highly entertaining, as the game gives the player an open world, knowing the player wants to mess with everything. and then gives the player the tools required to REALLY mess stuff up. It also has unrivaled character and world customisation, if that is your sort of thing, which it is for me. I wish I could recommend this game, but I don't think I can because of the performance problems and the lack of DLC support for the PC version (I think because Voiltion couldn't work with a port they did not create). However, since this is GOG , and their customer service is actually very good, unlike Valve's, you can get a refund fairly quickly, just like I did, if the game does not run well for you.
Mount and Blade: Warband is one of my favourite games of all time. It is a strategic RPG that allows you to run your own warband (pun intended) and take part in battles where you are the leader of your troops, assisting them and guiding them into battle. Take part in politics that resemble real life, where you: *Bribe your opposition *Suck up to important figures of authority in the hope of monetary support or just some moderate recognition. *Insult someone who you don't like, resulting in a pointless fight that might not actually advance your career. *Incite violence amongst your supporters And you only realise that this isn't a first world presidential campaign when the petty squabbles break into all out war 100% of the time and no one is racist toward minorities. You can also create your own kingdom where you fight everyone who used to be your allies and create elaborate trade routes and an actual economics system that I usually spend hours fussing over. Some gripes I have are that the economy is largely based on if you're not fighting certain trade partners, rather than focussing on trade agreements. You still have huge control over your own economy by helping your own towns and villages, but supporting your trade partners by helping their property feel counter-intuitive. The random events also can feel quite contrived and repeated, and you'll soon get tired of being asked to deliver letters to nobles when you're the king of an empire. This game is amazing, and you should absolutely get it if you are a fan of moderate RPG elements, and active combat system, or large scale party management.
