Bought - and played - this game (and Warband) many years ago, and really enjoyed it. But I quickly got distracted playing all the new stuff I bought, so my skills and quests didn't advance much. Very recently, I saw this title referenced somewhere, so I came back to see where I'd left off. And... well... I think I'll stay for a while. Having now played so many games with advanced graphics, interfaces, and story-lines (I finally built a sick, gaming PC), I've really come to appreciate the simpler, more straight-forward design, interface, and fighting dynamics of Mount & Blade (which now runs at 100+fps). In its day and time, M&B had some of the best sword-fighting and horse-riding dynamics of most games. I feel they still hold up very well, and provide some believable, challenging, and satisfying encounters and game-play. Pretty impressive for a game released in 2008!