If you've been interested in Mount & Blade but never actually bought the game, there's good news: GOG.com is giving the game for free for a limited time (you have about 41 hours left at the time of writing).
The game made by TaleWorlds Entertainment garnered a lot of fans over the years, with a sequel (Warband) released in 2010 and now available on GOG.com for less than $5.
Meanwhile, Mount & Blade fans are working for Bannerlord, the next franchise installment that's due to launch on PC at some point this year (barring any delays) with major improvements to graphics and gameplay systems.
Below you'll find an overview of the setting and features of the original Mount & Blade.
Calradia is a land at war, offering great riches and even greater dangers to adventurers and mercenaries that flock to shed their blood on its soil. With courage and a strong sword, an unknown stranger can make a name as a warrior.
Free-form sandbox gameplay. You are free to go anywhere in a world with more than a hundred unique locations including villages, castles and towns.Groundbreaking horseback combat.Highly advanced and intuitive sword-fighting systems.Fight on horseback and foot using a vast variety of medieval weapons, each with unique characteristics.You can be anything from a lonesome adventurer to a commander of armies or an owner of villages, castles or towns.Sophisticated AI will challenge you in combat and in your strategic plans.Freedom to interact with hundreds of characters.