I remember playing this game some time ago ...and loved the opportunity to thank the developers by actually buying it !The support from Rocky Hills was amaizing, I gave little to no clear reason to why the game does not even install, yet I was replied after 10 minutes on new year's eve ! So that is what I call 5 star service ! Thank you for that !For the game itself and the developers ...well bottom line ...SAVE YOUR MONEY OR BURN IT WITH A LIGHTER ! I ordered it for next day shipping only to get my frustration trough the roof ! First of all Steam sucks ( I am onboard a ship and 500 Mb cost me 20$ and I wasted about 800 Mb for this crap!) The Steam that was supplied on the disc was very old and required upgrade, after 700Mb it required a Product Code that is suppose to be inside the case (for the game and each of the addons) they are not there! I could not even install the damn game !I am running a Windows 8.1 Asus ROG J750 with upgrades !It would have been more effective to download the cracked version from the web it would have cost me about 40$ but I would have played the game !each game in the series has variety between the games . Mods and DLC available add additional variety ( from star trek themes to goblins, game of thrones to middle earth) .Game plays okay on single player on my old 1.6ghz 3200 graphics laptop.This was for my son. He has enjoyed the game. He was a little disappointed in the ability to play with others.The person who received the game said, "One of the perfect games if you love Medieval genre. Just don't forget to install mods. :)"This game was for my son......he really enjoys playing it.As noted on another review, great game, lots of mods available!!!Best game ever! But the product key didn't work for steam so I could only play the 30 day demo?Got this for a friend. He seemed to like it, but the problems with Steam made it too much of a hassle.I bought this because it was half the price it is on Steam, and it includes the original Mount &Blade, and Warband with its expansion Fire and Sword. Unfortunately it does not include Napoleonic wars. Funnily enough the box is the Steam version which made me chuckle. However, bare this in mind, you will need an internet connection to register for a Steam account if you don't already have one. Don't let this scare you as most PC gamers use Steam these days as its games are often on offer, it's just that on this occasion Amazon were cheaper.The game itself is great. Although showing it's age slightly, there are literally hundreds of Mods available that improve it heaps and bounds.I recommend looking up the Anno Domini 1257, it is nothing short of brilliant. Sand box roll playing gaming at its best. After several years of teasing my son for playing this.....I'm hooked.I play this game on my laptop (just a £600 HP) and it works fine. A few graphical glitches but nothing that can't be solved with a simple save and then reload.As for the game itself - FANTASTIC! The combat is fun and, at times, challenging. It's very satisfying riding a horse and cutting your opponent down as you charge past them.Outside combat, it's a challenging world but you can tackle it anyway you want... you can ally yourself with a kingdom or go off on your own, you can start your own business and trade goods for higher profit, you can be a gladiator and/or a mercenary, bounty hunter, slave trader ANYTHING YOU WANT! and even King, although I haven't got that far yet.In warband you can set up your kingdom though I haven't got that far yet.For such a cheap price, this game is a must buy.I would stress that this ISN'T a deep, confusing strategy game either. I AM NOT A GAMER but I still found my way around easy enough and got into the game. It might take an hour or two but any person can get the hang of this game. That's not to say it's a simple, brain dead game. There are difficulty levels and also your own style of gameplay shapes the world you play in.Well worth it and apparently there is a vast modding society available as well, although I wouldn't know where to even look!The Mount and Blade games are really fun and absorbing and will hold your interest for weeks. The product key is inside the CD case. However, be aware that the games are not on the CD. The CD installs Steam on your computer, from where you have to create a (free) account and then download the games. This could be a problem if you don't have internet access and wanted to be able to play the games offline. Also, if you have a monthly download limit (like I do), the games are big and will use up lots of memory downloading them.Overall, brill games but it should really say in the description that you need an internet connection to actually get them.Gift for the BF. He got addicted to the Trial on steam but just wanted Warband and this was cheaper..The code thing was kind of annoying for him, but i don't think he was prepared for it.Also seemed to come with Napoleonic? Which wasn't expecting but also hasn't used.After watching many videos of this on Youtube i decided i wanted this. I looked on steam and saw the prices of the collection and it is over 20 pound came on here and looked at the price and didnt have to think twice. The game it self i enjoy building up an army and going around helping which ever army you want. If it were a bit more linear it would be cooler.