Mount & Blade 2: Banner Road's revamped combat system is a big improvement over its predecessor, but some fans feel there is one major exception: automatic blocking. The game's third-person melee combat is a lot of fun, but you have to develop pretty fast reflexes to parry enemy attacks and use two-handed weapons effectively; TaleWorlds forum posters have been informed by customer service representatives that this feature is coming back, so it won't be long It won't be long. Previous titles in the Mount & Blade series had an auto-block feature, where the character would always try to block an attack if there was no input from the player. According to a message from the TaleWorlds support team, "We have disabled this feature, but due to the number of requests we have received, we plan to add it back. We will let you know in the forums."

There have been a few posts on the official forums and in the Steam discussion threads requesting the return of this feature. Others have dismissed their concerns out of hand, claiming that the game would be better if they could learn to use the block and parry system. Those who had used the previous system more casually and preferred to play the game as a strategy/tactics game did not agree. In addition, the auto-block feature was cited as an important part of the game for players with disabilities. Players with motor or vision impairments may not be able to move the mouse quickly enough to react or consistently keep track of enemy movements in a very monotonous game environment. (Incidentally, there is a mod for that.) Perhaps automatic blocking will only be added to single-player and remain disabled in multiplayer, as in the previous game.

For more information on Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord, check out this large tag page filled with guides, news and dead-eyed NPCs. If you're not familiar with medieval warfare & politics games, here's an overview of the game and some tips for getting started Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord was released earlier this week. Developed by Turkish studio TaleWorlds, it is in Early Access on Steam.