We've been looking forward to Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord for a long time now—a really long time. It's not that we haven't seen progress on it. We got some promising hands-on time with it just a couple of months ago at E3, in fact. But on the whole, developer TaleWorlds Entertainment hasn't been overly communicative with its fan base about the new game, a shortcoming it acknowledged—and promised to address—in a message posted today on Steam. 

"We realize that we haven’t communicated with you as frequently and as openly as we should have. We failed at connecting with our community, and sometimes it might appear as if we are not paying you as much attention as you deserve," TaleWorlds wrote. "We are incredibly grateful for having such fantastic support and we were unsuccessful in letting you know just how much we appreciate you being there for us over the years." 

To improve its relationship with Mount & Blade and and make the Bannerlord development process more "transparent," TaleWorlds said it will start a new weekly blog, with posts going up every Thursday. "You will get to know who is behind Mount & Blade, the diverse and talented team of designers, artists, programmers and others that make the game possible; you will glimpse our struggles and hopes, our daily work, and our favorite parts of the game," the studio wrote. "We hope that you enjoy the read and also that it makes the waiting easier!" 

The announcement coincides with the departure of Frank Elliott, longtime community and PR manager for TaleWorlds:

The first blog post is actually the announcement of the new blog series, so there's not much more to be seen—including, unfortunately, any indication of when it might actually come out. We said in April that Mount and Blade 2 "is on a mission to be 2017's best RPG," but a release date (even a tentative one) still hasn't been announced. Given that we're now into August, I'm starting to think that maybe we were being a little optimistic. 

The first time I saw a regiment of horse archers crest a dune, kicking up a cloud of sand that masked their numbers, I realized that Bannerlord wasn't just a prettier Mount & Blade. The combat is still built upon the same foundation—by flicking my mouse during an attack, I can determine the direction my character swings his sword. But a host of subtle changes and a major step up in presentation makes the action more satisfying than it ever did in Mount & Blade: Warband. With a quick command, I instructed my own cavalry unit to follow me and we charged headlong into the enemy horse archers before they could turn around to retreat. My spear caught one soldier and he toppled from his horse in a spray of blood. And all I could think was, dammit, why doesn't this game have a release date?

It's been nearly five years since Bannerlord was first announced. And during E3, I finally got a chance to play it for myself. The wait has been a tough one—the Twitch chat seemed particularly frustrated (and eager) during the Bannerlord presentation at the PC Gaming Show—but Bannerlord is coming together extremely well. Taleworlds was only showing off the combat, which is a small portion of everything that comprises a Mount & Blade game. But if it's indicative of how the rest is coming along, I have very high hopes.

During the first part of my demo, I was dropped into an arena to test my mettle against waves of spawning enemies. As someone who has played an embarrassing amount of Warband, I felt immediately at home with Bannerlord's demanding combat. But enemies were noticeably less foolhardy in attacking me than in Warband. Improved AI means that, one on one, enemies tend to put up a much better fight. Instead of just rushing me and exposing themselves for a quick kill, they seemed to be more cautious and chose their attacks more carefully.

One of the biggest changes to the combat is the introduction of directional shield blocking. In Warband, shields were powerful because they could block attacks no matter the direction. That's still true, but now skilled swordsman are rewarded even more than before. When matching a directional attack with the same directional shield block, shields take less damage. It's imperative that you block properly with a shield so that aggressive foes don't quickly hack it to pieces.

Another new improvement to combat is chain attacks, which not only offer more offensive options but also look fantastic. Bannerlord is still firmly rooted in methodical combat, but seeing my character twirl his sword over his head as he repeatedly hacked at an enemy's face was really fun to watch. Getting the hang of them, however, will require some practice. When flicking the mouse in a direction to initiate an attack, you have to flick the mouse in that same direction but also hold the attack button immediately after your first attack connects. It's hard to explain, but after a few minutes chain attacks wove themselves into the rhythm of attacking and blocking that I love in Warband.

Oh captain, my captain

Both of those changes are small and will only be fully appreciated by Mount & Blade veterans. Taking to the field in a proper full-scale battle is where Bannerlord's improvements really take effect. While hand to hand combat in Warband was relatively easy to grasp, the overarching tactics of its massive battles were not. The obtuse interface made giving commands a real pain—especially for new players. Bannerlord's new interface is a lot easier to understand and work with and, for apprentice tacticians, the new sergeant system greatly relieves the burden of commanding a hundred soldiers.

As part of a more complex military hierarchy in Bannerlord, it's now possible that you won't be the one calling the shots during a fight. Instead, as a sergeant, you'll have a unit to command directly but you'll receive orders from a commanding officer. I was slightly disappointed to find out those orders are more like suggestions, as there's no consequence for ignoring them entirely and doing your own thing in battle. That seems like a bit of a missed opportunity since the bigger political metagame of Warband was all about juggling favors for various lords as you climbed the ranks. Still, having an AI general issuing commands offers a sense of direction for players who struggle with the chaos of clashing armies.

I played through three separate fights during my demo, each one placing me in command of a cavalry unit. During the battle, my general would frequently bark orders at me toprotect flanks, charge enemy units, or fall back when things got too heated. The orders were never overly complex, but I enjoyed having someone else call the shots while I focused on leading my unit and skewering enemies.

It was in these bigger battles that the improvements to Mount & Blade's visual and audio presentation really excited me. As I already said, horses kick up clouds of sand that add a great deal of visual noise to a fight on desert terrain. I'm not sure if it could ever be used strategically, but it's a gorgeous effect all the same.

Where Warband relied too much on ragdoll effects, Bannerlord mixes them with traditional animation, making attacks feel more vicious and deadly. When I charged into an enemy unit on horseback, soldiers collapsed and twisted under the stampede of hooves, armor crunching as they shrieked in pain. I raked my sword across a soldier's face and he spun with the force of the blow, dropping his sword to clutch his wound as he fell dead. It's this kind of attention to the moment-to-moment violence that makes combat in Bannerlord completely absorbing. When my allotted time for the demo was up, it was hard to leave. I just wanted to experience the thrill of a mounted cavalry charge again and again.

Everything Taleworlds has shown us of Bannerlord is promising, but it's reassuring to finally get my hands on it and know that it's not all for show—at least with the combat. It's evident that a lot of love has gone into this sequel and the result is that Bannerlord doesn't feel as janky or B-tier as previous Mount & Blade games. No one at Taleworlds was willing to reveal even a rough window of when the game would launch (despite my persistent asking). If Taleworlds can also improve on the social simulation and overarching strategy the same way they're improving the combat, the wait will be worth it.

There are strands of PC gaming that feel specific to our desktop boxes – that no other gaming device could do as well, or with such vigour. Driving a truck across a barren patch of Nevada, for instance, or relentlessly clicking on goblins until you're covered in loot. Or, more relevantly in this instance, ordering angry, bearded men across a huge battlefield. If the latter is your jam, you'll be wanting to see this new footage of Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord, exclusively unveiled at the PC Gaming Show.

Taleworlds' sandbox RPG is an exciting prospect, and these new trailers show off a major feature: soldiers smacking each other with swords and axes, sometimes on horseback.

First up, a cavalry sergeant!

Next, a horse archer sergeant!

Mount & Blade: Warband fans will know broadly what to expect, but Bannerlord offers some major improvements – not least to the graphics. Here, via Taleworlds' press release, is a roundup of Bannerlord's major new combat features:

• Advanced Formations – Merge and split forces at your behest, with intuitive but powerful control over the movement, form and behavior of every unit! Order heavy infantry to hold together, shoulder-to-shoulder in a slowly advancing but near impenetrable shield wall; or launch your cavalry in lightning charges using the skein formation.
• Battlefield AI – AI commanders can execute complex tactics, utilizing the advanced formation options to present a formidable challenge. Their behavior is drawn from actual historical tacticians, for example Alexander the great, who used his superior cavalry forces to rout their counterparts in the opposing army, before delivering a crushing blow to the enemy’s main force. This not only creates the feeling of an authentic medieval battle but also proves effective in-game, as in reality.
• Sergeant System – Commanders now designate units to other lords in battle, including the player! Execute the orders issued by your commander throughout the fight, and use your own instincts to do your part and help secure victory on the field of battle. Lead the horse archers as they skirmish and harass the enemy to disrupt their lines before your allies finish them off, or take control of the cavalry and charge into the fray to devastate entire units at once!

Combat has also been improved, giving your beardy boys directional shield blocking, attack chaining that lets you catch your opponent off guard, and animation and engine improvements. For more about why Bannerlord is one of the most exciting RPGs on the horizon, take a look at out our massive preview feature.

Check out this post for more from The PC Gaming Show at E3 2017. You can watch the show live on Twitch, and catch up on all the news from this year's show right here.