0 A.D. vs Mount & Blade
0 A.D.
0 A.D. is a really unique game not because it is possibly one of the most well-made, open-source, historical real-time strategy games we've ever seen; the game started off as a mod for Age of Empires 2: The Age of Kings but ended up being a standalone game with its own game engine and everything. This is a pretty huge feat and puts 0 A.D. on the same level as other successful mod-turned games like Garry's Mod. However, the game may lose out a bit when it comes to popularity mainly because it's not available on Steam, which happens to be the current largest PC gaming platform, and partly because there isn't a lot of promoting from established gaming media, or marketing, even.That said, the game is incredibly impressive for an under-development and completely free game. You can play as a number of civilizations that has their own graphics and models to set them apart. There are also citizen-soldiers who like in real-life, can switch between gatheirng resources like a civilian and fighting as a soldier depending on need. Unlike certain RTS games that allow you to unlock every branch of the tech tree, this game offers technological tradeoffs between two equally important tech, forcing you to really consider your choices and pick one that fits your play style.
0 A.D. also tries to be as historically accurate as possible, conforming its 3D models and maps to actual historical depictions of the people and land back in the day. The effort into making game realistic is astounding, but of course, the devs have mentioned that if they had to choose between having a feature that's historically accurate or playable, they will definitely choose playable every time... naturally, since this is still mainly a game and all.
So, if you're interested, know that you can get the game for free on their site.
Mount & Blade
Mount & Blade is the first game in a highly popular game franchise that boasts of being an RPG with one of the most sandbox-like gameplay ever. In this game, you can play as anyone you like be it a lone adventurer, a military commander or even the "mayor" of a small town in Calradia. The game also provides a rich and open world, allowing you to travel anywhere you like and discover all manner of points of interest ranging from farm villages to massive castles. You even have the freedom to interact with hundreds of characters, some of which will likely be hostile towards you. Due to this, the game provides you with an intuitive combat system that includes both sword-fighting and fighting on horseback that you can use to dispose of the hostile.Mount & Blade is an old game, and as such, its graphics may be a bit dated and its controls feel rather clunky. Thus, the game by itself might not be worth the money, but if you can get it along with Mount & Blade Warband or Mount & Blade With Fire and Sword - the two other and much better games in the series, then it'll be worth getting it.