The short verdict
Bannerlord takes the part of Skyrim that felt underdeveloped — the war between factions — and makes it the whole game. You start as a lone sword-for-hire and can build a warband, serve a kingdom or found your own. Mounted combat is excellent, and the mod scene adds everything from fantasy overhauls to total conversions.
Bannerlord and Skyrim at a glance
| Bannerlord | Skyrim SE | |
|---|---|---|
| Steam rating | 88% · Very Positive Steam | 92% · Very Positive Steam |
| Metacritic | 77 MC | 74 MC |
| Critics (OpenCritic) | 76 · Strong OC | 81 · Strong OC |
| Platforms | Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 |
| Steam Deck | Steam Deck Playable | Steam Deck Verified |
| Mods on Nexus | 9,425 Nexus | 141,888 Nexus |
| Steam release | Oct 25, 2022 | Oct 27, 2016 |
| Developer | TaleWorlds Entertainment | Bethesda Game Studios |
| Co-op | None | None (single-player) |
| Perspective | First & third-person | First & third-person |
Ratings, dates, developers, co-op modes and Steam Deck status from the official Steam store; critic scores and platforms from OpenCritic; mod counts from Nexus Mods. Refreshed automatically.
What feels like Skyrim
- Medieval sandbox with first- or third-person melee and archery.
- Freedom to choose which side to fight for — or betray them all.
- Enormous modding scene.
What is different
- A strategy layer: you manage armies, clans, fiefs and economy on a campaign map.
- No dungeons, magic or handcrafted quest lines.
- Battles involve hundreds of soldiers rather than small encounters.
Skip Bannerlord if…
You want exploration, dungeons and fantasy rather than warfare.
Is Bannerlord a good alternative to Skyrim?
On our five-trait comparison, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord scores 68% similar to Skyrim(close) and ranks #12 of 13 on ouralternative Skyrim list. Medieval sandbox with first- or third-person melee and archery. The biggest adjustment for Skyrim players: a strategy layer: you manage armies, clans, fiefs and economy on a campaign map.
Bannerlord trailers & video reviews
Official trailer
Video reviewWhat critics say about Bannerlord
- Critics recommend
- 68%
- OpenCritic rating
- Strong
- Top critic reviews
- 26
Source: OpenCritic · verified October 14, 2026
- PC Gamer80/100
“Despite some shallow ancillary systems, Bannerlord is the master of medieval warfare”
Fraser BrownOct 28, 2022
Read the full review - IGN6/10
“A shallow grind of an overworld strategy game threatens to ruin enjoyment of Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord's unique and sublimely gritty tactical action.”
Jon BoldingOct 31, 2022
Read the full review - Rock, Paper, ShotgunUnscored
“The exact same old battles sewn onto a perfunctory, shallow RPG and an elaborate but undramatic and robotic feudalism sim”
Sin VegaNov 1, 2022
Read the full review - DualShockers8.5/10
“Grind and jank aside, there is nothing else like a Mount and Blade game, and Bannerlord is undisputably the best one yet. Its uniqueness alone makes it worth playing. To talk about it that way is to do it a disservice though; the true marvel of Bannerlord is that it actually delivers on what is an astonishingly ambitious concept. The two halves of the game complement each other perfectly. It may be on a slow boil, but once it gets up a head of steam, you won't be able to put it down.”
Robert WebbOct 27, 2022
Read the full review - TheSixthAxis7/10
“My return to Calradia wasn't entirely jubilant, though Mount & Blade 2 Bannerlord is a game I'll likely stick with, simply due to my love of the original. A wealth of new systems and activities help this sandbox strategy sim feel more alive than ever, though the busywork required to get anywhere can feel like a grind. Overall, existing fans will rejoice while newcomers may look on unimpressed, unsure what all the fuss is about.”
Jim HargreavesNov 22, 2022
Read the full review - Push Square8/10
“Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord combines RPG mechanics with grand strategy and features battles so epic they can be overwhelming at times. It has some rough edges, and the interface can be unwieldy, but at its core lies a roleplaying experience that is virtually unrivalled in scope - especially on console.”
Khayl AdamNov 17, 2022
Read the full review
Excerpts and scores as published by each outlet for Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, collected via OpenCritic OpenCritic.
Where to play Bannerlord — price, Steam Deck & players
How long is Bannerlord?
Playtimes vary hugely with how much you explore. See community-submitted completion times on HowLongToBeat.
Bannerlord PC system requirements
Minimum
- OS *
- Windows 7 (64-bit only)
- Processor
- Intel® Core™ i3-8100 / AMD Ryzen™ 3 1200 / Snapdragon X Elite
- Memory
- 6 GB RAM
- Graphics
- Intel® UHD Graphics 630 / NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 660 2GB / AMD Radeon™ HD 7850 2GB
- Storage
- 60 GB available space
- Additional Notes
- Integrated GPUs require additional 2GB of system RAM.
Recommended
- OS
- Windows 10 (64-bit only)
- Processor
- Intel® Core™ i5-9600K / AMD Ryzen™ 5 3600X
- Memory
- 8 GB RAM
- Graphics
- NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1060 3GB / AMD Radeon™ RX 580
- Storage
- 60 GB available space
From the official Steam store page · verified October 14, 2026
Latest official Bannerlord news
Beta Patch Notes - WS v1.3.0 / BL v1.5.0
[img src=" [p align="justify"]Greetings Warriors of Calradia, Our last content patch focused on the sandbox simulation. It made diplomacy more responsive and encouraged our lords to pursue meaningful wars, create larger…
War Sails Modding Competition
[img src=" Greetings Warriors of Calradia! Today, we’re raising our sails to celebrate the creativity and dedication of our modding community. We're thrilled to announce the War Sails Modding Competition, running from…
War Sails Modding Kit Release & Patch WS v1.2.8 / BL v1.4.8
[img src=" Greetings Warriors of Calradia, The War Sails Modding Kit is now available! A big thank you to all the modders who tested the Kit during the Closed Beta. Your feedback and early creations directly shaped the…
Patch Notes - WS v1.2.7 / BL v1.4.7
[img src=" Please note that there may be a delay between the download of the base game and the download of War Sails. If you launch the game prior to both of them being updated, you will crash. If you face this issue,…
Official announcements from the developer’s Steam news hub, updated automatically.
Bannerlord mods & community
Community links are fan-run spaces; opinions there are players’ own, not ours.
Community
What Skyrim players say about Bannerlord
Reviews from players on this site, answering the questions Skyrim fans actually ask. Published instantly, moderated afterwards.
No player reviews yet
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Bannerlord FAQ
Is Bannerlord like Skyrim?
Partly — we rate it 68% similar to Skyrim. Medieval sandbox with first- or third-person melee and archery. The biggest difference: a strategy layer: you manage armies, clans, fiefs and economy on a campaign map.
Is Bannerlord on PS5 or Xbox?
Yes. Besides PC, OpenCritic lists Bannerlord on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One.
Does Bannerlord work on Steam Deck?
Valve rates it Steam Deck Playable, according to its Steam store page.
Does Bannerlord have co-op?
No. Its Steam store page does not list co-op modes; like Skyrim, it is a single-player game.
Does Bannerlord have mods?
Yes. Nexus Mods hosts 9,425 mods for Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, downloaded 151,484,996 times.
Is Bannerlord worth playing?
critics give it a Top Critic Average of 76 on OpenCritic (68% recommend it), and Steam players rate it 88% positive (“Very Positive”) from 299,363 reviews. Skip it if: you want exploration, dungeons and fantasy rather than warfare.
How long does it take to beat Bannerlord?
It depends heavily on how much side content you do. See community-reported completion times on HowLongToBeat.
