In these days when big budget games like Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto and World of Warcraft grab the headlines, the role of indie games producers can often become overshadowed. Yet it's the independents that often come up with the innovations that push a genre forward, and that's certainly the case here, where Turkish husband and wife team TaleWorlds Entertainment have given us a fresh look at the RPG world.

Outwardly there's much that seems familiar. You're in a mythical medieval world called Calradia which is ruled by five competing monarchs, and when you join the game you can choose whether you want to be good or bad, knight or mercenary, blonde or brunette, etc. Once you've created your character, you're immediately guided to the tutorial to practise your moving, combat and riding skills which are fundamental to the gameplay.

As with other role-play games you can choose which skills to perfect for your career path, which could be via trading or fighting, and as you complete quests and defeat more enemies you gradually gain experience points and money with which to upgrade your weaponry, renown and abilities. Where Mount & Blade is noticeably different from its peers is in the absence of spells, magic and healing potions, as the emphasis is primarily on developing your combat powers.

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After your training is complete, you then realise that a conventional storyline is also absent and that a free-from sandbox method of gameplay is the order of the day. When you're presented with the extensive map, it's entirely up to you whether to head for more training or visit villages, towns and castles.

Where your actions do matter is who you perform your tasks for: if you decide to swear allegiance to a king, you will gain his friends and enemies as you grow in stature and fame. On the other hand, you can act alone, build up your own private army and then attempt to conquer the land for yourself.

As the title suggests, fighting on horseback is by far the most satisfying way to take on assailants, using bows, lances, crossbows and swords and success is more about timing than sheer bludgeoning power. Weapons have varying degrees of accuracy and whenever you meet bandits or mercenaries, they inevitably arrive in large numbers so it's in your interest to recruit other mercenaries rapidly and train them up.

Although the graphics are relatively unsophisticated, a fair bit of effort has gone into making the details as authentic as possible and the sense of being in a real world is enhanced by other events and conflicts happening around you without your intervention. One can only hope that if a sequel is planned that there will be a multiplayer option added, as this has all the hallmarks of being as addictive an online experience as it is in single player mode.

An innovative, free-form, medieval role-play game that has overhauled the rather stale combat systems of the past and injected some long overdue excitement and creativity into the genre.