Flying Squirrel Entertainment has finally announced Battle Cry of Freedom, an epic game of Civil War battles inspired by Mount and Blade that will be coming to PC via Steam next year.
In Battle Cry of Freedom, a total of 300 players can get together to duke it out on historical battlefields based on real-world locations from the American Civil War. There have been a fair few games about this conflict, but there are hardly any that look this good -- check out the trailer!
There's a lot to love here if you're a nerd for historical military battles. There will be more than just infantry and cannons in the game; there will also be musicians and engineers, the latter of which can establish supply points and construct battlefield fortifications. The attention to detail even applies to cosmetics; aside from a number of drill emotes and animations (such as "Parade - Rest" and "Present - Arms"), players will be able to customize their uniform with all of the wonderful inconsistency of the Civil War era.
Interestingly, there also happens to be a strange lack of cavalry in the trailer and promotional images. The game's Steam Store page shows the square formation (which is an anti-cavalry formation) and some of the swords appear to be cavalry-style sabers, but there's nary a horse in sight. Worry not, though -- the game's F.A.Q. says that there will be cavalry available in some capacity.
If you're a fan of the genre, the developer's name should sound familiar -- Flying Squirrel Entertainment are the same folks who made the Mount & Blade: Warband - Napoleonic Wars DLC. There is some competition in this genre with games such as Prime & Load and War of Rights, and there are sure to be plenty of Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord mods just as soon as Taleworlds loosens some of the restrictions in the game's code.
Best of all, this isn't just about massive multiplayer battles -- those of you that fancy yourself as the next General Grant or General Lee can enjoy the RTS-like "Commander Mode" instead with up to 800 AI troops fighting it out on the battlefield.
When is the Battle Cry of Freedom Release Date?
The Battle Cry of Freedom release date will be sometime in 2022 according to a press release; a more specific release date has not yet been announced. That said, the developers have promised that it won't cost more than €25.
For now, you can add Battle Cry of Freedom to your wishlist on Steam. You can also keep up with the game's development (and read a ton of previous dev logs) on its official website.
What do you think of Battle Cry of Freedom? What's your favorite game with muskets and cannons? Let us know in the comments below!
