Dont even try if you need a good graphics game, this game is meant to be just plain fun, without good appearence.
For thouse that doesnt know mount & blade, it is a action rpg, not like the ones you see in the market today, it does not take you to dungeons, magic creatures nor have spells like fireballs, this one is based on the reality of the medieval times, and the action part is like real war fights with lots and lots of bots killing each other in the battlefield and you among them, shooting arrows like an FPS game, or killing people with your blade or blunt weapon like an hack and slash game. The main objective it is to raise your army and money, so you can join larger battles and capture cities, villages and castles, you can do it by fighing with rebels, or side with one nation, or simply by being a outlaw... it also have some RTS features, like upgrading villages n cities, creating trade routes and other stuff.
But the main fun it is on the battle, you can fight on the open field, protecting a castle or simple sieging a castle, village or city... all the moves are controlled by user, it is you that aim to shoot, or swing ur weapon... but with lots n lots of target at the same time... believe me, this is the one game that you play over and over again...
Now, as an expansion, people might be disappointed, cause it didnt change or add much in the single player game, but this was never the point of the expansion in the first place, warband came to put on-line multiplayer on mount and blade, and they done that perfectly... Now I do agree that they need to fix some minor things but they allways did on the first mount and blade... And of course, you can download lots n lots of mods on the official forum... so have FUN!!!