I'm yearning for that Assassin's Creed Black Flag remaster, but this medieval RPG may be the unexpected answer to my prayers

While maybe not the best Assassin's Creed game ever, AC Black Flag remains my personal favorite. I loved being able to explore the seas with shanties blaring, but the thrill of ship combat put the biggest smile on my face. I've been desperate for this long-rumored Black Flag remaster to surface, and while a bit of Sea of Thieves dabbling has provided some relief, it may actually be Mount and Blade 2 Bannerlord that has the remedy. Yes, the RPG is dragging its huge, land-based battles into the high seas in its new expansion, and it looks awesome.

Rather than assembling and coordinating individual soldiers, several ships become your units in the War Sails DLC's naval battles. You'll assign yourself to your flagship vessel, which is the one you directly control. Before a skirmish begins, you can place your ships in your desired formation, and this is how they'll sail into battle.

Controlling your ship in Mount and Blade 2 is a challenge in itself - you must hoist your sails and watch your wind dial in order to gain speed and steer. If the breeze should die down, you must command your minions to row like they've never rowed before.

When it comes to sinking your opponents, you've got several options (depending on what kind of ship you have and how you've customized it, of course). Ballistas, for example, can be used to fire everything from stones to fire pots to deal damage at range. If you've got some archers in your crew, they can start shooting arrows at opposition vessels - if you install a brazier nearby, they can also ignite their arrows to deal fire damage. Alternatively, you can go for the kamikaze approach and ram into your enemies. This is a pretty precise science - "angle, speed, ship weight, and impact point all shape the damage dealt," developer TaleWorlds explains. Heavier ships are the best for the ramming approach, but there'll be the obvious trade off of them being more sluggish.

If you manage to simply disable a ship or catch one off guard, then you can go full Mount and Blade 2 style and get up-close and personal. Yes, you can board other ships. Tether a stranded ship with grappling hooks, pull yourself alongside, and command your men to invade. If multiple ships get involved, you may end up with, essentially, a floating battleground in the middle of the ocean, with infantry crossing from one deck to the next.

Of course, you can't talk about historical naval warfare without including the Nords, and thus a new Mount and Blade 2 faction has arrived. So too has a new, icy northern region to the game's world, inspired by the islands, fjords, and mountains of Norway.

The War Sails DLC for Mount and Blade 2 is out right now. If you're speedy, you can grab the expansion with a 10% discount, making it $22.99 / £18.89 until Wednesday, December 10.

For any AC Black Flag or Sea of Thieves enjoyers interested that don't already own the base game, here's even better news: Mount and Blade 2 is half price right now on Steam, with that offer expiring on the same date. May the seas be kind to you.