Very nice review. I feel a lot of reviewers, when they come to the game, simply miss the whole concept of the fighting being far free-er and more intuitive than anything, anywhere. Must games go with a point and click, even for hand to hand, so having the physics, direction, speed bonuses... they all make M&B unique.
And of course, the horse combat is brilliant. No other game I have ever played has had something as perfect as this
M&B is definitely getting bigger and bigger, as more and more people are converted to its heavenly scent!