Checkout Expanded Gameplay 3 for the original Mount and Blade. It's probably the most fun gaming experience I've had (second to Brutal Doom though).

Might be too late to get a response but do you have a TLDR of the differences?

It's so much faster paced. You feel powerful. Weapons feel real. Horses have real inertia. It's more arcadey, but that's the premise. It's just plain brutal fun.

Give it a whirl, and make sure you choose The Olde Knight or the Steppe Prince. And please reply if you do try - it's a lost masterpiece that the original mount and blade should've been

I played it a few weeks ago on Win10 without issues.