The game captures the spirt of the time period well, through several game mechanics that help you to understand the Middle Ages. Your character can die at any time from being slain in battle to a sudden case of slow fever or any other common disease from the era. In most games, this would be an annoyance, but the succession mechanic means that death has a meaningful impact on gameplay. You might find that your first son (who you are now playing as a result of your character’s death) is challenged by a younger son for succession rights of your domain. This can turn ruling a peaceful kingdom into a desperate struggle for at any moment.
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| Considering the game came out in 2012 Crusader Kings II still looks sleek and elegant |
Where Crusader Kings shines the most is in its ability to generate meaningful scenarios no matter what you do in the game. In order to do well in the game you need to keep an eye out for rival characters and kingdoms that covet your land, and build alliances with other dynasties through marriage or mutual need. Certain characters or vassals will even try to betray you for personal gain or simply because they do not like you. Staying in power is a constant battle that requires you to pay attention to what is going on in the world around you.
This being said Crusader Kings 2 is not for everyone playing the game requires a willingness to learn about medieval concepts such as succession laws, and understanding the ranks and relationships of nobility such as dukes, barons, earls, kings and emperors. The game throws vocabulary at the player such as demese, levy, retinue, and de jure which can be difficult for a modern mind to understand. Furthermore it can be difficult to wrap your head around all of the diplomatic, military and intrigue actions you can take in the game. However the game provides tool tips, a decent tutorial, and generally does a good job of explaining what is going on such that a determined player can make sense of the game given enough time.
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| Crusader Kings II covers a huge amount of land (not pictured here North Africa, the Middle East and India) |
Furthermore I would be remiss if I did not mention the business model of the game, the vanilla version of the game currently sells on steam for $39.99 but if you want all of the downloadable content the complete package goes for $218.46. Most of the DLC adds unnecessary fluff such as character portraits for different nationalities, extra emblems for dynasties and titles, music and unit models, but it also includes DLC’s that will allow you to play as a trade republic, Viking raiders or an ahistorical scenario in which western Europe is invaded by Aztecs to name a few. The game has frequently gone on sale on Steam for as much as 75% off on everything so pick it up while it is on sale and then decide if you want to purchase the extra content.
I have never played a game quite like Crusader Kings 2, it uses a similar mechanics to Paradox’s other grand strategy game, but the inclusion of characters with motivations and goals makes it feel less like you are playing as and against faceless government entities slugging it out, and more like a huge drama out of Game of Thrones or a Shakespeare play. If this game interests you at all I recommend looking into it, as it is excellent example of what video games can to accomplish.
