Crusader Kings is the latest sim
published by Strategy First and developed by Paradox, the creators of the
acclaimed Europa Universalis series. The game uses the Europa Universalis
engine, and the result is an extremely deep and complex strategy game. While the
sheer amount of things to do will be overwhelming to some and may turn off
casual gamers, hardcore sim fans will find something to love here.
Crusader Kings starts you out by
selecting from one of many different nations during pivotal moments in European
history, like the Battle of Hastings and the Hundred Years War. After you select
your nation, you are automatically assigned a character as the ruler. From this
point on, you will manage nearly all aspects of your feudal kingdom. You will
even be able to take a spouse, have progeny and continue your bloodline.
Your territories are divided into
four different social classes that you must manage: Peasants, Burghers, Clergy
and Nobility. In order to manage them, you must utilize a system of checks and
balances that will pull funds from one group in order to compensate another
group. For example, by providing funds to the clergy, you must pull money from
the Burghers (and thus, lose some of their support) and vice versa. The same
applies to the Peasants and the Nobles, making the social class management
portion of the game a struggle for stability between your upper and lower
classes.
In terms of warfare, the game is
quite complex, requiring you to make a reason for war, be it laying claim to a
title or a land grab. Then, you invade and try to appease nearby nations by
offering peace in order to keep them from attacking you. All in all, the combat
system is very deep and layered.
This raises another issue for the
game; the sheer amount of things that you can do. By having control over pretty
much all aspects of a feudal government system, you have a bevy of options and
gameplay strategies at your disposal at anytime. This may alienate gamers who
are looking for a less deliberate, more action packed brand of gameplay. While
Crusader Kings is challenging and addictive in its own right, the gameplay may
be a bit too complicated for all but the most hardcore strategy gamers.
The graphics are pretty barebones,
which should bother the crowd that this game was developed primarily for. The
graphics are composed of small sprites and a huge map with all of the game’s
nations on it. The map is very colorful, and the sprites look pretty good. As an
added bonus, your character’s children will have certain facial features shared
with your character. However, all in all, the graphical presentation is simple
and doesn’t really stand out against other strategy titles.
The music is pretty good, with a
lush orchestral score. However, aside from a few instances of fanfare, there
really aren’t any other sound effects to speak of.
Crusader Kings has a lot of things
going for it. However, given the sheer amount of choices and gameplay options at
your disposal, the game caters to a very distinct crowd, which are hardcore
strategy gamers. More casual gamers will be turned off by the complexity of the
game and steep learning curve.
Gameplay: 8.0
Crusader Kings is a very complex and deep game. You have nearly complete control
over all aspects of your nation, from social classes to warfare and diplomacy to
your royal family and successors. However, this works as a double-edged sword
for the game, as many gamers may consider the game to be too complicated to
stick with it for too long.
Graphics: 6.5
Aside from some pretty good-looking maps and a few sprites, there isn’t much to
look at in Crusader Kings.
Sound: 6.0
While the game has a great soundtrack, aside from some fanfare sounds, there
really aren’t any other sound effects.
Difficulty: Hard
Concept: 8.5
Crusader Kings has a ton of gameplay features, which will certainly please
hardcore strategy fans. However, more casual gamers may feel alienated.
Multiplayer: 8.0
The game has multiplayer capabilities for eight people as they vie for power
over Europe, which stayed pretty stable throughout.
Overall: 7.9
Crusader Kings is a very deep and complex game, which will appeal to the crowd
that this game is made for. However, the gameplay is a bit complicated, and may
alienate more casual strategy gamers. Only hardcore strategy fans need apply.
