Crusader Kings II
- February 14, 2012
- Paradox Development Studio
- 381h median play time
An unforgettable wander through the bastions, banquet halls and bedchambers of Medieval Europe.
Get on SteamThe Dark Ages might be drawing to a close, but Europe is still in turmoil. Petty lords vie against beleaguered kings who struggle to assert control over their fragmented realms. The Pope calls for a Crusade to protect the Christians in the Holy Land even as he refuses to relinquish control over the investiture of bishops - and their riches. Now is the time for greatness. Expand your demesne and se…
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Reviews
- gameplay3,457 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of *Crusader Kings II* is characterized by its deep and intricate mechanics, focusing on dynastic management, political intrigue, and emergent storytelling. Players navigate a steep learning curve, with many mechanics requiring significant time investment to master, but the payoff is a highly rewarding and immersive experience that encourages diverse playstyles and strategies. While the game offers extensive replayability and a rich modding community, many core mechanics are locked behind a substantial amount of DLC, which has drawn criticism for its pricing model.
“Deep and complex gameplay: Crusader Kings II is renowned for its intricate and deep gameplay mechanics, offering players the opportunity to manage a dynasty across centuries.”
“The gameplay, while itself featuring a pretty steep learning curve to those new to the genre, provides the perfect vector through which to influence the world and the events therein.”
“The sheer variety of starting characters and historical bookmarks, coupled with the open-ended nature of the gameplay, means you can replay Crusader Kings II countless times and still uncover new narratives and challenges.”
“The steep learning curve that accompanies the game can be extremely daunting at first, but if you commit some time and come to appreciate the mechanics of the game then that appreciation can spill over into love.”
“The tutorial is not really the best there is to teach you the game; but playing the game itself teaches you quite well if you are willing to try to figure out mechanics on your own.”
“The gameplay is hard to describe.”
- story1,660 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story aspect of "Crusader Kings II" is celebrated for its emergent narrative, allowing players to craft unique and complex tales through their choices and interactions with a richly detailed world. Each playthrough offers a different story, driven by character relationships, political intrigue, and random events, making it a standout title for those who enjoy deep storytelling in a strategy game. While the game lacks a traditional narrative structure, its sandbox nature encourages players to create their own epic sagas, filled with betrayal, ambition, and unexpected twists.
“With its rich historical context, deep gameplay mechanics, and engaging storytelling, this game stands as a testament to the brilliance of the genre.”
“This dynamic storytelling allows for an almost infinite number of unique playthroughs, ensuring that no two games are ever the same.”
“The story you can create not only with one character, but their whole family is the reason this is one of my favorite games of all time.”
“This game is like watching a movie without a plot and where the characters are just a set of attributes on a spreadsheet.”
“The game may lack any semblance of story line, but the organic way in which small events can snowball into much larger ones can create a very more interesting and unique story than any hard-coded script.”
“If you are someone who needs/wants a clearly defined goal and several objective markers to remind you what those goals are in all your games with constant gratification of completing quests and a story with cutscenes, this game is not for you.”
- replayability1,234 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
Crusader Kings II is widely praised for its exceptional replayability, with players noting that each playthrough offers unique experiences due to its vast array of characters, cultures, and events. The game's depth, combined with extensive modding support and numerous DLCs, enhances its replay value, making it a favorite among strategy enthusiasts. While some mention a steep learning curve and the necessity of DLC for a fuller experience, the overall consensus is that the game provides nearly infinite replayability, ensuring players can enjoy countless hours of gameplay.
“Infinitely replayable, there's always some new and totally unique way of playing waiting for you to try every time you start a new game.”
“The replay value is immense, as there is a nearly endless combination of cultures, religions, heresies, government types... character creator, map options, randomizers...and the ability to mod...”
“This is one of the best games I own, CK2 has the most replayability in any game I've ever played, the learning curve can be rough and the DLC can be very expensive (if you don't get them on sale) but I have almost 5k hours in the game and it still is enjoyable and there are still things I have yet to do.”
“Not much replayability, can't recommend.”
“Could use more content, little replay value.”
“In the end, I think the diplomacy lacks depth and therefore I won't be playing the game over for replay value.”
- music614 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in Crusader Kings II is generally praised for its immersive and fitting soundtrack, which enhances the medieval atmosphere of the game. However, many players find the music can become repetitive over time, leading some to prefer using their own playlists. While the base game offers a solid soundtrack, additional music packs are often viewed as unnecessary cosmetic additions, with recommendations to focus on essential expansions instead.
“Background music: excellent, with a fitting and immersive soundtrack.”
“The sound design is fantastic for this kind of game - the music is grand and just varied enough to keep monotony at bay, the UI sounds are satisfying with their clicks and paper shuffling, even the sounds of battle or minor events imbue CK2 with a vibrancy not found in other games, especially not other grand strategy titles.”
“The music is fantastic and really fits with the period.”
“Ck2 is like an awesome rock band that after ten years does not have any of the original band members in it; the name is there, but the music is bad.”
“Separating music, textures, and content into three separate DLCs was awful when this developer started doing this at the beginning, but they have made this an excessive habit and a terrible entertainment experience.”
“The soundtrack is amusing the first couple of times, but after a while it starts to wear on you.”
- graphics594 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered outdated and not graphically intensive, with many reviewers noting that they serve their purpose but lack polish compared to contemporary titles. While the art style is appreciated for its historical and realistic representation, the user interface and overall visuals are often described as cluttered and in need of improvement. Despite these limitations, players emphasize that the game's depth and engaging mechanics more than compensate for its graphical shortcomings, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of strategy games.
“The aesthetics with the use of art with: war, family title holders (coat of arms), landscape, relative history, religion, and usage of language(s) make it feel you really are sitting above the world with influence to make an affluent mark throughout the game.”
“Although the graphics and interface may seem a bit dated by now, they don’t diminish the joy one has playing the game.”
“The graphics are great for a game of this type.”
“Graphics and UI: while the game's depth compensates for its graphical limitations, the visuals and user interface are not as polished as some other contemporary titles.”
“Graphically there isn't much here which for the price and amount you have to spend on DLC content, I expected better for my money.”
“The age definitely shows: the UI is just a mess, a lot of the graphics are pretty sloppy, and there's a huge amount of esoterica that's required to play the game effectively.”
- humor476 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The humor in "Crusader Kings II" is a standout feature, characterized by its dark, absurd, and often unexpected comedic moments that arise from the game's intricate mechanics and random events. Players appreciate the blend of historical context with outrageous scenarios, such as bizarre character traits and ludicrous plot twists, which create a rich tapestry of hilarious storytelling. The game is particularly enjoyable for those who appreciate role-playing and the unpredictable nature of medieval politics, making it a unique source of entertainment that often leads to memorable and laugh-out-loud experiences.
“If you are: 1) into history, 2) into map style grand strategy games, 3) into hilarious events like 'because you joined a satanist cult your back has bent and you now eternally face the ground, and your lord, satan - you have gained the hump-back trait', then this game will be for you!”
“This game is hilarious, fun, and challenging if you want it to be (with mods or otherwise).”
“In short, Crusader Kings II is a majestic feudal sandbox, the greatest generator of hilarious medieval soap opera ever created and Paradox Interactive’s best title to date.”
“The humor in the game feels outdated and fails to land any genuine laughs.”
“The jokes are so stale that they seem to have been written decades ago.”
“I found the attempts at humor to be more cringeworthy than funny.”
- grinding138 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 3 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that while the game offers a rich narrative and complex mechanics, it often suffers from tedious grinding, particularly in micromanagement and progression. Players note that the slow pace and cumbersome systems can detract from enjoyment, making the experience feel more like a time sink than a rewarding challenge. Despite these frustrations, some players appreciate the depth and potential for storytelling, suggesting that patience can lead to satisfying outcomes.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“A bit grindy sometimes.”
“Buy this game if the 4X genre isn't tedious enough for you.”
“While I appreciate the complexity and depth of the game, I find it to be too slow and tedious.”
“It seems every cool option or decision is guarded behind numerous tedious mechanics that are primarily manipulated through luck.”
“Everything strategic comes slow and tedious in this game; technology, territory improvements, money, conquest, etc. You have to jump through a dozen hoops just to see a small gain.”
- stability128 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 92 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, particularly in multiplayer modes. While some users note improvements and a generally stable experience, others describe it as a "buggy mess" that can become unplayable, especially after extended play sessions. Regular patches are issued, but the overall sentiment suggests that the game still suffers from stability issues that detract from its potential.
“Good game with no glitches at all, definitely none.”
“Runs great off of my laptop too, which is a massive plus.”
“Also runs great on Linux, thank you for making a native build!”
“The vanilla version of this game is a buggy, unplayable mess.”
“This could be an amazing game, but it's too unstable and buggy; periodically it just stops working, often crashes out, and in virtually every session after about 10 minutes you can no longer left-click with the mouse.”
“This game literally crashes every single time I launch it, no mods installed; it's just not playable, plain and simple. The audio cuts out in the middle of the map screen and your whole screen freezes every single time.”
- optimization94 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 34 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is generally well-received for most systems, particularly in early to mid-game; however, significant performance issues arise in the late-game, especially on less powerful hardware. Many players report that the game struggles with lag and slowdowns as campaigns progress, often requiring third-party mods to improve performance. Overall, while some recent patches have improved stability, the game's optimization remains a notable concern, particularly with the increasing demands of DLC content.
“Always loved this game and it really works well on my low-performance fan-less mini-PC.”
“Given the recent optimization it received, I can see myself playing this game at least 5 years from now.”
“Art style is good and the game runs smoothly.”
“Performance issues in late-game: as campaigns progress into the later centuries, the game may experience performance issues and slowdowns, particularly on less powerful hardware.”
“The only downside for this game is that very late game it runs poorly; the Black Death would help your performance by killing off a lot of people, but if you play a long game, most of the world has built good hospitals.”
“Ugh, forget about the DLC practices, this game is so poorly optimized I'll probably never see what makes it so good.”
- monetization70 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 71 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players labeling it as a "cash grab" due to the extensive reliance on DLCs and in-game advertisements, even for those who own all content. While some players appreciate the depth added by the DLCs, they express frustration over locked features and the overwhelming presence of ads, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite the game's quality, the monetization practices have left a sour taste for many, leading to mixed feelings about recommending it.
“Amazing game, microtransactions are 'recommended' - necessary - but a great game.”
“And overall the prices have been quite fair when compared to content delivered through microtransactions within games like Fallout 4.”
“Paradox Interactive, the Swedish company behind Crusader Kings, has a monetization system that allows for a lot of content to be created long after launch in DLCs.”
“Right out of the gate, it's advertising DLC in-game, and to add insult to injury, numerous features are present but locked behind a paywall, cluttering up the interface with locked buttons and prompts to buy more DLC.”
“Awful ideas followed by bad execution and a horrendous monetization scheme, custom made to trap you into thinking that 'if I buy another DLC, the game might actually get fun!' It never gets fun.”
“Despite it being free now (wish it were free when I bought it, would have been easier on my wallet), it is still a major cash grab on Paradox's part.”
- emotional66 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a deeply emotional experience in the game, highlighting the intense connections formed with characters and the moral dilemmas faced throughout gameplay. The narrative complexity and the ability to shape a dynasty lead to a rollercoaster of feelings, from joy and attachment to sorrow and regret, making it a standout in emotional storytelling within the grand strategy genre. Many express that the game evokes genuine emotional responses, often leaving them feeling invested in the fates of their virtual families and characters.
“I laughed, I cried, I (almost) smashed my mouse in frustration.”
“This game has made me feel so many mixed emotions it's insane.”
“Had to assassinate my brother because he was going to rebel against me; after that, I cried for 5 minutes straight because it was so sad.”
- character development62 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is widely praised as a standout feature, offering deep immersion and engagement through intricate storytelling, dynasty management, and role-playing elements. Players appreciate the ability to customize characters and navigate complex political landscapes, which enhances the overall experience and enjoyment of the game. The combination of character progression and historical realism is noted as a defining aspect that sets this title apart in the grand strategy genre.
“Few games have offered the depth of character development and role-playing that Crusader Kings II provides, and there are absolutely no rivals in the strategy space.”
“A full-blown character development and dynasty system gives incredible richness to the world and the player's attachment to character, family, and kingdom.”
“It's character development and focus on historical realism makes Crusader Kings II quite possibly the best video game ever made.”
“Medieval strategy game with added complex character development that can save or ruin your game.”
“For some people there may not be enough action and things may progress slowly, however it makes up for that in its deep character development and politics.”
“Its hard to explain a strategy game centered around character development without calling it an RPG--which Crusader Kings is not, but you can't help but feel like you're playing a novelized RPG.”
- atmosphere34 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and realistic portrayal of the medieval period, with thoughtful aesthetic details and a dynamic user interface that reflects cultural and governmental variations. While some users find certain DLCs disruptive to the overall experience, the core atmosphere is described as ambitious and engaging, offering a refreshing departure from the typical dark and gloomy tones often found in similar games. However, there are criticisms regarding the representation of African nations, which some feel lacks depth and effort.
“The atmosphere is spot-on, and everything has been aesthetically thought of, even down to the UI changing depending on culture group, government, or a myriad of other factors.”
“It truly embodies the whole time period and creates a realistic atmosphere.”
“Very immersive atmosphere; sometimes I spend hours just looking at all the characters and their ancestors.”
“Still has some problems and some DLC is stupid (like Sunset Invasion which I always disable because the freaking Aztecs have no place crossing the Atlantic and hitting in medieval Europe, or the atmosphere-destroying DLC soundtracks like Paradox's own metal band which is also permanently disabled for me) but overall I recommend the game a lot.”
“- more positive things, the atmosphere is a little too depressing for my taste.”
“It all adds together to give CS2 a real sense of atmosphere, refreshingly not in the usual 'dark, rainy and miserable' sense that highly atmospheric games often default to.”
