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Stronghold 3

Frustrating for newcomers and disappointing for veterans, Stronghold 3 is a combat overhaul away from being any good.
Stronghold 3 Game Cover
35%Game Brain Score
graphics, story
gameplay, stability
29% User Score Based on 2,374 reviews
Critic Score 52%Based on 3 reviews

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Stronghold 3 Game Cover

About

Stronghold 3 is a single player and multiplayer real-time strategy game with fantasy, warfare and historical themes. It was developed by Firefly Studios and was released on May 25, 2012. It received neutral reviews from critics and negative reviews from players.

Stronghold 3 is the long-awaited third installment in the award winning castle-building series. Set 10 years after the original, the Wolf it seems, has cheated death and during his painful recovery he’s become even more bitter and twisted. Now he seeks revenge. Raiding villages and towns during the dead of night, the Wolf has created a tide of panic and you and your allies are the only force that …

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Stronghold 3 screenshot
Stronghold 3 screenshot
Stronghold 3 screenshot
Stronghold 3 screenshot
Stronghold 3 screenshot
Stronghold 3 screenshot
Stronghold 3 screenshot
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29%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,374 reviews
graphics111 positive mentions
gameplay50 negative mentions
  • The game has improved graphics and a nice soundtrack.
  • Some players find the castle building mechanics enjoyable and appreciate the day/night cycle.
  • The economic campaign offers a different gameplay experience that some players enjoy.
  • The game lacks a skirmish mode, limiting replayability and enjoyment for many players.
  • There are numerous bugs and glitches, including units getting stuck and crashes during gameplay.
  • The campaign missions can feel repetitive and uninspired, with a lack of engaging story elements.
  • graphics
    370 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players acknowledging improvements over previous installments, particularly in detail and atmospheric effects. However, numerous critiques highlight that despite the visual enhancements, the overall gameplay experience suffers due to bugs, poor performance, and a lack of engaging mechanics. While some players appreciate the aesthetic upgrades, they often feel that the graphics alone do not compensate for the game's shortcomings in other areas.

    • “The graphics are improved, and they added a few awesome songs to the soundtrack, but they aren't enough to have you keep playing more than a few hours at most.”
    • “The graphics are really nice as per usual stronghold style.”
    • “The graphics are nice but that about it.”
    • “The graphics are horrendous, a big downgrade from Stronghold 1 and Crusader, and the unit movement is terrible to say the least.”
    • “The graphics in general are okay, but when you play the game, the world just looks bland with little color, and the UI is smaller and less inviting.”
    • “The graphics are not impressive for a recently released game such as this, and the GUI leaves a lot to be desired.”
  • story
    348 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in Stronghold 3 has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over its execution and depth. While some found the narrative interesting and appreciated the continuation from previous titles, others criticized it for being repetitive, poorly presented through hand-drawn illustrations, and lacking the engaging character interactions of earlier games. Additionally, numerous players reported that technical issues and mission design detracted from the overall storytelling experience, leading to frustration and a sense of wasted potential.

    • “The story is really good!”
    • “Overall, I think this was definitely the strongest story arc of all the Strongholds and the missions were very well laid out and challenging.”
    • “I thought the campaign was amazingly well played out, and the story had me wondering constantly what was going to happen next.”
    • “The story is bland and horrible as you just complete some petty objectives and you get no sense of accomplishment.”
    • “The story had potential, but jumps and untold details kind of messed it up.”
    • “The story is unimaginative, and the missions are practically copied from the first Stronghold.”
  • gameplay
    237 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Stronghold 3 has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players citing poor mechanics, numerous bugs, and a lack of depth compared to its predecessors. While some appreciate the graphics and a few new ideas, such as the day-night cycle, the overall experience is marred by sluggish controls, unbalanced gameplay, and a frustrating building system. Many reviewers recommend sticking to earlier titles in the series for a more enjoyable experience.

    • “Building and defending castles feels really satisfying, and the gameplay is calm yet addictive.”
    • “After getting used to the gameplay, wall building, etc., it's a pretty good game.”
    • “Some slight technical hiccups here and there, but it doesn't take away from the incredibly fun gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is honestly not very fun.”
    • “Frequent crashes, bugs, atrocious AI (even of our own units!), horrendous pathing, unnecessary gameplay changes that made the game less fun (compared to Stronghold 2), dull campaigns - all of that made this game hard to be enjoyable at all.”
    • “The gameplay is what you'd find in an early alpha, very unpolished and not much in the way of content.”
  • stability
    173 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of Stronghold 3 has been widely criticized, with numerous users describing it as a "buggy mess" filled with glitches that significantly hinder gameplay. Many report issues such as units getting stuck, crashes, and problems with the save system, leading to a frustrating experience. Despite some patches addressing certain bugs, the game remains largely unfinished and plagued by stability issues, disappointing fans of the series.

    • “No glitches and the frame rate is smooth.”
    • “The game runs great and captures a lot of what the earlier games did well with not much newly added.”
    • “Even after all these years, the game is still way too buggy and does not really offer anything special to compensate for it.”
    • “A buggy, frustrating mess that feels like it's barely out of alpha, years and several patches after its original release.”
    • “Buggy, unfinished, and barely playable.”
  • music
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the nostalgic blend of classic tracks from previous titles and a few new additions that enhance the medieval atmosphere. While some find the soundtrack to be a highlight, others criticize it for being repetitive and overly reliant on recycled assets. Overall, the music is generally regarded as enjoyable and fitting for the game's theme, though it may not fully meet the expectations of long-time fans.

    • “The music is awesome as always.”
    • “Has great atmosphere and a really memorable soundtrack.”
    • “The combination of old and new music goes well together and is definitely a step up.”
    • “The soundtrack is ripped from Stronghold 2, which strikes me as cheap and lazy.”
    • “Sound and music have been blindly copied from the previous games.”
    • “The only worthwhile features (music, voices) in this game are ripped from the original, Stronghold 1.”
  • optimization
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting poor performance, frequent crashes, and a frustratingly low frame rate locked at 30 FPS. Many users feel that the game struggles to handle even a modest number of units on screen, leading to clunky gameplay and a lack of engaging features like custom skirmishes. Overall, the consensus is that insufficient optimization work has resulted in a subpar experience, especially for fans of the original titles.

    • “It should have been 200+, the most likely cause is probably too little optimization work being done on this entry.”
    • “Terribly optimized, barely runs the maximum of 600 units on screen.”
    • “Sure the performance is better, but what about the actual gameplay?”
    • “The game also suffers from poor performance, mostly in the fact that it's locked to 30 frames for... some reason?”
    • “I don't want to know how low it gets once you add two additional players. While I understand that for performance reasons, one cannot have too many entities at once, but 100 is laughable.”
    • “If you are a fan of the original Strongholds, don't waste your money on this game... overall I feel it was horribly optimized, clunky, and unplayable at times.”
  • atmosphere
    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive medieval setting, enhanced by a memorable soundtrack and detailed graphics that evoke a strong sense of time and place. Many players appreciate the dynamic elements, such as weather changes and lighting effects, which contribute to a rich and engaging experience. However, some critiques note that while the atmosphere is compelling, other gameplay aspects may not meet expectations.

    • “Brings you into the medieval atmosphere, and there is enough complexity in the city to not get tired of the game too soon.”
    • “Maybe even better than the original, because the atmosphere, the weather, the songs, the dynamic buildings, and the graphics are greatly improved.”
    • “Maps are very detailed and of the right dimensions with a medieval atmosphere made perfect also thanks to the various plays of light given by climate changes.”
    • “The atmosphere/building/strategy of this game just isn't fun.”
    • “What should've been the love baby between the gameplay and castle design of Stronghold II and the atmosphere of Stronghold I became a horrible mix of the worst features of both games, with some added monstrosities.”
    • “The game is actually better if you like medieval's darker atmosphere.”
  • replayability
    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from a significant lack of replayability, primarily due to the absence of a skirmish mode and multiplayer options, which limits players to replaying the campaign missions. Many reviewers express disappointment that the removal of these features diminishes the overall fun and engagement, making it difficult to justify returning to the game after completing it. Overall, players feel that without these elements, the game offers little incentive for repeated play.

    • “Overall it is like the stronghold we all know and love without the replayability to it.”
    • “No skirmish mode and multiplayer connection problems almost exterminate any replay value for this game.”
    • “Nearly 0 replayability due to the lack of skirmish mode (why?!?).”
    • “Any form of replayability is ruined because now you are left with only players, which won't play the game because they have no reason to, no AI or any incentive to go in.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game lacks any kind of skirmish mode, and this completely breaks the replayability for me.”
  • grinding
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is overwhelmingly tedious, with players finding missions and resource management burdensome and repetitive. Many express disappointment in the game's lack of innovation compared to its predecessor, Stronghold 2, citing numerous bugs and a frustrating gameplay experience that detracts from the enjoyment of castle building and combat. Overall, the grinding mechanics are seen as a significant flaw, contributing to a dull and frustrating gaming experience.

    • “The missions are somewhat tedious.”
    • “Playing a campaign that forces you to play missions with limits and destroy enemy castles without reinforcements gets very tedious.”
    • “The trade-related objectives are even more burdensome, as you try to maintain forward resource gathering locations defended, and your peasants eat the food required to meet quotas, making this a very tedious quota grind.”
  • humor
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate that the game's humor is inconsistent, with some players finding minor bugs amusing while others feel the overall comedic elements are lacking compared to the original. Many express disappointment in the absence of charm and humor, noting that the game's soldiers and tutorials detract from the experience. While there are occasional funny moments, the general consensus is that the game fails to deliver a cohesive humorous experience.

    • “The original Stronghold's story was pretty good, and the characters were humorous, colorful, and fun to listen to.”
    • “Currently plagued by funny bugs.”
    • “A cool and funny game.”
  • emotional
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional response to the game is overwhelmingly negative, with users expressing deep disappointment and heartbreak over its mechanics and overall quality. Many feel a sense of loss for the franchise they once loved, with one reviewer even stating that the game made them cry, highlighting the emotional weight of their dissatisfaction.

    • “Even at $2.99, I'm struggling to justify the purchase, and it is heartbreaking to me.”
    • “Sadly, it actually emotionally hurts me to say this, but this game is disgusting. I have been a collector and enthusiast of Stronghold since I was a child.”
    • “This game made me cry.”
  • monetization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users noting intrusive advertisements and a lack of originality, suggesting that it exploits a beloved franchise rather than offering genuine value. Players are advised to be cautious and seek reviews before making any purchases.

    • “Also gotta love how the first thing I see in this game is an advertisement for a better game.”
    • “This was a cash grab that executed one of my favorite game franchises.”
    • “Seems like it was made 10+ years ago and only recently released as a cash grab.”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    While users appreciate the atmosphere, soundtrack, and character designs, there is no specific mention of character development, suggesting that this aspect may not be a focal point in their experience.

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52%Critics’ scoreBased on 3 critic reviews
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9h Median play time
16h Average play time
5-25h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 15 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Stronghold 3 is a real-time strategy game with fantasy, warfare and historical themes.

Stronghold 3 is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 16 hours playing Stronghold 3.

Stronghold 3 was released on May 25, 2012.

Stronghold 3 was developed by Firefly Studios.

Stronghold 3 has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its gameplay.

Stronghold 3 is a single player game with multiplayer support.

Similar games include Stronghold Crusader 2, Stronghold: Warlords (PC) - Steam Gift - JAPAN, Might & Magic: Heroes VI, Stronghold, Might & Magic Heroes 7 and others.