Active Reviews

Written by Edward Hankins

Crusader Kings sends players back to a time when kingdoms were carved by the sword, where brother fought brother, a place where it�s easy to die and survival depends on a variety of skills and luck. Paradox puts players in charge of a kingdom in three distinct time periods: the Battle of Hastings in 1066 when William the Conquerer of the Normans defeated Harold King of England, the Third Crusade of 1187 which brought the Christian Army so close to victory but ended in bitter defeat, or the 100 years war in 1337 where the English were driven from France.

You choose to be a count, a duke, or a king; with each taking on more responsibilities and territory. When starting the game, you choose a kingdom, subjects, and responsibilities. You are confronted with palace intrigues, foreign wars, religious leaders, rebellious citizens, and the responsibility to carry on your dynastic line. If you can manage all this until the year 1452 victory is yours.

The game is a basic management game based on the Europa Universalis engine. A leader has 4 attributes: Martial, Diplomacy, Intrigue and Stewardship. Martial meaning in military matters, you earn points through successful military campaigns, martial discipline, and skill. Diplomacy involves matters of the state. Do you honor your treaties, do you sneak attack allies, or do you honor treaties all these have an effect. Intrigue refers to all the machinations of the palace court, assassination attempts, or attempts to usurp the throne. Stewardship as defined is how the player manages his lands, his citizens, and his treasury. Everything from securing prosperous marriages to how much to tax the serfs has an outcome on your rating.

Each king has a variety of attributes, much like standard RPGs. These include intelligence, education, wise, honorable, cruel, and a variety of others. Along with this there are various maladies that can affect ones kingdom, for a king with leprosy is much less effectual than a young vigorous prince.

The game progresses along the line of other similar games, you will be presented with a variety of choices. From picking your allies or offering treaties to others you must secure your borders. You must lead your kingdom in battle while still maintaining security and peace on the home front. You must pick political marriages, which is actually a very important part of the game.

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