Recent reviews by sgtpeppermint

I keep coming back to this deceptively simple looking game. Your immediate options are limited, but under the hood there's a pretty impressive level of strategy and the game gets tough as you go on. It's beautiful to boot, and (like most 2d games) runs very well on my total potato of a laptop.

I had a profound sense of panic and loss as I inevitably died alone in the snow. 10/10.

Strong expansion overall. Yes there are a few flaws with the accompanying patch but they will be fixed and the major ones are already hotfixed. Conquest is now more difficult, maybe too much, but other than that... Wow. Fort system is a revelation. Little QoL additions such as retiring advisors are nice. The new building system, even without the expansion, is far superior to the old - it adds another set of strategic choices to the game, and needed peacetime depth. Seven/eight out of 10 overall. Some minor issues, but definitely worth getting in the long run. If you're not sold, wait for a sale, but this will become one of the expansions new players are told to get first. The raw content is great and makes significant improvements to the game.

I've been playing this game for over a year now and it's basically supplanted everything else - even Europa Universalis IV, by the same developers (Paradox Development Studios, seriously, look them up) which came out recently - and has essentially become my gaming life. As far as complex and deep strategy go, this game is unmatched; the intrigue and politics that can go on in both single player and multiplayer are top notch, not to be found to the same standard anywhere else. While there are small issues, such as the current implementation of multiplayer, the game recieves constant support and the above is lined up to be changed along with other parts of the game which need work, of which there are very few. Mechanics which don't work in the way the players and dev team envisioned them (the combat system, for example, up until the most recent major patch) get revamps all the time in the free patches which accompany the (inexpensive, good value) DLCs.

Highly recommended, and would also suggest picking up the major DLCs Sword of Islam, Legacy of Rome, The Republic, The Old Gods and Sons of Abraham as well. You will get far more than your money's worth in entertainment return.