"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
- Lord Acton

The Medieval Age wasn't the brightest moment in human history. War, Assassination, Torture, Greed, Betrayal; those are merely some of the words associated with the atrocities committed by the rulers of the realm. Some good and honest men have ruled, but most rulers couldn't resist the temptation from the power they wield; the power to rule. They were tempted to gain more power, and they are willing to use even the most atrocious of acts to gain it.

Crusader Kings II gives players a taste of that power.

Starting at any point from 1066 (Or 769 with a certain DLC enabled) to 1453, players are allowed to choose from a very large amount of historical characters that once ruled over a part of Europe and parts of Asia and Africa.

From the lowliest duke to the highest emperor, the game has no final objective whatsoever, leaving players to create their own story and decide their own goals for their dynasty.

Do you want to be the most prestigious family in the world? To work your way up and create an empire that will last for generations? Or simply to make sure your bloodline survives through all the coming conflict?

Grand strategy games typically put players as an eternal invisible guiding force controlling a single country, viewing the world from above as a map as they manage the country’s Politics, Economy, Military, and Diplomacy through various factors. These games use simple visuals to accommodate the large scale gameplay. There are no fancy Total War-like massive battles or anything of sort. Almost every aspect of the game depends on numbers. In other words, the main part gameplay is to manage those numbers and the various factors affecting it to the player’s benefit.

Crusader Kings II offers a sandbox grand strategy experience into a more personal level; giving players control over a single Catholic ruler (later DLCs adds the options to play as Muslim, Pagan, and Jewish rulers) and continue on as his/her heir after passing away.

Instead of dealing with faceless countries, the more personal approach allows the game to have a large amount of characters, be it a lord or a simple courtier. Every character in the game has their own set of skills, traits, and relations with other characters. A major part of the game is managing the relationship between characters by various interactions. You can cement the loyalty of your vassals by keeping them happy with gifts and inviting them to feasts. You can increase the odds of success of an assassination plot by inviting treacherous people within your target's court. You can declare a war for a title your courtier has a claim on. Be wary as other characters could do it to you as well. The best option is to trust no one, not even your friends and relatives. These interactions increase the depth of Crusader King II's strategic gameplay in a very dynamic way.

The trademark Paradox's grand strategy gameplay is still present, even if somewhat simplified by the time period. Politics are mostly done by the character interactions mentioned above; with the addition of a player-manageable council the players can use accomplish certain tasks. Economy is much more simplified, with very little emphasis on trade. Instead of training units to form standing armies, you form a temporary military force in time of war, then disband them when the war is over. Your military comes from raising levies both from your personally owned holdings and from your vassals. (Retinues were added with a DLC).

Religion plays a major role in the game, with each religion having some unique gameplay mechanic that differ them from the rest; such as the Papacy for Catholics and Decadence for Muslims. While the strategy gameplay itself for most the most part lacks depth compared to other Paradox grand strategy titles, Crusader Kings II still stands on its own as a well-made and unique game.

Crusader Kings II is visuals are simple, yet fitting for the game. The map is fully rendered in 3D, it’s nothing breathtaking, but you can still appreciate the beauty of its landscape; although you'll probably spend most of the time using the political map mode. The character portraits are a great mix of realism and cartoony art style which provides a variety of colorful characters faces.

The musical score for the game is also worth praising. While not all the music in the game is memorable, they rarely distract you from the game, and for the most part they complement your playthrough with a variety of beautiful music fitting for the era.

The game is without its flaws, of course. While the tutorial is an improvement from previous Paradox titles, you will still need to learn most of the game’s mechanics on your own by trial or error. While it could be a part of the fun of playing the game, some people may dislike it. I’ve encountered several minor bugs, but the game is fully playable as of now. Another minor complaint is the lack of naval combat. While historically there wasn’t a lot of naval combat at the era, I wish that navies could be more useful such as for blockading ports. But as for the time this review was written, the only use for navies is for troop transport.

Describing everything about Crusader Kings II’s in detail would take a lot of time and energy. Both of which you could be using right now to purchase and experience Crusader Kings II on your own! (Or at least try the demo) Go and create your own story with your dynasty. Be patient and play as an honest, good natured ruler. Or fall to the temptation of power and spill the blood of anyone who stands in your way. The choice is yours.

Deus Vult.