DLCStronghold Crusader 2: The Princess and The PigLoading store offers
Stronghold Crusader 2
Stronghold Crusader 2 makes castle building and real-time siege strategy the core of its desert battles. At ≈ $3.38 from 
GAMIVO, consider whether its campaigns, AI skirmishes or shared-control co-op suit the way you plan to play; multiplayer allows up to four human players.
Before choosing, compare the displayed offer with Steam's current price and check the interface languages. The game lists Simplified Chinese, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Portuguese-Brazil, and Japanese for its interface, alongside support for campaigns and several match formats. The offer at GAMIVO is ≈ $36.61 below Steam's current $39.99 for the comparable base game.
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Price History
Past 36 months · Updated dailyHistorical Low~ $2.472026-07Current Low Across Stores~ $29.82Kinguinvs. Historical Low+1107%
Prices cover Steam and 39 authorized stores; only legitimate offers are counted. The chart shows weekly market-wide lows and Steam's official price across the past 36 months.
01About Stronghold Crusader 2
Stronghold Crusader 2 combines real-time strategy with castle building in the deserts of the Middle East. Lead troops, manage a desert economy and fight through two single-player campaigns; skirmishes, co-op and multiplayer offer other ways to play. Steam player reviews: 73% positive from 12,664 reviews. Steam interface languages: Simplified Chinese, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Portuguese-Brazil, and Japanese.
Credits
Developer
Firefly Studios
Publisher
Firefly Studios
Lowest recorded in 36 months
$2.472026-07-30 · KinguinBase game · same records as the chart above; USD history, not a regional Steam low.Language support
| Language | Interface | Subtitles | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese | Yes | Yes | — |
| English | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| French | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Show 7 more languages
| Language | Interface | Subtitles | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italian | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| German | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Spanish | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Polish | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Russian | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Portuguese-Brazil | Yes | Yes | — |
| Japanese | Yes | Yes | — |
Steam PC edition data · 2026-10-28
02Before you buy
Modes
The Steam PC version includes single-player campaigns, AI skirmishes, co-op and multiplayer. Multiplayer supports up to eight participants, with no more than four human players.
Languages
English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish and Russian have full audio and subtitles. Simplified Chinese, Korean and Japanese have subtitles.
Building options
Free Build mode and a Map Editor let you create castles without enemy attacks.
03Frequently asked questions
What is the main gameplay loop?
Build and manage a castle and its economy, command troops, and attack or defend strongholds in real-time strategy battles.
Can I play with friends?
Yes. Co-op lets players share castle building, troop control and resource management. Multiplayer mixes human and AI players, with up to four humans.
Are there campaigns beyond the two main single-player campaigns?
The description also mentions the Crusader Trail, a series of increasingly difficult skirmish challenges.
3.0
Overall Score
Graphics3.5
Audio1.5
Gameplay2.5
Story1
Content4
“A flawed medieval siege strategy title delivering grand desert castle battles and classic RTS command, though systemic gaps undermine its combat depth.”
Our Verdict
The most captivating aspect of Stronghold Crusader 2 is its instantly recognizable medieval siege scenes: deserts, fortresses, trebuchets, densely packed defenders on the ramparts. Very straightforward. Very old-school. It's like a plate of roasted meat served steaming hot—you can tell from across the table that the flavor profile is probably right up your alley.
Unfortunately, before you actually dig in, you'll find that most of the menu is missing. Gameplay information is unclear, story details are nearly nonexistent, audio reviews are almost blank, and visuals lack sufficient credible hands-on testing support. The massive gap in media scores—ranging from 1 to 7—speaks for itself: this isn't a title you can buy blindly based on "stable reputation." It's more like an old name whose thematic appeal remains, but whose actual quality is extremely hard to confirm.
Add to that some historical context. A game released over five years ago should rely on clear distinctive features to offset technical and informational aging; yet what remains clearest about this title today is still just "the castle siege theme looks pretty exciting." That's not enough. Is it worth spending a dozen hours, or even more? My answer: unless you have a strong personal preference for this type of theme and can accept potential pitfalls, it's not worth the risk at full price. Wait for a sale. Then decide.
In one sentence: the presentation is still there, but the confidence isn't.
One-sentence recommendation: Theme enthusiasts should wait for a discount before trying.
Popular Steam reviews
Native-language selection · 10 reviewsSelected helpful reviews in this language show both recommendations and criticisms. This selection does not represent the overall positive rating; opinions reflect the version reviewed.
RecommendedSteam player
Stronghold Crusader 2 is the successor to the successful RTS castle simulation game of the same name from 2002, With a full skirmish mode supporting up to eight total players (including fan beloved AI bots) and all new castle co-op skirmish mode, Crusader 2 is your ticket to castle simulation paradise. For new Stronghold players: Stronghold Crusader 2 is a real time strategy game set during the crusades, it has a stronger focus on combat as the ingame economy has been streamlined from the other Stronghold games. You are charged to provide food and entertainment for your workers who, in turn, form the backbone of your economy. Mine Stone, extract pitch, farm wheat, or chop wood. Once your stockpile has a steady flow of raw goods you are ready to refine them into weapons, drink, or processed food types. A strong economy is mandatory to support an ever growing military. On the militant side of the game you have one of the hallmarks of the Stronghold franchise, entirely modular defense system. The map has a grid superimposed upon it which is used to align and place structures. Each wall is placed piece by piece, every tower and gatehouse where you want them. Lay traps such as killing pits and pitch ditches for your enemies and garrison your archers atop your great towers. There are many defensive and offensive tactics to experiment with, sally forth and meet your enemy in the field or bring the fight to your castle and employ traps and tower mounted siege engines to your advantage. In skirmish mode the base objective is to kill all enemy lords, although multiplayer games have a greater range of victory conditions. The single player campaign has custom objectives and scripted invasions/events. When Steam Workshop becomes available for Stronghold Crusader 2 players will be able to create and share their own skirmish maps and custom missions. For existing Stronghold Crusader HD players: The biggest difference players coming from Crusader HD will notice is the transition to a full 3D game engine. Many of the same units feature in both games but I'll make a note of where they differentiate. Crusader HD fans will also notice a simpler overall economy with many previously gimmicky mechanics streamlined or just removed. Maps: The following times were recorded using the time it took an archer to traverse a flat terrain map and are done on the diagonal (corners: top left to bottom right). Stronghold Crusader 2 has an additional map size and all map sizes for Crusader HD use numbers to represent size (eg 200x200). Stronghold Crusader HD Stronghold Crusader 2 Map Size Time in seconds Map Size Time in seconds Tiny 20 160x160 46 Small 60 200x200 58 Medium 100 300x300 88 Large 140 400x400 118 Extra Large 220 Buildings: -Changed! Faith - churches now operate similar to the Granary and needs candles to operate which are built in the chandler's workshop. -Changed! Inns have remained largely unchanged but you only need to place one inn now to cover your entire populace. -Changed! The Stockpile, Granary, and Armory now have unlimited storage capacity meaning you only need to place one. -Changed! Iron Mines now require an Ox Tether much like Stone Quarries -Changed! The Market can now be set to auto sell goods when they reach a preset threshold. -Changed! each weapon type requires it's own unique workshop. -Changed! Tower mounted siege engines can not be placed on stone towers, they incorporate their own wooden tower. -Removed! Hunter's Hut, replaced with Pig Farm -Removed! Fear Factor has been removed, troops will no longer receive a malus or a boost based on your economy. -Removed! While not exactly a building, moats do not feature in the game. Units: -New! Slave Driver - whips nearby slaves into a frenzy -New! Healer - units within range slowly regenerate HP -New! Whirling Dervish - a poorly armored melee unit with a strong first contact attack -New! Sassanid Knight - light knight with special charge attack -New! Ranger - proficient with both sword and bow but has poor range -New! Sergeant-at-Arms - units within range receive a HP boost -New! Conscript - basic weak units, no weapons required to recruit -New! Hussite War Wagon - can station units inside, provides protection and mobility -New! War Wolf - super catapult -New! Burning Cart - creates fire on impact, triggers traps -Changed! Spearman now called Man-at-Arms and can throw his spear -Changed! Maceman only requires a mace to recruit now -Changed! Knight now called Templar Knight and can fight mounted or on foot -Changed! Fire Thrower renamed to Oil Pot Thrower -Changed! Battering Ram - Can now only destroy Gatehouses -Changed! Catapult - can no longer throw diseased animals -Changed! Portable Shield renamed to Mantlet -Removed! Slinger -Removed! Ladderman -Removed! Siege Tower -Removed! Tunneller Engineers are no longer recruited but automatically provided if required when recruiting siege engines. Also, due to the 3D engine many of the map tricks previously used to create eye candy are impossible but there are a fair selection of set pieces to add some much welcomed variety. Note: for those wondering how to access the map editor, go to your steam library dropdown menu and elect to filter your library by Tools. The map editor should show up on the list of utilities as 'Stronghold Crusader 2 Map Editor'. After a small 2MB install you are ready to start map making. Check out TotalBiscuit's review of the game on YouTube: http://youtu.be/1lORmgVXOFQShow moreShow less
70.3 hours at review669 people found this helpful
Not recommendedSteam player
***Die-hard fans of the Stronghold series, please read this review before making your purchase. You won't regret it.*** As a long time fan of the Stronghold series, this game was such a let down. Yes, it is *technically* a Stronghold game, and it technically is the sequel to Crusader, but overall it is not even close to being on par with the rest of the series. --First, the Good-- At its core, the concept of Stronghold is still the same here. You'll start off building a settlement, gathering resources via a supply chain, ultimately crafting weapons to arm a force of soldiers. There are familiar units: Archers, Macemen, Crossbowmen (Crusader). Horse Archers, Slaves, Assassins(Arabic)..as well as some new ones, including the Healer and many other Arabic mercenaries not previously seen. You can build walls, towers, siege weapons and all sorts of defense mechanisms for keeping the black knight at bay.On top of that, many familiar faces return, such as The Rat, Richard the Lionheart and more. The game is, of course, a 3d Model game, bringing the Crusader series at least one generation ahead. And...that's about it. Honestly. If you were a fan of the original series, it may warm your heart to actually have some new Stronghold content to play with, but there really isn't anything new and exciting here. --Now, the Bad...where do I begin?-- First of all, the game is somewhat broken. There are plenty of times where characters models won't animate, and it's not uncommon for characters to simply float across the map in the standard model "christ pose" without any animation. Even the oxen who carry the stone in the game would freeze when moving on an angle. Stone walls are another mess. Too often, staircases would end up with a wall piece right in the middle of them, creating a strange unrealistic graphical error. These are only some of the visual phenomenen that occur while playing. That brings me to another issue...wall building. Not only do walls cost way too much in this game, but there is pretty much no room for creativity when building your castle. In the original/Crusader 1, you had so much control over every little aspect of your wall design. You could build walls of all different heights, staircase pieces, granulated walls all down to the very last square. This gave us castle builders so much of a blank canvas that virtually anything was possible if we knew how to use those pieces the right way. In Crusader 2, 90% of the wall building is done for you when clicking. A wall piece is pre-built for you to include parapits on one side, a wall space, and parapits on the opposite side. You can no longer just build a simple piece of stone wall, the basic building block (almost literally) of the original series' castle building element. Sure, you can add towers and all kinds of siege weaponry, but the fun and joy of really creative a keep down to the last detail is completely lost here. The cost of walls adds to another huge gripe with this game...balance. It's my understanding that a patch has re-balanced some of the economy issues, but the game is still WAY too unbalanced when trying to get your city up and running. Too often I find myself running out of resources right at the beginning of a match, even when set to give myself a huge advantage over my AI counterparts. For example, a windmill in this game costs 200 wood. In the original? 20. So it costs literally 10 times as much here. That would be fine, except woodcutters don't harvest 10 times as much wood here. They harvest roughly the same amount as before. This leads to a TON of waiting around to gather resources right from the git-go of any match. Sure, there was always that element in the original (as with any RTS), but there is a considerable difference here. I feel like I'm not getting anywhere, even though I have what would otherwise be the basics of a civilization in place. Ah, civilization...a thriving, breathing melting pot of people going about their daily lives, each contributing to their society in their own way, all while maintaining their own unique personality...yeah, Stronghold Crusader 1 was a fantastic game. Say goodbye to that here. I mean, sure...you get to see the workers doing what they do in 3D, but it's not the same. Peasants say NOTHING when you click on them. No Monty Python-esque man impersonating a woman "morning your lordship!" or "no taxes is good taxes, that's my motto!", just silence. No adding flowers, maypoles, dancing bears, gauntlets, guillotines, stretching racks...good/bad popularity control is just gone. Speaking of voices (ha), this might be one of the most dissapointing aspects of Crusader 2, and I honestly didn't see it coming. The voice acting in this game is TERRIBLE. I mean that in every sense of the word. I have friends who can do cooky voices that would have been better candidates. A great example is the men-at-arms. Remember the way they sounded in Stronghold 2? They were dopey lummixes, and rightfully so given their rank. Or how about their original counterpart, the spearmen? They were rough, working class fighters ready to stick a spear in whatever you tell them to. Here's what I want you to do: We're gonna do a test. I want you to read the next sentence I say in quotes out loud. Don't use any exciting voice, or cooky impersonation, or anything. Use your normal speaking voice. Ready? Okay, say this out loud: "Man at arms, ready. Close ranks." Congratulations! You've just landed a gig providing voice over work for a video game! The level of enthusiasm in these vocal takes can only be described as the bare minimum. Without trying to be funny, I've found myself honestly wondering if they simply had one of the programmers provide voices. As annoying as he was, we all have to admit that at least The Rat had a memorable personality. His voice has now been replaced with some Joe Everyguy off the street. You'll forget him as soon as you end the game. To be fair, I need to point something else out, though, about the voice over work, and that's that there are a lot of recycled vocal takes from previous games. Archers still sound like archers, crossbowmen like crossbowmen, etc. However, it's about 50/50 as far as which characters use the classic voices, and which use Joe Everyguy. It might sound petty to be so bitter about this, but as (I'm assuming, since you've read this far) you are a die-hard Stronghold fan, then you KNOW how important the voices are to this series. They are the character, the personality and the life of the game! They're what make you feel like you are controlling living, breathing people of all different sorts, whose lives hang at your fingertips! The original games did all of that in spades, and they weren't even 3D rendered! --The Bottom Line-- I haven't played much of this game, but I'm fairly confident that won't change. I could go on forever about the other issues that are impossible to ignore (such as the buildings and terrain feeling like they're from two different games), but I feel I've beaten my own horse to death here. From what I gather, a team of less than 10 people programmed this game. I don't mean this review as offense to them specifically. They created a game, like they said they would. They accomplished something that I, of course, haven't...but it's almost like giving credit to Nickelback. I may hate their music, but at the end of the day they're creating albums and I'm sitting behind my keyboard judging people. That being said, it doesn't mean that I have to LIKE Nickelback. That was a bad way to end this review. Sorry to take a punch at an easy target. Judge me all you want for that, just please don't buy this game. It's something you can't take back.Show moreShow less
8.4 hours at review2,366 people found this helpful
RecommendedSteam player
Please read on before simply accepting this as another "Yes" review, because this a very mixed opinion. First, I would like to clarify this is from the Point of view of someone who has been playing Stronghold since the first game came out, and has consistently played every single installment to near completion - Aside from Kingdoms, which is mediocre imho. Maybe you'll agree, maybe you won't - Anywho, this is how I felt. The Good: - Solid skirmish mode, much like older renditions of the game. - Very old school Crusader vibe/feeling to it. Remake successful. - All of the new units are interesting, aside from the slave driver - Which I don't care for. - New Unit special abilities are cool and add depth without overpowering or ruining units. - New Siege engines that are also interesting and for the most part useful. - Resource caches, Lion Dens, Outposts are all neat additions to the old crusader formula. - Varied AI characters like the original and a promise of DLC Lords in the future. - Really like the "curtain walls." I was skeptical of them until I used them in a trail mission. - Took the good things from SH3 while leaving out most of the bad things. - Neutral territory reminds me of the old territory system of SHC. - The new buildings (like the wooden barricades for example) are interesting. - Genuinely enjoyable game with as much replay value as the original. - New ally system where allies mood affects how willing they are to do your bidding. - Departure of Free form SH3 buidlings. Return of efficient, grid-based building system. - Better physics, especially in regards to arrows - which bounce off and break on walls. - More realism, such as troops pulling out pick axes and tools to smash walls down. - Beautiful destruction physics. I've gotten into trouble from watching castles go down. - Unit costs fixed or improved (Assassins especially brought back to reasonable price!) - Much simpler Editor than SH3, albeit still with as many options. - Able to play as other lords, and even choose what your lord looks like in skirmish. - Buildings change when playing Arabic or Crusader Lords. - Genuinely enjoyable game. Can't even lie, I will put 100 hours or more into this, easily. The Bad: - Stone is completely unbalanced. Walls cost 7 stone just for 1 square - So, 100+ to make 15 Tiles of wall! WTF? So even a basic castle is 500 to 1000's of stone. - Furthermore, walls also break much quicker - Causing lots of problems in the heat of battle. - Buildings have ridiculous costs, which is ridiculously high (200 wood for a Market? Seriously?) - Bare, boring, pathetic campaigns - So much for paying $10 extra for "additional campaigns." - No campaign is longer than 4 Stages, and the mini campaigns are Only 2 stages long! - Cavalry units cannot attack buildings anymore, making them significantly less useful. - All of the Special Edition Features (cost an additional 10 dollars) were pathetic at best. - Half of the artbook is on the official site for free, and it's only about 20-30 pages. - The two mini campaigns take 10 minutes, and the 10 shields speak for itself in lame-ness. - Only redeeming thing was the soundtrack. basically you paid 10 dollars for an old OST. - Missing the things introduced in SH2 that were memorable, like feasting, honour, etc. - While many did not like those features, I feel like the economy is really bare without them. - Mediocre Maps. Crusader only had 3 or 4 maps I didn't like, this one has 3 or 4 I do like. - Many maps don't have any resources available, or are too unbalanced to enjoy. - Pretty much need the Map Editor if you want to have truly good maps. - some glitches and crashes, though this is to be expected. - pathetic sized unit caps and building caps. - At 1 v 1 it's perfectly fine, but even 4 player matches feel very tiny. - Bland building selection, needs more towers, bastions, etc. SH3 had so many options! - Overpriced with the promise of even more (paid) DLC in the future. All in all, I feel like the game as a whole is really good - But I feel like it is horribly overpriced. 50 Dollars is too much. I felt like none of the features I got in my "special Edition" were all that special, and were not worth 10 dollars more. I feel like this game would've been much more fair to be sold at around 20-30 dollars instead (Crusader was 19.99 when I got it on release). Do yourself a favor and try and get it on sale, or at discount - it is a very fun game and I will keep playing, but it is incredibly over priced - Especially the "special edition" which was anything but special.Show moreShow less
30.7 hours at review616 people found this helpful
Not recommendedSteam player
I am one of the stupid ones who got my hopes up after seeing reviews and hearing 'its the original game, but much improved with more additions bringing it up to date' ... and so i bought it. What a mistake! IT IS MISSING MANY THINGS FROM THE ORIGINAL!!!!! No laddermen No seige towers No moats No engineers! to use, build or put into your seige equipment. This changes gameplay massively, as it used to take time to get decent wall defences, because you had to first build the engineers workshop, produce engineers, and build a big enough tower, then build a ballista/mangonel etc on it, and then put your engineers in them for them to function. Now i just buy a bloody ballista tower as soon as the game starts and it begins shooting longrange hail marys from the get go. What about PIMPING my castle... **** in 2002 i could put flags and the likes around, not in this remake. No EVIL / NICE system in the castle. Gone are the days of building dungeons and setting out heads on spikes to scare your populace ****less so you can tax them etc... this also kills gameplay in a big way, that was so much of the fun! Have to agree with most of the other comments.. The WALLS come down like polysterene blocks, so effortlessly and quickly. Maps are tiny, one of the only flaws in original also. but its 2014 youd think they could have fixed that!!! Makes it annoyingly irritating to have resources far from castle so you can NEVER fully have your castle emcompass everything. You are always rebuilding or defending your resource buildings out in the middle of nowhere. No more leather armour No info when you scroll over buildings etc No more peasants saying provocative gestures when u click em No tunneling men?? that ive seen The AI keep repeating the same tripe over n over again, its 2014 ! get a heap of new sayings in there not just 1 or 2 !!! AI is not improved, they do the same **** over n over again from what ive experienced. Economy is broken. Just build candlestick maker buildings and sell them at market and basically dont have to build any other resource buildings cause you can buy goods at market from candlestick profits! Ahh the list is endless. THIS GAME HAS BEEN DUMBED DOWN !!! IT HAS LESS THAN THE ORIGINAL !!! Gameplay is not even as fun as original !!!!! :( It starts to freeze up on any settings medium or higher... on ultra it sucks as soon as you have over 2 ai one one map. Not my pc, i built a high specd rig with 4.8 eight core an 3g graphics card etc... poorly designed game. i run all other games on ultra no probs. Ok, rant over. Graphics not good, just ok. until it starts to freeze up. Only cool thing was haybale launcher thingy. So if your into firey haybales then fork over all your dough, otherwise DONT BUY ! I hope they fix this game but i highly doubt it !!!Show moreShow less
5.2 hours at review1,049 people found this helpful
RecommendedSteam player
The enemy burned my land, so i threw camel heads at his castle. Think twice computer.Think twice. 10/10Show moreShow less
7.7 hours at review471 people found this helpful
Not recommendedSteam player
The Opinion I wanted to love this game. I really did. After only three in-game hours, I can honestly say that THIS is not a Stronghold game. I've tried looking at it from all angles; seeing it as not a continuation to a series that was plagued by Stronghold 3, but as a sequel to the Stronghold game that stole my heart - Stronghold: Crusaders. Even as such, this game fails to deliver. Nothing was built upon - nothing - and if I were to be honest, I would even go as far as to say features were removed. Good features. Important features. What you've been left with feels like the Civilisation game released on the Xbox marketplace; it's cute, but not a full fledged Stronghold game. Where are my Engineers? Laddermen? Tunnelers? Moats? Why is building my castle so... generic? I wouldn't have minded a re-skin of Stronghold 2. Nor a remake of the original Crusaders. Given this as the alternative, I would've honestly rather pay an additional $54.99 (CAD) for Firefly to just add Skirmish to Stronghold 3, not release a half-game riding the coattails of previous successes. Will I continue to play? Yes. I refuse not to. This game may lack... everything... but damn it, if I want simplicity and don't feel like an RTS like the AoE series, I'll play this. Will I recommend this to friends? No. Friends, fellow fans, I've played scapegoat. I've lost this round. Continue reading if you're interested, I'll try to go more in-depth. More Information Pros: Looks Pretty (Despite a few weirder texture maps...) Different Style Maps (stone in one corner, iron in another) Community (whether angry fans or not, it's got a living community) Cons: No Laddermen No Moats Slower Resource Gathering (resulting in longer, uneventful games) No actual Engineers (I guess peasents just magically know how to man ballistae, trebuchets, and so-on) Poor enemy selection (The new enemies already feel generic) Many Stretched Textures (it may look pretty, but not as pretty as it could) Weird in-game stuttering and freezes (Before anyone explodes on me, blaming my rig, I have no issues running Shadow of Mordor on high at 1080p (60fps avg.), or Endless Legend, or Stronghold 2 or 3, or Tomb Raider) All-in-all, this game is not done. At least, it better not be. Visuals: 8/10 Combat: 6/10 Castle/Town Management: 4/10 UI: 8/10 Unit Differences: 3/10 Enemy AI: 5/10 Gameplay Feel: 4/10 Do what you will with this, buy it if you want, Hell, you might even like it. But I cannot recommend this as an honest Stronghold game. Gamers may have changed, Firefly. Choosing to buy into industrious brands like "Call of Duty" and the like, but your audience has not. We have not grown stupid over the years, and we will continue to wait for an actual Stronghold Crusader 2.Show moreShow less
6.3 hours at review336 people found this helpful
RecommendedSteam player
Short Version I have finally gotten my hands on a copy of this medieval RTS Simulation game after it being wishlisted since its initial pre-release announcement. The reviews have been a mixed bag of tricks from the start so I wanted to give Firefly Studios plenty of time to bang out any kinks in the ol' armor before launching my assault and possibly bludgeoning this game into fragmented code. After a lengthy (and sometimes exhausting) battle, the dust has settled and as my gaze reflects upon the still-burning fires, the blood-soaked desert sands, and the rubbled remains of what once was a towering and majestic castle, I muster up the strength to utter a few last words with my last breath fading away - "I strongly recommend this game..." Ok, so why the mixed reviews? A couple of reasons. First, this is an expensive game even after being released for almost a year. Not uncommon for many AAA titles, but let's face it - this is Steam and the majority of Steam users are known for pinching pennies and expecting everything on the cheap. Not totally unreasonable and for those who pay the hefty full price for this game, I understand why there may be some mixed feelings about it. The game is good, has a lot to offer, and is entertaining. But at the same time, there are a few bugs and issues in it still and don't appear to be getting fixed any time soon. They aren't necessarily being ignored though and Firefly Studios is still actively working on the game and new content for it. Keep in mind, Stronghold Crusader 2 is a AAA title and its normal for periodical updates to be released as major patches that address many things at once rather than a multitude of weekly updates that may address one specific element as seen with smaller indie-type games. Many gamers who have played the original Stronghold Crusader before grabbing this long awaited sequel have been openly critical because the graphics are only slightly improved after more than a decade. Stronghold Crusader is very similar to the original, in fact, almost identical at first glance. But there are some differences - new units (and special abilities added to others), a modified economic system, a change in the housing dynamic, co-op mode for multiplayer games, an automated purchase/sell system added to the market, weather/natural disaster random events, some new AI characters (and more planned as future DLC), troop formations added and improved, and a few other changes or removed content from the original (such as the removal of moats and feasts). However, for the most part, Stronghold Crusader 2 is identical to its predecessor at a much loftier price so it draws a lot of criticism for this. So why would I give this game my recommendation? I review games individually based on their own content and whether they offer up gaming enjoyment to its players. This game is a lot of fun and has plenty to offer. The graphics are 3-D, unlike the original Crusader game. They will not leave you with that "wow" feeling, but they are still solid and detailed for a real-time strategy sim. The soundtrack to this game is a harmonic masterpiece that injects the player with a true sense of the environment and time period. There are several different game modes and each of them offer a numerous amount of gameplay. Hundreds of hours can be spent playing without ever trying out each one. There are a multitude of buildings that can be built and a nice variety of units available. A map editor has been included for easily creating and sharing your own designs with the Steam Community. And don't forget the most popular feature - Castle Building. This is what really makes the crusader series so great. Its one of the best castle building systems in gaming and while slightly different from previous versions, it still performs smoothly and allows for simple and fun creativity to give your kingdom its own personal touch. Gameplay Basics In Stronghold Crusader 2 players will need to gather resources for building structures, creating weapons to train armed units, and produce enough food to support the populus. Fortifying your base is an important aspect as well, so players will want to protect their kingdom with castle walls and defensive structures like towers and traps. Naturally, you will need an army to defend your kingdom and attack your opponents. Each troop type requires specific weapons or armor to be crafted first and also have a price in gold. Gold can be earned by collecting taxes or by selling excess goods on the market. Troops can also be purchased from a mercenary post with gold. Governing your kingdom is very basic. It is based on overall happiness and there are several ways players can influence this statistic positively or negatively. To claim victory you must simply defeat all of the opposing lords on the map. Game Modes Stronghold Crusader 2 is packed full of gameplay content offered in a variety of game modes to ensure countless hours of entertainment. They include single player, co-op and multiplayer options. There are a variety of customization settings available to adjust the level of difficulty a player wishes to encounter, configure for team play, and map selection (in some cases). Computer AI players can be substituted or added in place of additional human players and each AI character has its own habits, strengths, and weaknesses that also influence how challenging the game will be. Learning Campaigns - Tutorial campaigns that play out as a campaign while progressively teaching the game's concepts. Skirmish Trails - A chain of skirmishes versus AI characters that increase in difficulty as you progress. Custom Skirmish - Up to 8 players and team play. Players can be human or AI. Custom settings including map selection. Sandbox - Build your mighty kingdom in peace and without fear of being attacked from any opponents. Multiplayer - Players can either join a server from the list or host their own game and can be played individually or as teams. There is also a simple in-game text chat available by pressing "Enter." Community Maps - Skirmish maps designed by the Steam Community. The Good: + Challenging gameplay + Solid 3-D graphics + Excellent soundtrack and quality voice acting + Simple controls and a smooth user interface + Beginner's tutorial included + Multiple customization settings + Variety of game types available + Many distinctive units with their own abilities/uses + Nice selection of buildings and resources + Great castle building system + Custom map editor included + Steam Trading Cards & Achievements + Some DLC content added for free + Continued development and support post-release + No heavy CPU strain for systems mid-range or above The Bad: - Very expensive at full price - Still contains some minor bugs. (Not game breaking) - The graphics are stale and unimpressive for modern gamers - Updates are periodic so fixes and improvements are not quickly available Final Thoughts: Stronghold Crusader 2 is a very entertaining medieval RTS castle-building simulation that is packed with gameplay and will continue to get better with time as more content is added. However, it does come at a considerable price. I recommend this game to all RTS lovers, but if you're on a tight gaming budget then i would wishlist it and wait for a sale. In the meantime, you might also consider buying the original Stronghold Crusader game to get a taste of the crusader experience. If you liked this review or want to see more recommended games, be sure to follow our curator group: Follow Original Curator GroupShow moreShow less
24.1 hours at review267 people found this helpful
Not recommendedSteam player
Extreme cheating for ai. Destroy every f*cking resource building of theirs and they keep spawning soldeirs without losing gold or resources. GG WPShow moreShow less
2.4 hours at review302 people found this helpful
RecommendedSteam player
No, it's not the world's best sequel - the amount of stuff added to this game in comparison to crusader 1 is minimal, which is sort of upsetting considering this game has come out 12 years after its' predecessor. However, I do not find my money wasted on this game. As a fan of the stronghold series and a proud owner of all the games (save one that I'm not too proud of...you can guess which), I will happily say that this game is the first stronghold game to not be a total waste of your time since 2002 with crusader 1 itself. On top of that, I highly recommend buying this if for nothing else than supporting the small indie studio Firefly Studios in hopes that, now without their 2K publisher forcing release dates on them, we can begin to see some proper sequels in the stronghold lineup to recover from...a troubling past, to say the least. Perhaps a stronghold 4, or even the possibility of a Legends 2 (Don't kill me, we all know somewhere inside we want a better legends :D) With gamespy down, this is also the only remaining stronghold game besides the abysmal pile that was stronghold 3 to have functional multiplayer without the assistance of a 3rd party tool that can sometimes, to inexperienced users, be a large pain in the ass to use properly. So for crusader multiplayer with ease, this runs through the steam servers allowing you to simply invite your friends and such as you would for Team Fortress 2 or something. Buy this to support firefly and enjoy the first stronghold game in 12 years to not suck right out of the box...or download in this case. And if not, do yourself at least the favor of, if you don't already, going and purchasing Stronghold HD and Stronghold Crusader HD on steam or GoG.com or somewhere - those 2 games, alongside this one, will not fail to give you hours of fun.Show moreShow less
9.2 hours at review266 people found this helpful
Not recommendedSteam player
I smashed every enemy woodcutter hut, burned every farm, destroyed every mine, ground every hovel into the dust, then as I basked in the glory of my victory and gloated over my fallen foe laughing as my archers cut down every single peasent that dared set foot outside the keep I was horrified to see all the building instantly rebuilt from nothing. How was this possible when they had nothing left to build with? Truly it was a miracle and that was when I accepted Jesus into my heart.Show moreShow less
28 hours at review264 people found this helpful
Source: original Steam user reviews. Helpful votes are an archived snapshot, not live data. Last collected: 08/15/2026.