Crusader Kings 3 is a strategy game where you control the fate of your own family of medieval nobles. More than that, it’s a game about storytelling.
Published by Swedish game developer Paradox Interactive, Crusader Kings 3 is a grand strategy game, dealing with warfare, economy and politics. It features an enormous map, from India to Iceland to Mali. The game has several expansions, most recently Roads to Power, which expand games mechanics and add new content to different regions. It also features extensive modding support.
Characters have opinions of each other, hold grudges, make friends, and may even plot against you. In the recent dlc expansion, Roads to Power, I started playing as a minor noble residing on the island of Crete in the ninth century Eastern Roman Empire.
Working my way up, I used a mix of marriage alliances with other powerful families, friendships cultivated with powerful figures and blackmail to secretly depose the failing Emperor.
It’s not all shadowy plots. All reigns eventually come to an end, and as your character passes, you’ll find yourself playing as your heir. Perhaps they will be too honest and compassionate to use such deceptive tactics.
Beyond plotting against other nobles or waging war, there are many different things to do via the activity menu. Holding feasts, going on pilgrimages or hosting tournaments. If you’re in western Europe, you might find yourself hosting or attending a jousting tournament. Or wrestling Viking warriors in Scandinavia.
The systems in Crusader Kings do a good job of allowing unique stories to form on their own. A beloved ruler dying of injury and disease. You might find yourself under the control of corrupt advisors and a treacherous vizier. Every time you load the game up, you’re entering into a brand-new story.
The art direction and music also add to the atmosphere. The character creation system is robust and can create people of all ages, shapes and sizes. Character models have beautifully rendered clothing. In the newest dlc, a spectacular model of the reception hall of the Imperial Palace in Constantinople, called the Chrysotriklinos, was added as a new throne room.
Many famous historical characters are selectable from three different start dates; 867 during the great Viking invasion of England, 1066 during William of Normandy’s conquest and newly added 1178 where King Baldwin “the Leper” rules a threatened Jerusalem. As depicted in the 2005 Ridley Scott film Kingdom of Heaven.
Alternatively, you can create your own character. Perhaps you want to be a Viking in distant India. Thanks to the new expansion, you can now play as a landless wanderer or bold mercenary too.
Crusader Kings 3 is a wonderfully intricate experience. Like the Sims, interaction with other characters and the game’s own foundational mechanics drive complex stories. And, if you get sick of our world, extensive modding support brings to life far off places, such as Middle Earth or the Elder Scrolls.