Grand Strategy Done Right
With free-form games like Minecraft reaching previously unthinkable levels of financial and critical success, just about every game seems to be pushing the claim that "every playthrough is different' . Crusader Kings 2 is on a very short list of titles that can actually claim to have reached that lofty ambition. The medieval Europe of Crusader Kings 2 (While the landmasses exist in the base game, characters inhabiting the Middle East and India can only be accessed through purchase of DLC which you should absolutely buy) is populated with an incredibly diverse set of characters that are molded by the world and events that occur around them. As the player, you can choose to select any one of these characters and attempt to create a dynasty that lasts from the Dark Ages to the beginning of the Renaissance. Along the way you'll face sibling rivalries that often escalate into civil war, religious uprisings, invasions from neighboring countries, tyrannical rulers and enough backroom plotting to make Tyrion Lannister jealous. Calling Crusader Kings 2 a Feudalism simulator is probably the easiest way to define what is a massive web of interconnecting systems and mechanics.
Gameplay is a fairly simple affair. You are presented with a large, Risk-like map of the world and are left to point and click your armies and agents around Europe. Character information is presented through a menu that one would probably expect to find more frequently in an old Bioware RPG. Your character's ability with money, sword, or persuasiveness are displayed in clear and easy to understand language on very "clean" looking menus. Featured prominently on this same menu are traits (such as slothfulness, wroth, etc.) that define who your character is and how others perceive him. From the tabs across the top of your screen you can access a fairly typical tech tree menu, meet with your small council, call your armies to readiness, and perhaps most interestingly, organize plots against your foes (or allies if that's your thing). Rallying other nobles to support your plotting is done through a combination of utilizing your character's core traits and having strong financial backing. You'll be spending most of your time plotting against your enemies and Crusader Kings offers no greater thrill than changing the course of history with a single assassination. As Crusader Kings takes place during the brutal era that was the Middle Ages, you can also expect to be waging a lot of war. Victory in battle is determined by your troop's training levels and numbers, the terrain of the battlefield, and the skill level of your generals. Starting a war is done by pushing a claim on enemy territory, generated through means both legitimate and deceitful.
While actually interacting with any of these features is presented in a very accessible way through the game's many menus, there's an inherent trial and error that comes with working against Crusader King's intelligent AI characters. How long can you scheme against your liege before he or she decides it's beheading time? To what lengths can you interfere with the neighboring kingdom's internal politics before they decide to roll up on your castle and commence beheading time? If you're noticing a recurring theme in the way encounters with the other nobility of Europe play out, you're on to something. Life in Crusader Kings 2 can be short and end with little warning, but when the play for the throne you've been cultivating for years finally succeeds, it's nearly impossible to not instantly begin plotting your next move. Aside from a simple scoring system, the player isn't presented with much of a goal. It's up to you to determine how your personal instance of medieval Europe will play out. Whether the end goal is restoring the Roman Empire and declaring yourself Caesar (something you can totally do) or subjugating the world to the Norse faith (another thing you can totally do), every single campaign of Crusaders Kings 2 is going to be a hell of a ride.
