Navigating menus feels as natural as in any other console game, radial menus are put to great use, and the UI makes excellent use of space to convey all the vital information you need. As a result, Lab42s’s efforts have resulted in something truly impressive. Imagine that ruling a dynasty involved the most grotesque Excel spreadsheet you’ve ever seen. As I mentioned in my preview of the game, Crusader Kings relies on a ton of menus. This level of attention to detail is evident throughout the rest of the port’s control scheme. Taking this route makes for a less-efficient strategy overall, but it makes the game far more accessible for those using controllers, emphasising one of the port’s main objectives - to make the game fun, playable, and attractive to people who haven’t played Crusader Kings before. The console edition of the game adds a new army automation option, allowing you to take a hands-off approach to warfare and rely on a sophisticated AI to do the work for you. This often requires some quick reactions, even with the ability to slow time to a crawl. In the PC version of the game, combat plays out like any other RTS - you select your armies, choose where they’ll march, and battles happen if two opposing forces meet in the meantime. This developer forethought is especially felt when war arrives at your gates. This gives you a convenient sense of your stress levels at a glance and shows that this port made an effort to make full use of console gaming’s architecture. A neat feature exclusive to the console edition is that the background of your character portrait will gradually turn red as you become stressed, and the trigger buttons will become harder to push on the DualSense. This is my favourite aspect of the game - you are heavily encouraged to roleplay the life of a noble in the middle ages, but there’s plenty of wiggle room for metagaming and strategic decisions - ambitious characters will despise giving away counties to their subordinates, but that will sometimes be necessary to avoid a revolt. You have the tools to stave off such events, such as feasts or adopting a pet, so it never feels like you’re accountable to the randomly generated traits given to your character. Once they reach a certain point, they’ll experience a breakdown, and you’ll have to adapt your playstyle accordingly or risk an early demise. If you make decisions that don’t align with your character’s personality, they’ll accrue stress. The emphasis on role-playing is felt in the importance of the game’s stress mechanics. In Crusader Kings, you get out what you put in, and the sheer range of actions exacerbates the random, open-ended nature of the game. Characters have distinct personalities dictated by their traits and experiences, and you must make their decisions accordingly - this can be anything from declaring war on a neighbour to befriending the Pope for money. RELATED: Crusader Kings 3: Royal Court Review - Grandeur Comes At A PriceĬrusader Kings is a rewarding role-playing experience. Becoming the most amiable warmonger in Europe is an achievement in and of itself. It’s entirely possible, and sometimes a good idea, to pursue both lifestyles simultaneously - these aren’t mutually exclusive. A diplomatic lifestyle rewards friendliness by making your character well-liked, while focusing on martial goals will help you expand your realm beyond its original borders and rule with an iron fist. That’s not to say that Crusader Kings 3 is an empty sandbox inside which you’re given no directions - the game has five distinct gameplay philosophies called ‘lifestyles’ that you can pursue to varying degrees based on your goals.
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