Stronghold 2: Deluxe (PC) - Reviews

(4.1)

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For Stronghold 2: Deluxe (PC), 29 customer reviews collected from 1 e-commerce sites, and the average score is 4.1.

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27.3.2015

This game is every bit as good as the original, maybe even better, it's certainly easier to finish as the original Stronghold's campaign was notoriously hard and I still haven't finished it all these years later. Stronghold 2 deluxe begins with an easy installation. The game actually comes with a little game to play while waiting for the main game to install. It's worth playing this game (and it can be played whenever the disc is loaded into the drive), it's just a small game fending off invaders by firing arrows and other things at them from a tower wall. This game though gets you into the mood of stronghold.The main game begins with an opening movie that's more like a trailer than an opening game movie.When you start the game you'll notice lots of options. The main game has two campaigns, a peace campaign and a war one. The peace campaign is meant to be played first as it sets up the main characters and introduces the main concepts. The game has a tutorial mode too which helps introduce the idea of estates, but you DO learn all this through playing the main campaign mode.The peace campaign is best to start as it's not too difficult but still plays out a very good storyline for you to get used to controls. There are also very different tasks to complete so you do get into the story and get used to the whole wealth that stronghold 2 has to offer. The peace campaign also has a little warfare but nothing taxing, more like an introduction.The war campaign is the main game that most stronghold fans will enjoy. There are many chapters to play though, and each chapter can have several different missions making the gameplay time of the total campaign very long. The story also forks at the end allowing you to choose one of two different paths, making for even more gameplay.There are other modes of gameplay in this game too. One is individual scenarios. There aren't many shipped with the game but enough missions to enjoy playing after you've completed the main campaign, again split between waring missions and more peaceful missions.There is a mode where you can defend or take siege of real life castles such as hastings in a simple campaign where you travel around Europe taking hold of the different castles. (I'm sorry I've forgotten the name of this game mode-will edit when I have it). There is even a little information about the real life castles before you play them.There is a mode called kingmaker. This is where you can play multiplayer games, although you can also play kingmaker with cpu opponents. Kingmaker allows you to choose character who will play and how much money they start with. You can have from 1 to 6 characters playing on any map (although this is limited to which map you choose). There are various maps to play from blank squares where everybody has an equal area, to maps of Europe or Britain. Each player starts in their own estate and can claim other estates as they play. The whole point is to build up your own castle defences and keep hold of your estates and ultimately eliminate all rivals until you are the last one standing on the map. This is a long game, especially with lots of players at the same time, but the fun thing is that you DO get a warning when another player is going to attack, for example you'll hear Sir William yelling to you that your time has come...and shortly after you'll see his troops attack.Kingmaker mode is actually really fun, and I didn't realise how much I'd enjoy it until I started playing it. It's a great new addition to stronghold which didn't exist in the original game.There is also a free sandbox mode where you can create the castle of your dreams. You can create as much as you want you have access to all buildings and can stage an invasion of your castle to see how your defences hold up but it's on your own terms, no pressure.GAMEPLAY:Now, in case you are confused I'll let you know about the gamplay. Stronghold is all about building a castle and managing it while avoiding and fending off attacks from other players. Sometimes you will have to attack another's castle or forces instead. The game has a lot of details which for new players will take a bit of time to get used to (which is why I recommend the peace campaign first) but it IS well worth the effort. This version is a little tougher as you don't just build food and resources buildings and then make weapons and armour and train troops. You also have to deal with rats and gong (a medieval word for poo). Gong and rats have a negative impact on your kingdom and you have to get rid of them and keep citizens happy enough or they will leave the castle. You also have to deal with crime in this game. Every now and again a peasant may turn criminal and you have to place posts so they can be caught, tried and then punished in true medieval style...either nicely such as the stocks or ultimately killing them such as beheading.This may all seem complicated to a new player but the game recognises this and introduces all these concepts slowly. It won't just throw everything at you and hope you'll understand. Each mission you play will introduce something new and you'll find yourself understanding the gameplay very easily from just playing the campaigns.NEW FEATURES:The new things that set this game apart from the original are:New story line with very engaging videos. Both game's storylines are great but something about the way this one was set out felt more engaging for me, maybe because each mission was different to the last.Estates! This is for me the most fun part of the new game. The estates are areas of land beyond the one you occupy that you can buy or steal from a rival and claim as your own. These estates work to send your main land things, such as applea, weapons, etc. Estates can be tough to manage but they can also really boost your game, I really do feel they add to the gameplay.3D, the graphics of 3D are actually really good compared with the original game and the camera on my vista pc spins around very quickly. There's no lag issues like with so many 3D games. And you can really zoom in very far to see all that is happening.There are new ways to gain troops, no longer do you just rely on money to buy a knight but you need kingdom points. These are gained through holding feasts, jousting evens, having statues in your land, etc. The game explains this concept to you in the campaigns.The gong and rats and crime, though tough to manage add another depth the game which I feel gives more realism too.Kingmaker mode, I've already explained it but there just wasn't this type of gameplay available in the original stronghold. And you can play with friends via the internet or a LAN connection though I've never tried this so can't comment on it.THE BAD:I'll be honest and say that I've had no really bad experience with this game. There is only one thing I can report that has been a problem for me and it only happened with one particular independent scenario. In one scenario there are a lot, and I mean a LOT of characters on the map. Your job is to claim lots of estates while working up to your rivals castle and all the while he's placing more and more troops on the map. In this game I did notice a lagging. It doesn't completely impede on gameplay but you do see that the camera spinning is a little choppy and the individual soldiers movements become a bit choppy. But for a lag it's not that noticeable. And I really haven't come across any more problems (weird in today's game world).SO:This game really is a great buy from anyone who wants to try a medieval sim. The missions are all very different that it will keep you entertained without boring you. And they are challenging enough to enjoy without the frustration of never finishing, which happened with the original. For fans of the original game I'd advise that this game is different, so harsh reviewers who've been upset with this instalment shouldn't be dissapponted, it's not supposed to be the same game, it's different and I believe better.I'd really recommend this game to anyone, the music is fantastic, the game plays so well and anyone who wants to try a medieval sim should really have a go. It's rated 12 because of the death in game, nothing too gory but you do see little characters catching fire or having arrows through their chest...I know it sounds gory but it really isn't that bad and I think their screams are more disturbing than their animations.It installs perfectly well on a vista 32-bit computer and you do need the disc in the drive while playing. I'd really recommend this game, just try it, at a cheap price it's worth it.

11.5.2010

I can't get enough. What a great game. I was a fan of the original stronghold and am pleased that very few things have changed in this sequel. The archers even have the same regional accents. The only major differences are the 3D graphics, "estates" adding an extra dimension to gameplay and castles have rats. If you enjoyed Stronghold 1 you'll love this. If you enjoyed Settlers you've been missing out on the joy of seige warfare. If you like burning peasants this is heaven. And you don't need a top spec PC to play.

31.1.2010

Brought this game and did not have high expectations as so cheap, but my boys 8 and 6 years love it, and I have to admit I do to. Very addictive, the three of us sit there and play together building and maintaining communities, the boys really enjoy the battles but I enjoy the peacetime game play more. Graphics really good and very simple to use, and really gets you thinking.

17.5.2013

this game is really good for the age of it also if your a fan of rts such as age of empires you will enjoy this cause it will give you more detail of building your settlement and defending it from a wide range of enemy units.

21.3.2013

I love stronghold, I simply lost the disc and bought it again because it is just so fantastically addictive, it also provides you with some education about the lifestyle of the time with the inbuilt encyclopedia.

7.5.2012

This game was brought for my son as he had the original strong hold game.Haven't played it myself but my son loves it and hasn't stopped playing it since he received it

19.7.2013

Stronghold 2 is an excellent sequel to Stronghold. Overall graphics and sound are 10/10A must buy if you enjoy building your army and destroying the enemy

5.4.2012

Absolutely brilliant, fast delivery, good price. all in all, a very good buy, no negatives. buy this game, it is great. really i'm just using up words now.

16.2.2013

brilliant game, owned before but lost worth buying especially at the price, only if your interested in managing a medieval kingdom.

25.2.2013

another con rating form to fill in why do they pester you to fill in this crap when all you want to do is play your game

9.6.2015

What a wonderful game.... and you can download hundreds of extra scenarios from the Stronghold Heaven website.

3.5.2009

whance you start playing its difficult to stop because the capain is enthaling and multiplaying is good

13.5.2010

Great my sone loves it and is spending hours playing online role play. Makes him think too!

3.3.2009

My son loves this game. Don't buy it if you want your computer taken over by your children.

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