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SHORT REVIEW : this version is basically Stronghold Crusader with steroids. It is not meant to casual players, but only for those who are already familiar with the base game and wants more challenge.
> Gameplay ( 7.8 / 10 ) : unlike other RTSs, here the most important thing is to grow the economy in a simple but quite detailed system with happiness, food, taxes and shops for resources and weapons. Learning the mechanics is easy and funny and the game gives many ways to build our castle in a lot of various maps with different terrains and spaces.
The combat system is fairly good, but it's tedious giving orders to troops (who often act in their own way) and it lacks depth. Scenarios are varied and fun, but after you complete them there is not much else to do if not repeat them.
Crusaders improves just a little bit the mechanics, but with small differences the game is pretty much the same.
> Story ( 6.0 / 10 ) : there is a simple story to follow in the campaign and it revolves around some flat characters during the Crusades of the Middle Age, but they are not related to the actual medieval history. It's just a basic plot that poorly tries to give some meaning to each campaign.
> Aesthetics ( 7.0 / 10 ) : the old graphic from 2001 has always been so characteristic and today it still gives pleasant vibes thanks to its details in buildings and terrains (but animation sprites look really bad). Crudaser changes from the green England countryside to the yellow dry sands of Middle-East, changing some items and units, while keeping most of the buildings the same . Sadly this "HD" version doesn't give any improvements besides compatibility with modern systems.
> Audio ( 8.2 / 10 ) : this game has a beautiful soundtrack that is still a pleasure to listen to in those days. Also, the sound effects are quite good, while the soldiers and assistant voices can be sometimes funny, sometimes annoying.
> Difficulty ( 7.5 / 10 ) : the campaign can offer a good challenge to every player. Mixing the economic and military management of the castle at the same time can keep busy even the experienced players. However, there is always an easier path to complete a scenario faster due to low AI capacity.
> Overall Rating ( 7.3 / 10 ) <