Crusader Kings II

 PC
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1019 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 882 out of 1019
  2. Mixed: 81 out of 1019
  3. Negative: 56 out of 1019

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  1. apokalipto
    Aug 18, 2023
    9
    Very good game. I enjoyed playing this game a lot. I strongly recommend this.
  2. HydrophobikFish
    Jun 9, 2023
    8
    Absolutely addicting game with a unique strategy premise of managing a dynasty. Many different systems make the game dynamic, with a good balance of control and chaos. Too many systems often end up feeling half-integrated or poorly connected to other parts of the game. Suffers form feature creep and an extensive, expensive dlc repertoire.
  3. thethethe4
    Jun 3, 2023
    8
    Crusader Kings 2 is a good game, you focus on making your dynasty and surviving through the middle ages. You can send your armies to fight in the crusades or conquer new lands for your families, there is a lot you can do. The sound design is good and the graphics are what you would expect from an old game like CK2. The only real problem with the game is the excessive amounts of DLCs thatCrusader Kings 2 is a good game, you focus on making your dynasty and surviving through the middle ages. You can send your armies to fight in the crusades or conquer new lands for your families, there is a lot you can do. The sound design is good and the graphics are what you would expect from an old game like CK2. The only real problem with the game is the excessive amounts of DLCs that you need to buy to properly enjoy the game. The pay walls in this game are so extreme that most of the nations on the map you can't play with since you need DLCs to play with them, this results in you being locked to the same few realms that inevitably creates a cycle of stale game play. This extreme pay wall strategy can be forgiven though since the game is free.… Expand
  4. janjanusz
    Mar 26, 2023
    10
    The best and brightest paradox title better then Crusader kings III. I loved played this game with friends
  5. Blackshine
    Nov 17, 2022
    8
    Царь горы в жанре Стратегии в реальном времени.
    Дайте железо достойное третьей части этого шедевра.
  6. dr-kenobi
    Sep 7, 2022
    10
    Доки не вийшли 3-і CK, це було найкраще, що ринок міг запропонувати в жанрі grand strategy.
  7. rezo_21
    Aug 15, 2022
    8
    ====================IIIIIIIIII GAME SCORE : 82 IIIIIIIIII====================
  8. StarkAgentos
    Jul 28, 2022
    10
    Прошёл игру за 4 часа, играя за маленький регион в Англии, получив власть всей страны и слившись. Крутая политическая стратегия.
  9. Yaav13
    May 9, 2022
    10
    My truthful honorable incorruptible conclusive rating of this considered game: 10.
  10. veehnax
    Mar 3, 2022
    9
    One of the best strategy games ever made in history. After 10 years from publishment it is still playable, enjoyable and it's great! Played it for thousands of hours throughout the ten years and enjoyed every single second. The only downside is a Paradox classic: DLCs. Do not buy this game unless you are willing to buy the main DLCs(Sword of Islam, The Old Gods, Charlemange etc.), but ifOne of the best strategy games ever made in history. After 10 years from publishment it is still playable, enjoyable and it's great! Played it for thousands of hours throughout the ten years and enjoyed every single second. The only downside is a Paradox classic: DLCs. Do not buy this game unless you are willing to buy the main DLCs(Sword of Islam, The Old Gods, Charlemange etc.), but if you will buy those; a great experience is waiting for you!… Expand
  11. Torgall
    Dec 12, 2020
    8
    Who doesn't love complex dynasty threes, and constant struggle to get more or retain power. My biggest complaint is Paradox business model that revolves around introducing small patch-like changes, calling them expansions. Many changes are basically things that should be from the day 1, or fixes to overall balance they ruined with previous "expansions". If you count all the little expensesWho doesn't love complex dynasty threes, and constant struggle to get more or retain power. My biggest complaint is Paradox business model that revolves around introducing small patch-like changes, calling them expansions. Many changes are basically things that should be from the day 1, or fixes to overall balance they ruined with previous "expansions". If you count all the little expenses for the important expansions and the game itself, it's insane cost that CKII fans put up with because they are really passionate about it.… Expand
  12. 0r4cle
    Dec 12, 2020
    10
    Игра в которую можно играть вечность если дать волю фантазии, единственная в своём роде =)
  13. Seve82
    Nov 23, 2020
    10
    Beautiful combination of strategy game with strong role playing element of dynasty management. For best game play experience you must try the mods made for this game (for example AGOT, ElderKings or Warhammer: Geheimnisnacht). Sadly you need to get all the major dlc to have full experience and that costs 182,85 eur so better wait for steam sale.
    You can go for ck3 but in its current state    Beautiful combination of strategy game with strong role playing element of dynasty management. For best game play experience you must try the mods made for this game (for example AGOT, ElderKings or Warhammer: Geheimnisnacht). Sadly you need to get all the major dlc to have full experience and that costs 182,85 eur so better wait for steam sale.
    You can go for ck3 but in its current state its just dumbed down version of ck2 for the uncouth masses.    … Expand
  14. MatikTheSeventh
    Oct 11, 2020
    10
    Absolutely the best medieval strategy/life simulator. The possibilities are almost as huge as my king's incestuous family tree.
  15. JohnyBananaman
    Oct 5, 2020
    9
    Best medieval marriage simulator available there is also some other stuff i guess
  16. otto500206
    Sep 3, 2020
    10
    This is the best game of probably only game series that haves strategy and RPG at same time. It haves so much content both with mods and without mods that I'm sure that I didn't tried all of the start dates and mods in the game, even though I have more than 1500 hours on this game. I cannot say this game is perfect(It's very hard to learn and hard to play), but it's the best game ofThis is the best game of probably only game series that haves strategy and RPG at same time. It haves so much content both with mods and without mods that I'm sure that I didn't tried all of the start dates and mods in the game, even though I have more than 1500 hours on this game. I cannot say this game is perfect(It's very hard to learn and hard to play), but it's the best game of Paradox Development Studio.

    Sadly in 2020, they made a bad successor of this game to replace this: CK3.    … Expand
  17. g014n
    Aug 19, 2020
    9
    This review is in anticipation of CK3, if it comes out barebones in terms of the feature set, you might want to try out CK2 instead. Here's why.

    It's one of those games that is great to play but technically still flawed after many years of patching. It's also hard to define, this depends how you personally play it, what's your style. You can play it like a strategy game (which is how I    This review is in anticipation of CK3, if it comes out barebones in terms of the feature set, you might want to try out CK2 instead. Here's why.

    It's one of those games that is great to play but technically still flawed after many years of patching. It's also hard to define, this depends how you personally play it, what's your style. You can play it like a strategy game (which is how I approach it - ignore the fluff), but you can also play it as a role playing game. And this later part is why so many people define it as a murder/incest simulator.

    The game offers a window into the intricacies of medieval court life and how it impacted the course of history and I do appreciate games that tackle heavy topics in some way, that manage to enhance our understanding of that thing (in this case, that period in human history).

    Vanilla is great to play as is since the LoR expansion, but there are truly great mods. I've played the enhanced experience mods, the one set in ancient Rome period, the Elder Scrolls and GoT mods. The mechanics truly fit these time periods and lores. Plus each playthrough gave me an additional 100-120h of playtime. I can't say the same about many other Paradox games.

    The DLCs are a mess, but it doesn't constitute a con. You need about 120 euros worth of content in order to properly get all out of it. Most of them don't expand the game and they're truly optional. There are some great mods too, for example Charlemagne expands the timeline a lot which in itself adds depth to the history and background simulation of games that are started from previously available starting dates. But it's also great to play to also experience that part of European history too. They did hide some features in later DLCs, but most of them are in the base game and you don't need the accompanying DLCs, unlike with EU4. Ultimately, CK2 was so good for me that I bought all the non-cosmetic ones as they're needed to enjoy the mods properly. But this was to encourage further development and it's not something I recommend to my friends that play it more casually.

    It truly has replayability value. I've replayed scenarios like the salvation of the Byzantine empire or the formation of the Roman empire and they offer a different experience each time. Of course, the main reason to replay this would be to experience the mechanics from the perspective of rulers in various corners of the map.    … Expand
  18. PMC_KC
    Jun 20, 2020
    10
    My favorite game all time, 2000 hours played and I could keep on going for another 2000 hours if CK3 wasn't set to come out. Anyone that's a fan of Grand Strategy needs to own this game, it's already a classic.
  19. erdogfu96
    Feb 8, 2020
    9
    Best paradox game ever as I see. Even my girlfriend played for long time. It is enjoyable also moddable. Good for roleplaying, stories are well, you an play with different characters with different stories if you buy all dlc. Only character graphics and price Mark is bad but it is enjoying.
  20. Roadwind
    Jan 31, 2020
    10
    Just great game. I spent more than 1k hours in it and still like how it plays. But! The game is very hard and complex. If you like casual games, "press X to win" and other stuff like this - stay away.
  21. BaldFrog
    Dec 8, 2019
    9
    Fun medival stradegy-roleplaying game, with all of the DLCs the game is really fun to explore, the bare game without dlcs is also fun, but it has a selling taktic by u seeing what is missing in the game. Game can be addicting and can suck u into it for 100-1000 hours or more.

    If u want to be christian going to crusade against the muslims or viking rising the legacy of ur dynasty and    Fun medival stradegy-roleplaying game, with all of the DLCs the game is really fun to explore, the bare game without dlcs is also fun, but it has a selling taktic by u seeing what is missing in the game. Game can be addicting and can suck u into it for 100-1000 hours or more.

    If u want to be christian going to crusade against the muslims or viking rising the legacy of ur dynasty and spreading the nordic religion on those christian lands, u might enjoy this game    … Expand
  22. Yarosvet
    Dec 4, 2019
    10
    The best game I've played. I look forward to part 3. I play every day!
    I love her
  23. zenzyyx_
    Oct 2, 2019
    10
    I have a hundred hours on this game, it's amazing. Check out the AGOT Mod.

    This is the only game where I can take dragon's as concubines and talk like incest is a normal relationship
  24. binaryfireball
    Jul 5, 2019
    9
    BABY MURDER. SATANIC POSSESSIONS. HAREM SIMULATOR. CK2 has it all. Easily the most content rich strategy game ever made. There is just so much here and Paradox keeps delivering expansion after expansion. This is one of the best games of all time.

    If you want an idea of what typical gameplay looks like you can check out this video where I advise my queen in her conquest    BABY MURDER. SATANIC POSSESSIONS. HAREM SIMULATOR. CK2 has it all. Easily the most content rich strategy game ever made. There is just so much here and Paradox keeps delivering expansion after expansion. This is one of the best games of all time.

    If you want an idea of what typical gameplay looks like you can check out this video where I advise my queen in her conquest

    https://youtu.be/zD55Za5V7jw    … Expand
  25. Tilt1k
    Jan 31, 2019
    10
    This game is truly awesome, best medieval family simulator with all the possible deaths. They keep this game updated till today. Some of the best mods i have ever seen like Warhammer or Game of thrones.

    Best game from Paradox. Masterpiece.
  26. nikoparo03
    Dec 22, 2018
    9
    Veramente bello,per gli appassionati di storia questo è il gioco che fa per voi, però vi avviso:il gioco senza DLC è pessimo,quindi se avete intenzione di comprarvelo compratevelo durante gli sconti e con i pacchetti(è uscita la royal edition e vi coviene prendervi quella),altra cosa,voi non giocate con la nazione(come su EU4 o HOI4)bensi con il leader.
  27. clayesterling
    Nov 26, 2018
    8
    The ultimate strategy game. Difficult to master with lots of depth. I love the challenge of iron man mode. I enjoy that one playthrough last so long - normally strategy games have you resetting every 10 hours or less, not here. Slow progression over many weeks of my available playtime - it's nice to build up on the same game for awhile.
  28. TheBuster7
    Nov 24, 2018
    10
    Best Paradox game by far I love just got it and two days have played over ten hours just the freedom is amazing you can play as a king or a duke or a count.
  29. vvmax
    Oct 21, 2018
    10
    In my opinion this is a great game. I love history, especially the English monarchy. When I played this, it immersed me in the life of monarchs hundreds and thousands of years ago.
  30. Kojumbo
    Aug 12, 2018
    8
    I believe the game is very good and certainly unique, but I don't think it deserves the title of best Paradox game. First of all, this game is much more about people management than army management or economy management. You manage your vassals, choose appropriate counselors and marry your children to the right people... this is basically the essence of the game. If you keep all yourI believe the game is very good and certainly unique, but I don't think it deserves the title of best Paradox game. First of all, this game is much more about people management than army management or economy management. You manage your vassals, choose appropriate counselors and marry your children to the right people... this is basically the essence of the game. If you keep all your subordinates happy and you deal with the problematic ones that you can't make happy you can easily achieve success.

    That said, after you master the essence of the game, the gameplay feels a little shallow. It is not a big challenge to build a successful economy or to have a strong army if your vassals like you. Furthermore, I think the expansions (I have most essential ones) actually make the game easier. Some of the issues plaguing most Paradox games such as countries making exclaves far from their capital or sending enormous armies through half the map to fight for the allies also pop out.

    One of the main drawbacks of the game is that provinces all feel the same. It doesn't matter if you own Paris or some province in Siberia as all of them can bring you the same number of soldiers (if you build the same military buildings). Tax income depends on the number of holdings you have at each province and richer provinces have more slots for holdings. Nonetheless, the best strategy is to control only 1 holding per province. Thus, you can have a strong economy even in relatively poor lands, i.e. Siberia, Africa, Central Asia. This feels much different from the other Paradox game I have played a lot, EU3.

    TL;DR The game is good if you want to experience Medieval Europe and recreate history starting from a very early age (867 with the Old Gods DLC). Nonetheless, I find it hard to sink more than a hundred hours into the game and the business model with which they make many almost pointless expansions for 15$ each feels rather repulsive.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

36
#36 Best PC Game of 2012
31
#31 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
6
#6 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. Thunderbolt
    Jan 24, 2013
    80
    It might look like a daunting game to dive into, but stick with it and you'll find one of the most engaging and addictive strategy experiences available.
    Read full review
  2. Gamer.no
    Oct 27, 2012
    80
    Crusader Kings II is quite unique. It's focus on dynasties and family leads to original and entertaining gameplay with great depth and variation. If not for a steep learning curve, it would be close to perfect.
    Read full review
  3. Gamer.nl
    Oct 17, 2012
    80
    Crusader Kings 2 isn't a traditional RTS. The countless intrigues, relationships and family issues that you have to deal with, might make it seem more like a relationship-manager than an actual game. Still, it's quite refreshing and thanks to the countless choices it makes for a great political playground. Every play session is different and opens up a new story, but in return it requires a lot of insight and empathy.
    Read full review
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