Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 15
  2. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Feb 14, 2023
    70
    Knights of Honor II: Sovereign is a medieval real-time grand strategy that does something to perfection, but also fails to deliver in some other important aspects. While the game does feel fresh, it's also far too similar to its predecessor, that got released almost 20 years ago. As an older player, it feels good to play the game again, but it’s also disappointing that the studio didn't add many new features that were, and still are, missing.
  2. Jan 19, 2023
    70
    Exactly what a sequel should look like. There are better graphics, sure, but also various changes and improvements. Nothing groundbreaking, no – but this solid strategy game doesn’t exactly need to reinvent the wheel.
  3. Dec 8, 2022
    70
    I think as long as you know what to expect going in… this could well be a fantastic game. If you like fiddling over the minutia of your empire then you will probably love this game. If like me you’d prefer a bit less worrying about the small stuff to your rule… perhaps give it a miss.
  4. Dec 6, 2022
    70
    A decent alternative if you want something in the style of Total War. It is characterized by comparable, quite complex management, but poor AI in the campaign and less successful battles. It offers some interesting options, but on the other hand, several elements are underdeveloped and unbalanced.
  5. Dec 5, 2022
    70
    Sovereign is not the next big entry in the grand strategy horizon and it isn't even trying to be: simpler and more approachable than most of its rivals, the game feels a bit hasty in some of its core mechanics and in recreating the historical context, but it's enjoyable nonetheless.
  6. Feb 28, 2023
    65
    See, as suboptimal as many of Knights of Honor II’s macro design choices are, they add up to a vision of the grand strategy genre that, at the very least, provides a much different rhythm and feel from its contemporaries. Instead of the player securing their family line for future generations, or expanding an empire from the stone age to the space age, the player is given a modest patch of land and tasked with developing and defending it at all costs from inscrutable opponents that often feel like a swarm of angry wasps buzzing at the player’s stoop. Its core systems could use some elaboration, perhaps, but fans of this genre who need this particular itch scratched could do a lot worse!
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  1. Feb 22, 2023
    With Knights of Honor II: Sovereign! a very strange feeling comes over me: rather than a sequel, it feels like a very conservative and limited remake of the original title, which came out in 2004. It has a good strategic foundation, but it's stuck in the past.
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 22 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 22
  2. Negative: 4 out of 22
  1. Dec 8, 2022
    10
    This is a classic game and i think the devs has done a great job. It was fun!
  2. Dec 11, 2022
    0
    Knights of Honor 1 is my favourite strategy game of all time. 18 years waiting and 5 years in the making and all we got is a mediocre KoH1 HDKnights of Honor 1 is my favourite strategy game of all time. 18 years waiting and 5 years in the making and all we got is a mediocre KoH1 HD remake. Some of the key issues are: cheating AI , horrible semi 3d graphics , broken diplomacy , no workshop integration , host of bugs and errors in MP , questionable design choices , ton of tiny bugs, errors, defects and QOL issues , lack of historical accuracy , no UI scaling options , garbage performance/optimisation.

    To add insult to injury devs and mods have been very dismissive to issues reported, initially game launched with cheating AI, when this was reported to devs they down right attacked players reporting these issues saying they are noobs and they don't know what they are doing - but first patch that came out 2-3 days after release changed guess what? AI behaviour on easy and normal...why deny a problem exists if you patch it 2 days later?

    Also devs claim is bigger and better but its not true, you can't even control taxes in this game, you could in KoH1, that feature is even in Lords of the Realms 2 from 1996! but not KoH2...its a joke.
    Music is a downgrade, not all songs are bad but KoH1 had more memorable ones. Lots of features added for no good reason just to be able to say game is bigger.

    Only one game mode in singleplayer ! in 2022 you can only play basically one mode on the big map, where are small scenarios like maybe map of british isles, Poland? Spain so we can play unification scenarios?
    Where are custom maps? Map editor? Workshop integration for mods? How can they justify the price for a bare bones game.

    Graphics are now semi 3d, extremely poorly optimised, blocking you from being to zoom out properly to get a good look of your kingdom and the situation. Why walk away from beautiful pixel art that didn't strain players computers? Devs have shot themselves in the foot blocking a lot of people with weak computers from playing it. They had time to implement ray tracing tech but not optimise or produce good graphics?

    My advice is: wait 6 months for this to be patched, check it then and buy on deep deep discount. Hopefully devs stop being toxic and actually listen to genuine player feedback and improve the game.

    Very sad that such a potential was wasted by an inexperienced team with no vision.
    Full Review »
  3. Aug 26, 2023
    5
    I don't know if it's because I played this after Crusader Kings 3 but I couldn't get into this game. I found it boring and there's not enoughI don't know if it's because I played this after Crusader Kings 3 but I couldn't get into this game. I found it boring and there's not enough content right now. Maybe I will try again in the future. Full Review »