Stronghold 2

 PC
User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 228 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 96 out of 228
  2. Mixed: 74 out of 228
  3. Negative: 58 out of 228
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  1. JosephL.
    Sep 7, 2006
    6
    I enjoyed the game but found some technical problems and bugs kept it from being a truly memorable gaming experience. First off the graphics and sound were adequate. The swaying trees and miscellaneous animals roaming around as well as the peasants going about their daily lives. Very nice. Hearing pikemen and bowmen scream their heads off as they get blasted off the wall by a trebuchet I enjoyed the game but found some technical problems and bugs kept it from being a truly memorable gaming experience. First off the graphics and sound were adequate. The swaying trees and miscellaneous animals roaming around as well as the peasants going about their daily lives. Very nice. Hearing pikemen and bowmen scream their heads off as they get blasted off the wall by a trebuchet ... Freackin awesome. However, the lag issue is a problem ... which occurs even if your above the recommened requirements and play on a lesser setting. That sucks. Plus the forced micromanagement I saw someone else write about is definately a downer. I like being able to manually pick peasants and decide where to send them or what to build ... not build the building and have them go to it with no option for changing his job later. Oh and the biggest one ... not being able to build buildings or walls in lands outside of mine that I capture ... THAT really sucks. Makes it almost impossible to defend unless you send a huge army to EACH estate. Not feasable. Anyway. Maybe some of the concerns and issues we have will be implemented in a Stronghold 3 perhaps? hmmm? Better storyline ... better AI ... increased building and peasant control ... yeah I like the sound of that.… Expand
  2. Mr.D.
    Jun 5, 2007
    5
    This is an extremly good game but crahes occurr too many times. I reckon with another 2 months work from the team (instead of rushing it for customers) they could have had a perfect game with really gamers really happy. I enjoyed SH:C and enjoyed SH2 aswell if they could possibly make a patch that would stop the crashes it would be a 10 out of 10 from me.
  3. Bernardo
    May 4, 2005
    5
    Yup, the lag is terrible. Multiplayer is not something to start with (it could take days with the lag). Singleplayer allmost same thing. Graphics not so good. The graphics from Stronghold Crusader were better! This just looks like a: "Lets try something 3D!" Its not worth the money.
  4. GamesmanP.
    Apr 21, 2005
    6
    The game is absoloutely fantastic until your castle gets to a certain size, frame rates die. There will need to be a rather serious patch. Should have scored a 9. Needed to use an ugrade system instead of mass building deployment.
  5. Stephen
    Apr 25, 2005
    6
    Buggy as heck. Lacking almost all the humor of SH & SHC. No taunting animations. No developer interaction in the community.
  6. RonaldT.
    Apr 25, 2005
    5
    This game deserves a much higher score - and once the developers get the bugs worked out I'll come back and revote. But for now this is what it's worth. What's finished is high in quality and style, but it's still full of bugs, lag, and crashes - released too early for my tastes.
  7. JamieS.
    May 3, 2005
    5
    It SHOULD be a good game. It looks great. It's an interesting idea. But ... Iso far I'e installed it twice, played for an hour or so at a time, then uninstalled. .. even with every setting low, there's too much lag! My system has a gig of ram, a radeon 9700 pro with 128 meg ram, and 300 gigs of hard drive space .... and it still lags, lags, lags .... tand yet the graphics It SHOULD be a good game. It looks great. It's an interesting idea. But ... Iso far I'e installed it twice, played for an hour or so at a time, then uninstalled. .. even with every setting low, there's too much lag! My system has a gig of ram, a radeon 9700 pro with 128 meg ram, and 300 gigs of hard drive space .... and it still lags, lags, lags .... tand yet the graphics are only mediocre, not cutting edge. far cry, which has graphics superior in every way, runs fine at 1024x768 ! The engine in this software ruins the entire game, it just can't handle it. Shame.… Expand
  8. GeorgeS.
    Apr 25, 2005
    6
    Painfully long loading time. and in game lag is unbearable. they really need to rethink this game from the bottom up. i believed in the first stronghold more so than this one. hopefully the third one, if they make one, will be alot better than this. this game has so much potential!!!!
  9. SilentHightimes
    Sep 12, 2014
    7
    ok campaign nothing special fun if you like the genre.City building is fun and wish more games were like it i like having a lot going on and a lot of work put into things, with the fun combat if only online was balanced better.Online is great fun but some big flaws that ruin the game that never got fixed apple trees ftw.

    Burning logs and flying Cows are awesome.
    Worth $50
  10. Baub
    Dec 15, 2011
    7
    I honestly think Stronghold 2 was a pretty good game. The main issues i had with the game is that the combat SUCKED, siege equipment is very over powered, and theres no option to put in npcs in multiplayer. Despite that the things i really liked about this was the micromanaging and the castle sim part of it. I loved watching all my peasants working around the castle doing all sorts ofI honestly think Stronghold 2 was a pretty good game. The main issues i had with the game is that the combat SUCKED, siege equipment is very over powered, and theres no option to put in npcs in multiplayer. Despite that the things i really liked about this was the micromanaging and the castle sim part of it. I loved watching all my peasants working around the castle doing all sorts of various jobs, having my servants cook a feast for my lord, and all that stuff.. i really liked it. Despite this, it still needed a lot of fixing up but still has its ups.… Expand
  11. M9ki
    Nov 24, 2013
    7
    Honestly I miss this game but I just got so bored of its repetitive ness and well being. Its enjoyable for a while but it never lasts long. The combat system was the best thing about it and the way you can build and have a whole army without having to require much on your computer...

    Maki
  12. grimdiggergrim
    Aug 8, 2006
    7
    i thought the game was superb when i bought it but i realised when i got further on the missions were so long and then I CANT EVEN PLAY IT BECAUSE IT SAYS DEFEAT AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING AND I COULDNT EVEN GET ONTO A MISSION OR PLAY ANYTHING so i traded it in
  13. CurtJ.
    Apr 29, 2005
    7
    The game slows when your castle exceeds more then 30+ buildings at any setting. There are no longer any "stats" when you beat an opponent (such as kills, losses). And there are AI bugs (such as random troops walking through walls or teleporting across the map, persistant crime) But even with all of these flaws... The game still has a ton of fun in it. With a few heavy patches this would be a 10.
  14. Skyline_dk1
    Aug 13, 2005
    5
    HELP!! READ THIS!! i install i start it like any other game i use it on reccomenced setting (got massive good comp!!) i start a game its all fine in 3d no lagg the game starts and theres no castle the lord is flying in the air, and my units have no weapns and what should have benn my castle looks like ruins i can play the game tho but every building or siegeweapon i get/build look like HELP!! READ THIS!! i install i start it like any other game i use it on reccomenced setting (got massive good comp!!) i start a game its all fine in 3d no lagg the game starts and theres no castle the lord is flying in the air, and my units have no weapns and what should have benn my castle looks like ruins i can play the game tho but every building or siegeweapon i get/build look like something is very wrong only the storage house look a little like a house but the ox-techer almost fill out whole my screen!! please e-mail me and help me out!! e-mail: andreas@kenns.dk PLEASE!!!!!!!! i tried it on my parents comp it worked but they wont allow me to play on that comp so please!! ps. no lagg everything works its oly my buidings, wepons, towers and ox-techers except my walls!!… Expand
  15. MattE.
    Apr 24, 2005
    7
    I would have given a 7.5 but there is no such selection. very good game. but graphics are not as good as they could be, also the crummy AI is kind of a set back to. but other than that pretty good game.
  16. Acebulf
    Jul 23, 2011
    7
    I bought it at Wal-Mart for 15$ in the bargain bin. I like it, great game, the combination of city-building and warfare is the closest to Age of Empire's. While it's not a substitute, I find the single player campaign a lot of fun, and multiplayer with my friends is great too. (Although there's not a ton of people online, there's some) The connection sometimes screws up on some games andI bought it at Wal-Mart for 15$ in the bargain bin. I like it, great game, the combination of city-building and warfare is the closest to Age of Empire's. While it's not a substitute, I find the single player campaign a lot of fun, and multiplayer with my friends is great too. (Although there's not a ton of people online, there's some) The connection sometimes screws up on some games and that makes it very annoying. i don't have this problem with other games so I figure the problem is with the game itself. Conclusion : Buy it, especially if it's in a bargain bin. :D… Expand
  17. Mr_Bismark
    Sep 13, 2014
    6
    Well first off the campaigns are quite enjoyable although voice acting are mediocre at best. The A.I isn't a challenge unless you don't have a good grasp of strategy. There are some bugs with units and occasional saving but they shouldn't be too bothersome. I only really criticize the A.L for being weak and the bugs in the game that occasionally hamper game process in campaigns but otherWell first off the campaigns are quite enjoyable although voice acting are mediocre at best. The A.I isn't a challenge unless you don't have a good grasp of strategy. There are some bugs with units and occasional saving but they shouldn't be too bothersome. I only really criticize the A.L for being weak and the bugs in the game that occasionally hamper game process in campaigns but other than that I enjoyed free build mode and the campaigns.… Expand
  18. Dco326
    Jul 16, 2023
    6
    Nisam je ni zavrsio, previse bugova u kampanji igrica je samo okej i to jedva.
  19. Genek13
    Nov 18, 2019
    5
    Game is ok - fun to play but technical problems make you break your mouse or keyboard... so many game breaking bugs
  20. RockerKR
    Nov 17, 2020
    7
    IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Decent Game IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
  21. Torgall
    Dec 13, 2020
    5
    This game is perfect example of why sometimes you should stick to 2d, instead of switching to 3d. For me the play style is completely different, and not as fun. The additions of waste, rats and more makes the game more complex, but it doesn't changed that it's very mediocre at best.
  22. kolarz3
    May 19, 2023
    6
    Not very good. I did't like the fact that game become 3D game. Some mechanics where interesting
  23. erfunfazli
    Jun 14, 2023
    5
    not bad it has some good things but overall game is not so special it's just not bad.

Awards & Rankings

20
#20 Most Discussed PC Game of 2005
17
#17 Most Shared PC Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
63

Mixed or average reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 33
  3. Negative: 4 out of 33
  1. Yahoo!
    80
    The new perspective works excellently and the added buildings and units are welcome. It's a shame some of the old problems, like the unconvincing AI, are still around, but the intricate economy and unusual siege play make it stand out.
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  2. Next Level Gaming
    70
    Even with the painfully long load screens and the lags in the game play I still enjoy this game.
    Read full review
  3. GameSpot
    59
    A poor story, weak artificial intelligence, and plenty of bugs mar what otherwise could have been a simple yet fun castle-building game.
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