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. BadeaS.
    May 3, 2005
    10
    There can be only ONE(best game),and this is it!!!!
  2. AndreasGesell
    Feb 5, 2008
    10
    I bought this game at version 1.41, where most technical problems are resolved. So seeing it at this late point I can say without bad feelings: this game is perfect. Though the campaign is a little hard sometimes it is perfectly entertaining. The graphics are stunning, AI works fine and there were no crashes at all I while I played it, and I play it a lot. Pitty that there are so manyI bought this game at version 1.41, where most technical problems are resolved. So seeing it at this late point I can say without bad feelings: this game is perfect. Though the campaign is a little hard sometimes it is perfectly entertaining. The graphics are stunning, AI works fine and there were no crashes at all I while I played it, and I play it a lot. Pitty that there are so many disappointed customers here, I understand Stronghold 2 was quite buggy when it came out - but that over now. So download the update, grab a sword and a few catapults and go kick some medieval *%& !… Expand
  3. AlbertA.
    Mar 21, 2005
    10
    I like the game soo much.
  4. DanishK.
    Apr 24, 2005
    10
    It's the best RTS game i've ever played in ma LIFE .. every other RTS sux in Front of it..!! I LOVE THIS GAME!
  5. JonathanEalam
    Apr 21, 2005
    10
    Wonderful fun, great strategy, great building, great character.
  6. Koolguyawesomness
    Nov 25, 2008
    10
    ZOMFG WHY ARE PPL GIVING THIS GAME ONES!!!!!?????
    THIS IS THE BEST PC GAME IVE EVER PLAYED!!!!!!!
    IVE HAD IT FOR THREE YEARS AND ITS STILL ENTERTAINING IT NEVER BUGS FOR ME AND HASN'T CRASHED MORE THAN ONCE!!!!!!! PPL THAT SAY THIS IS BUGGY AND CRAPY JUST HAVE A BAD COMP THAT GLITCHES BY ITSELF OR YOU DIDNT DOWNLOAD THE RIGHT SOFTWARE!!!!!!!!!! AS FOR BAD GRAPHIX YOU PROBABLY    ZOMFG WHY ARE PPL GIVING THIS GAME ONES!!!!!?????
    THIS IS THE BEST PC GAME IVE EVER PLAYED!!!!!!!
    IVE HAD IT FOR THREE YEARS AND ITS STILL ENTERTAINING IT NEVER BUGS FOR ME AND HASN'T CRASHED MORE THAN ONCE!!!!!!!
    PPL THAT SAY THIS IS BUGGY AND CRAPY JUST HAVE A BAD COMP THAT GLITCHES BY ITSELF OR YOU DIDNT DOWNLOAD THE RIGHT SOFTWARE!!!!!!!!!!
    AS FOR BAD GRAPHIX YOU PROBABLY DIDNT EVEN LOOK AT THE GRAPHIX MENUE AND PUT STUFF ON HIGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    CMON PPL HONESTLY, YOU REALLY DONT KNOW WHAT YOUR SAYING AND HAVENT GIVIN THE GAME A REAL CHANCE WHEN YOU GIVE IT A 5 OR BELOW!!!!!!!!!
    (ive never accourd any type of bug exept crash and it was once!!!!)
    this is a must have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    … Expand
  7. Serjo
    Nov 24, 2017
    10
    I bought this game shortly after it came out, and I have to say that in my opinion it's the best and most fun Stronghold game ever. I have played the original Stronghold, Crusader, Legends, SH 3 and Crusader 2, but enjoyed SH 2 the most by far. The singleplayer campaigns are super fun and well made, I really liked those animated sequences in between missions, and the multiplayer is evenI bought this game shortly after it came out, and I have to say that in my opinion it's the best and most fun Stronghold game ever. I have played the original Stronghold, Crusader, Legends, SH 3 and Crusader 2, but enjoyed SH 2 the most by far. The singleplayer campaigns are super fun and well made, I really liked those animated sequences in between missions, and the multiplayer is even more awesome. A lot of people disliked this game for things like the honor system, along with the kitchen, estates, crime, rats and gong, but the extra complexity that those things added to the game is exactly the reason why I loved it so much. They could have been implemented in a better way, like for example less crime when people are happy, or giving the gong farmers enough time to clean a place up instead of having the gong make you less popular immediately etc., but even the way it is now is better than not having those things at all. The map editor was also great and very intuitive to use, which is a very important thing to someone like me who loves to create his own maps. I really can't understand why so many people disliked this game, the only explanation I can come up with is that most of them are kids and therefore want everything to be as simple as possible.… Expand
  8. jokerRobert91
    Oct 27, 2011
    10
    Stronghold 2 isnt quite as good as stronghold 1, but is still actaully a pretty good game, the graphics are good and I really enjoyed the campaign. i play the multiplayer LAN alot and I love it. Stronghold 2 is one of my favourite games and is a must-have for strategy enthusiasts.
  9. Arberhoti
    Jul 22, 2013
    10
    I like this game All things are good but i think this game requires more graphic than 128 or more ram memory than 512 because i have 1 gb ram and 512 graphic nvidia geforce 6200, and i set it in low graphic the game still lag
  10. mrbadassgamer
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    i love this game great voice acting music game play in all in it and it one my fav games/ok im done it say i need 150 characters long sooooooooooooooo
  11. Hannan2021
    Apr 11, 2020
    10
    One of the best games of my childhood you should buy it now
    its the simple things and the love put into it that make it perfect for me
  12. kotof
    Aug 15, 2020
    10
    Хорошия игра. Неплохая Сюжетная Кампания.Интересный гемплей. Не очень 3D графика конечно 2D было лучше
  13. cata1332
    Jun 10, 2022
    10
    My first experience with this was the Demo I downloaded from a website long ago in 2007 when I was around 10yo. I played so much with the demo that I ended up buying the game my allowance.
    And up to this day, I come back and play with it (rebought it on Steam)
    The castle building, management, chain production, banquets, dances. The only Stronghold that had a better fleshed-out sim.    My first experience with this was the Demo I downloaded from a website long ago in 2007 when I was around 10yo. I played so much with the demo that I ended up buying the game my allowance.
    And up to this day, I come back and play with it (rebought it on Steam)

    The castle building, management, chain production, banquets, dances. The only Stronghold that had a better fleshed-out sim.
    Battles were also great, sieges even more    … Expand
  14. Aria_Maximum
    Oct 5, 2022
    10
    This game is one of the best game in series I don't know why this game is so get hated
  15. ShaneC
    Apr 21, 2005
    9
    Excellent game.
  16. JesperK.
    Apr 26, 2005
    9
    I haven't had any problems with crashes at all. But its true the framerates drop when there is a lot of units on screen. But i havent tried setting the detail down and that might help. This game is really nice.
  17. Rodymetal
    Nov 1, 2011
    9
    This game is really amazing, I played all stronghold games, now after stronghold 3 released this game looks better and I appreciated more, everything is amazing, the graphics the sim elements and the war, previous stronghold still better but this has better multiplayer experience, you you have many buildings to choose from and you can customize your castle in any way you like, there isThis game is really amazing, I played all stronghold games, now after stronghold 3 released this game looks better and I appreciated more, everything is amazing, the graphics the sim elements and the war, previous stronghold still better but this has better multiplayer experience, you you have many buildings to choose from and you can customize your castle in any way you like, there is high replay value... The only con on this game that units are not taking space , for example you can out unlimited amount of soldier on small tower. But I recommend this game to all rts and building sim fans, also to all medieval history lovers.… Expand
  18. PelletheShadow
    Mar 12, 2014
    9
    Ich dachte mir, ich schreib einfach mal nen deutsches Review, bin mal gespannt obs ankommt!
    Ja, Stronghold 2 ist wirklich ein Klasse Spiel. Ich hatte mir das ursprünglich nur gekauft weil es mich an Age of Empires 2 erinnert hat - welches ich geliebt hatte.
    Und ich muss auch dazu sagen, ich bin eher so der Aufbau Typ als der Zerstörer und Kriegsführende Typ, weswegen ich auch nur die    Ich dachte mir, ich schreib einfach mal nen deutsches Review, bin mal gespannt obs ankommt!
    Ja, Stronghold 2 ist wirklich ein Klasse Spiel. Ich hatte mir das ursprünglich nur gekauft weil es mich an Age of Empires 2 erinnert hat - welches ich geliebt hatte.
    Und ich muss auch dazu sagen, ich bin eher so der Aufbau Typ als der Zerstörer und Kriegsführende Typ, weswegen ich auch nur die Friedenskampagne und Freies Bauen gespielt hab, was einen aber beides lange beschäftigen kann, das Spiel ist also durchaus auch was für Leute die sich gerne in solchen Spielen verlieren und stundenlang einfach nur ihre Städte züchten ;)
    Im Freien Bauen-Modus lassen sich auch selbst erstelle Karten einfügen bei denen man nicht nach ein paar Stunden an die Level grenzen stößt, was leider eine Schwäche der Standardkarten ist, die sind oft sehr schnell zugebaut und dann kann man seiner Stadt nur noch träge wachsen zu sehen..
    Also am besten sich mit dem, sehr fummeligen, Karteneditor beschäftigen und seine eigenen Karten basteln, oder einfach mal Google befragen, da gibt es einige sehr schöne Seiten mit etlichen sehr gelungenen Karten.
    Der einzige wirkliche Nachteil an meiner Spielweise ist nur das man irgendwann alles hat, die Zufriedenheit der Bevölkerung dauerhaft auf 100 ist und man einfach nix mehr machen kann außer dem Alltag der Leute zuzuschauen. aber bis zum dem Punkt vergehen einige Stunden! Also jedenfalls ein Blick wert für Leute die gerne bauen und ihre Ruhe dabei haben wollen ;)    … Expand
  19. IamNader
    May 9, 2023
    9
    I think it is the best STRONGHOLD in the franchise because the graphics are cool and the story is nice also it has more items in game - 9/10
  20. ChrisW.
    Mar 28, 2007
    8
    SH2 Is a great game. I have no doubt about that.You see... When thousands of impatient people bug and bug and bug for a game to be released asap, and actually criticize the production team for taking a while, you get what happened to SH2. The game now, is virtually bug free, and most things have been fixed. Though, this took many patches. I have a great computer, 2gig ram, and an 8800 SH2 Is a great game. I have no doubt about that.You see... When thousands of impatient people bug and bug and bug for a game to be released asap, and actually criticize the production team for taking a while, you get what happened to SH2. The game now, is virtually bug free, and most things have been fixed. Though, this took many patches. I have a great computer, 2gig ram, and an 8800 video card, and SH2 is graphically flawless for me. So before you jump to blaming the game for your crappy computer, stop and think about it. And as for crashing... I don't think iv ever played a game that didn't crash at least once. Even consoles freeze. The people at Firefly did an excellent job at creating an excellent game.… Expand
  21. Mr.Me
    Apr 9, 2009
    8
    this game is a good game. their are some small bugs like the seige towers and castle estates(they actully allowed you to have two castles in Story mode but not in free play so this REALLY bugged me.) but it's still smoth on my computer. if they fixed these two bugs it would be a 10 for me.
  22. stukabomber44
    Jul 23, 2011
    8
    If you can look past the minor bugs and glitches this game is one of the rare gems that mix warfare with economics. Not only do you have the manage resources but you must make the populace happy so they join the workforce or the military. People who shun this game know no real simulation when it is right in front of them. It isn't a 10 but surely isn't anything less than a 7.
  23. 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
  24. 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.
  25. 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.
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. 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
  30. RockerKR
    Nov 17, 2020
    7
    IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Decent Game IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
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