Stronghold 3

 PC
User Score
3.0

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 372 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 53 out of 372
  2. Mixed: 43 out of 372
  3. Negative: 276 out of 372
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  1. Speedhorn
    Nov 16, 2011
    1
    Why? Just why? I feel like i have paid for stronghold 2 all over again with parts cut out!! The graphics are shocking for current gen games and it crashes so much. BAD southpeak games BAD!
  2. 57splatt
    Dec 6, 2011
    1
    Bugs bugs crashes horses that climb towers , walls that don't protect, unprofessional, possible that FF new partner at fault " 7sixty " previous products were great , this was a mistake
  3. Baub
    Dec 15, 2011
    1
    This game is just terrible. absolutely terrible. the gameplay is boring on tedious; Stronghold 3 really failed in micromanaging. and i can't believe they haven't fixed the horrible combat yet... battles still consist of 2 clusters of guys swinging at each other. I don't necessarily want my 50 dollars back because im cheap, i want my 50 dollars back because firefly doesn't deserve money forThis game is just terrible. absolutely terrible. the gameplay is boring on tedious; Stronghold 3 really failed in micromanaging. and i can't believe they haven't fixed the horrible combat yet... battles still consist of 2 clusters of guys swinging at each other. I don't necessarily want my 50 dollars back because im cheap, i want my 50 dollars back because firefly doesn't deserve money for this terrible excuse for a game.… Expand
  4. GamesArtist
    Jan 5, 2012
    1
    I think a constructive review is needed here. I don't normally review any games I buy, but I feel compelled to comment this time.

    There are two main elements I'm disappointed with - The Graphics, and the missing skirmish mode. Graphics - I loved the previous Stronghold games, I'm a huge fan. The Stronghold series really impressed me...so simple yet wonderfully designed. The graphics on    I think a constructive review is needed here. I don't normally review any games I buy, but I feel compelled to comment this time.

    There are two main elements I'm disappointed with - The Graphics, and the missing skirmish mode.

    Graphics - I loved the previous Stronghold games, I'm a huge fan. The Stronghold series really impressed me...so simple yet wonderfully designed. The graphics on the previous versions were never cutting edge, but they always looked JUST RIGHT, no frills but very nicely and professionally done. All that was needed, after so many years, was an updated version; something that kept the best elements, added to them, and impressed the hell out of us graphically. I mean, this is not a sprawling game in terms of graphics production, so it should have been a simple job.

    Sadly, the graphics are, well, I'm trying to express this without being pointlessly horrible...they're grimy, look unfinished, everything looks dismal, and the quality of the textures is (I'm sorry) really poor. It's hard to imagine that this was done by the same art team as the previous games. The textures generally appear to have some kind of overdone bump or normal map (looks like a bump) which just looks noisy, especially on the castle stone. Everything seems so grey and dark. There is literally NO eye-candy, nothing at all to help immerse the player in the world. It kind of feels like it was made in the dark ages, it might be technically more up to date but the immediate impression (which has to come from the visuals) is that this game took a graphical step back from Stronghold 2. I wanted to create beautiful structures (and knock down beautiful structures). Perhaps the art team felt this 'messy' look added medieval realism, but I'm sorry they didn't quite get it right. Especially when viewed at a distance, it should all smooth out, and the overall appearance should never be so noisy. It's weird, it looks like a hobby project. Even castles still standing today look less messy than the Stronghold 3 structures, and...it's a game...yes it's great to be accurate but (A) they missed 'accurate' because of the poor quality, and (B) There was room for some artistic licence. Where the hell is the atmosphere? Is there any? When playing a game we want to be immersed, we want to feel uplifted or scared or excited or...something...anything!

    Overall the game looks like a wet weekend at the most depressing derelict castle imaginable. You know, you pay to get in then plod around a muddy site in the rain looking at some bits of old walls while the kids moan and you get soaked through from the drizzle! You wish you'd gone to a better castle. The only people appreciating the one you're at are members of 'time team' and only own wellies. That kind of place!

    The POV doesn't help either, and I couldn't find a way to tilt the camera (although I didn't play that long so maybe I missed something).

    I'm so disappointed, and I really don't understand what happened. There was nothing to stop this being wonderful, budget certainly couldn't be to blame because it's not a case of needing more graphics, they should just have been done better. We could easily have been creating super impressive castles, beautifully crafted stone giants gleaming in the sun by day and glowing by torch light at night. Graphics have come a long way, but even without any amazing shaders this could have looked wonderful. Very easily. I'd mention that a choice of styles would have been nice too, I mean castles don't all look exactly the same (especially from one country to another), but if you can't get one set right then adding more to the mix is maybe a bad idea.

    A careful postmortem is needed, and my little rant certainly isn't that...It's hard to nail exactly why this is so bad without going deeper. It just looks, and also FEELS, horrible...from the noisy mess of the graphics to the horrible non-snapping building placement and terrible camera control.

    Maybe I shouldn't instantly blame the art dept, maybe this all looked wonderful in Max or Maya (actually, no, it didn't), and maybe the code dept did a fantastic job of destroying it. Or maybe they outsourced the bulk to some cheap offshore place and ran out of time and money to fix the mess...who knows...

    Add to this the fact that, in single player, I can't just build and battle it out against NPCs, and I was just (again) so disappointed. And again, I wouldn't normally review games, generally I don't care enough and wouldn't want to knock anyone...but I'd waited for this one, and what I saw (after the endless messing with Steam etc to install it) was just horrible, and for me that put a very final and sad end to what I had previously considered to be the best series of this type of game. So I thought, these guys need to know ... just in case they DO get to make another one, and then maybe next time they'll get it right?    … Expand
  5. Metamarc
    Mar 8, 2012
    1
    This game ruined stronghold for me. The only improvement, comparing to stronghold 2, is the graphics - and they're not good at all. The game is buggy as f'''k. It's takes an effort to even control your units and get them to move at all.. Just a really. bad. comeback. I don't even want to go into details, because if not the basics are in order, you really can't enjoy the game at all. NotThis game ruined stronghold for me. The only improvement, comparing to stronghold 2, is the graphics - and they're not good at all. The game is buggy as f'''k. It's takes an effort to even control your units and get them to move at all.. Just a really. bad. comeback. I don't even want to go into details, because if not the basics are in order, you really can't enjoy the game at all. Not worth a penny.… Expand
  6. kanefriessner
    Jul 23, 2012
    1
    As a stronghold fan, I'm really disappointed. This game is unfinished. It's not a finished game, even it's not a beta release. Nearly nothing works in this game. First, the graphics are nearly the same as in Stronghold 2. Second, there is no skirmish. What the hell? Just remember the good skirmishes of Stronghold Crusader. Where is it now? And the campaigns are wasted. Also, the maps areAs a stronghold fan, I'm really disappointed. This game is unfinished. It's not a finished game, even it's not a beta release. Nearly nothing works in this game. First, the graphics are nearly the same as in Stronghold 2. Second, there is no skirmish. What the hell? Just remember the good skirmishes of Stronghold Crusader. Where is it now? And the campaigns are wasted. Also, the maps are tiny. Maybe much smaller then the maps in Stronghold 2. There are some "historical" castle sieges (such as in the previous Stronghold sequels), but these are really bad too. Finally, the multiplayer. Ahhh..... you can play only in four maps (2 map is 1v1 and 2 map is 2v2, there is no 3v3 or 4v4). The whole game is unplayable. I think there is no more words to say....don't buy it, it's a complete waste of the sea of p.o.o.… Expand
  7. Blue_Affinity
    Oct 14, 2012
    1
    It pains me to say this because of how much I loved the first game. But everything magical about stronghold was ruined when they went 3-D. Firefly mastered 2-D settings... but.... I can't even play this game without it crashing in the first ten minutes. Besides that.. there is hardly anything resembling an online community..... and they scraped half of the settings that made us all fall inIt pains me to say this because of how much I loved the first game. But everything magical about stronghold was ruined when they went 3-D. Firefly mastered 2-D settings... but.... I can't even play this game without it crashing in the first ten minutes. Besides that.. there is hardly anything resembling an online community..... and they scraped half of the settings that made us all fall in love with SH1… Expand
  8. Sky-Moondrift
    Aug 21, 2014
    1
    Don't buy this game. I would rather be forced to do hard labor than play this game it's that boring and broken.

    If any credit could be given, it's to the one guy who voice acted at the start. I feel so cheated for having paid $4.00 for this I am just going to paste my Steam review under this. UI takes up 50% of the screen and no option to reduce it. Mini map and UI graphics look    Don't buy this game. I would rather be forced to do hard labor than play this game it's that boring and broken.

    If any credit could be given, it's to the one guy who voice acted at the start.

    I feel so cheated for having paid $4.00 for this I am just going to paste my Steam review under this.

    UI takes up 50% of the screen and no option to reduce it.
    Mini map and UI graphics look disgusting.
    There is no info, or tooltips on units.
    The game looks damn ugly.
    Very poor unit animation and movement is clunky as hell. They also move like snails.
    Fixed restrictive camera will drive you mad.
    The whole resource gathering mechanisms are horrendously simple and linear.    … Expand
  9. Zwiodimus
    Nov 17, 2019
    1
    This game is the worst in the series. I've bought it soon after its premiere and I've regret up to today. It might even be THE worst video game I have ever played. Not only that, but it destroyed my beloved franchise. I have no hope for any new good stronghold games.
  10. nosepicker
    Oct 26, 2011
    0
    ran the program took one look at the 1996 graphics and said what a absolute waste of 50 dollars......
    please dont waste the time or effort to even install this game what an absolute mess
  11. Argoss
    Oct 25, 2011
    0
    Just three words: NO SKIRMISH MODE.......................................................................................................................................
  12. lsdiskewl
    Oct 27, 2011
    0
    The game is currently unplayable and obviously incomplete. There is almost no documentation for any of the mechanics,mechanics that exist generally do not work as they should. Game is a disaster and a last moment cash grab. Stick a fork in this franchise it is done...
  13. Zarunil
    Nov 9, 2011
    0
    In my humble opinion, Firefly should sell the Stronghold license to a developer that knows what to do with it, and shut down. This game is a disaster.
  14. Slater
    Oct 26, 2011
    0
    I loved Stronghold 1 and Crusader - not so big on 2 and Legends, but this... this is by far the worst RTS I have ever played in my life. NOTHING works as it should, nothing is thought through. It's like they've taken all the worst parts from previous Stronghold games and none of the good, and then added a million bugs.

    Graphics are broken and ugly. 1920x1080 isn't an option, but if I pick    I loved Stronghold 1 and Crusader - not so big on 2 and Legends, but this... this is by far the worst RTS I have ever played in my life. NOTHING works as it should, nothing is thought through. It's like they've taken all the worst parts from previous Stronghold games and none of the good, and then added a million bugs.

    Graphics are broken and ugly. 1920x1080 isn't an option, but if I pick 1600x900 it stretches the image for some reason, so I have to play in a 16:10 resolution on my 16:9 monitor with black borders, just to be able to see an unstretched image. Game speed is ridiculously slow. Walls don't protect units behind them, animals can climb ladders, no audio cues when your men are being attacked. No explanation of what anything does and no tooltips for most buttons. Economic system is atrocious and resource management is hell with no HUD indication of resources. Fighting is atrocious and no fun at all. Etc.

    This game is horrible in every way, completely unfinished and certain areas, like the cutscenes, clearly showcase how little this game has cost to make, in terms of both money and labour. Releasing a game in this state at full price (or at any price, really) is no different from picking someone's pocket, and Firefly are nothing more than petty thieves.    … Expand
  15. skoob
    May 26, 2012
    0
    this game is definitely a zero. From the first underdeveloped slew of garbage that entered my computer, it was a nightmare. My primary reason for being so annoyed was that there was no skirmish mode. You could "re-enact historical sieges", but you couldn't generate a skirmish mode? With that aside, I created an account here to complain about the dlc, and how you couldn't just buy it- youthis game is definitely a zero. From the first underdeveloped slew of garbage that entered my computer, it was a nightmare. My primary reason for being so annoyed was that there was no skirmish mode. You could "re-enact historical sieges", but you couldn't generate a skirmish mode? With that aside, I created an account here to complain about the dlc, and how you couldn't just buy it- you had to purchase the game again. So, at 31.99 with 20% off they are trying to re-sell their underdeveloped game, with one addition campaign that nobody will ever play. I have nothing against dlc, but to charge for a whole game that still doesn't contain the basic components of a castle building sim is just ridiculous.… Expand
  16. EastonReviews
    Nov 13, 2011
    0
    Castle building? Again and again? You've gone too far this time! You don't need to to cause more pain again and again and again until we're all dead. No one's gonna buy it, so go make another game at least a handful of people will find interesting.
  17. raver19
    Dec 18, 2011
    0
    this game is just a big bug...... no words!!
    never played a unfished game like this **** -.-
    ......................................................................................................
  18. feda1
    Oct 26, 2011
    0
    This game is not even worth pirating. It is so poorly designed and full of bugs. This game is not even worth pirating. It is so poorly designed and full of bugs. This game is not even worth pirating. It is so poorly designed and full of bugs. This game is not even worth pirating. It is so poorly designed and full of bugs.
  19. colonelpepper
    Nov 24, 2011
    0
    FireFly = RIPOFF ARTISTS !! FF must run by criminally incompetent marketing hacks. They are ACTIVELY SELLING a product that THEY KNOW IS NOT FINISHED. Buy it only if you like blue screen of death.
  20. Anarchy
    Nov 13, 2011
    0
    Immense disappointment. As a long-time fan of the series I am nothing but let down by this unfinished, unpolished, incomplete travesty. Seriously, how hard is it to code Stronghold 1 in 3D with graphics from this decade? Too hard apparently. It's rough, crude and lacks any sophistication or substance. There isn't even a skirmish mode to justify playing it after the pathetically threadbareImmense disappointment. As a long-time fan of the series I am nothing but let down by this unfinished, unpolished, incomplete travesty. Seriously, how hard is it to code Stronghold 1 in 3D with graphics from this decade? Too hard apparently. It's rough, crude and lacks any sophistication or substance. There isn't even a skirmish mode to justify playing it after the pathetically threadbare campaign. Do not give your money to these losers. Not even worth picking up from a bargain bin. WOLVES CLIMBING LADDERS.… Expand
  21. daarthreview1
    Dec 8, 2011
    0
    I'm going to receive a lot of hate for this but i liked the game. sure it had its fare share of bugs and it was a bit slow i enjoyed it and the game is being patched every week and its getting better all the time.now the reason i didn't give it higher marks is it is not excusable to send out a buggy and unfinished game to the consumers sure its getting better every patch but firefly shouldI'm going to receive a lot of hate for this but i liked the game. sure it had its fare share of bugs and it was a bit slow i enjoyed it and the game is being patched every week and its getting better all the time.now the reason i didn't give it higher marks is it is not excusable to send out a buggy and unfinished game to the consumers sure its getting better every patch but firefly should have checked the game for bugs i wouldn't of minded this game being delayed to finish it. Collapse… Expand
  22. sholdlegend
    Oct 25, 2011
    0
    The most anticipated flop of our generation. Crashes left right and centre, poor AI and poorly designed non-immersive maps are only a few things that cast out Stronghold 3 from it's predecessors.
  23. BlaBlaBlaNighT
    Oct 25, 2011
    0
    The only reason for me creating an account here: To warn you all not to buy this ... "game". Its pathetic lol, no skirmish, **** graphics and overall an unfinished feeling. This is far from playable, and even further away from being a good game. Sad to see the money go down the drain.. again.. Don't make the mistake of buying this game. This is not worth the 5 bucks when it ends up in theThe only reason for me creating an account here: To warn you all not to buy this ... "game". Its pathetic lol, no skirmish, **** graphics and overall an unfinished feeling. This is far from playable, and even further away from being a good game. Sad to see the money go down the drain.. again.. Don't make the mistake of buying this game. This is not worth the 5 bucks when it ends up in the discount bin even!… Expand
  24. BoromirKane
    Oct 25, 2011
    0
    I first came to the stronghold series with stronghold 2. I thought, despite the shoddy graphics that it was a great idea and alot of fun. I even enjoyed stronghold legends. I played though the campaign once on each then moved to offline skirmishes or kingmaker which is the mode I always play with RTS's. So think of my surprise when loading up stronghold 3 for the first time and couldntI first came to the stronghold series with stronghold 2. I thought, despite the shoddy graphics that it was a great idea and alot of fun. I even enjoyed stronghold legends. I played though the campaign once on each then moved to offline skirmishes or kingmaker which is the mode I always play with RTS's. So think of my surprise when loading up stronghold 3 for the first time and couldnt find the skirmish/kingmaker option! I hav essentially bought a game full price of which I cannot play. I paid £30.00 for a shoddy little campaign on tiny maps, with poor framerate. What was firefly doing for all these years? Has anyone even tested this game before release? and where the hell is skirmish?! Rule number 1 about making a RTS game. INCLUDE SKIRMISH!!!

    Whats wrong with this game? - No Skirmish/Kingmaker
    - No AI
    - Tiny Maps
    - Crappy Framerate even on high end pc's
    - Camera is restricted in free build? whats the point in doing that?
    - Tiny selection of maps (2!)
    - No cinematic cutscenes just black and white drawings with a crappy voice over.
    - Unresponsive units (hard to select and when they are selected they dont always do as you say)
    - Cant see the sky (no different views like sh2)

    Stronghold was my second favourite series of games (behind total war). I can-not express my disapointment enough. Please save yourself the horror and dont buy it.    … Expand
  25. TeeferTiger
    Oct 25, 2011
    0
    I was really looking forward to this game. Preordered it. SO disappointed. Laggy (even on my very high spec nearly new laptop), still lags when graphics set lower and lights turned off. Crashes out.... oh I can't even begin to list all the problems.

    I wish I'd never wasted my money :(
  26. Johnman
    Oct 25, 2011
    0
    Beyond unpolished, unfinished. Not only the combat system is buggy and full of oversights, it is faulted by design. No care has been put at all in this game. The economics mechanics are not the best of the series, but at least are better than Stronghold 2's.

    Only the music and the sound effects are acceptable. Voice acting is OK. Graphics are all right if you don't care too much, but unit    Beyond unpolished, unfinished. Not only the combat system is buggy and full of oversights, it is faulted by design. No care has been put at all in this game. The economics mechanics are not the best of the series, but at least are better than Stronghold 2's.

    Only the music and the sound effects are acceptable. Voice acting is OK. Graphics are all right if you don't care too much, but unit animations are sub-par.

    Some reviews say it needs "a few patches". But it needs to be redone.    … Expand
  27. elypsa
    Oct 25, 2011
    0
    Is it a new game ? Is it a beta test? I am really confused brothers.. Don´t buy this game! ............................................................
  28. aliptay
    Oct 25, 2011
    0
    Oops, I gave this a 10 accidentally.

    My bad, please forgive me.

    I probably wouldn't have been disappointed had I paid $10 for it.

    Still not at 150 characters.

    Are we there yet?

    Nope not quite.

    Check out my review below.

    I have to be pretty close now.

    Is this really worth adding a new score?

    Any day now...
  29. DrJest
    Oct 25, 2011
    0
    Don't like this at all. I'm sorry I pre-ordered through Steam. Now I can't get my money back. Just uninstalled and I'm pretty bummed out about this.
  30. demandquality
    Oct 25, 2011
    0
    It was advertised as having coop. There is no coop. Therefore, they are dirty, dirty, liars. It's full of bugs and quality of life issues. Avoid this game!

    And to the apologists claiming we should take it easy on them because all new games are buggy...no thanks. The gaming industry consistently rakes consumers over the coals on everything from release dates, missing features and    It was advertised as having coop. There is no coop. Therefore, they are dirty, dirty, liars. It's full of bugs and quality of life issues. Avoid this game!

    And to the apologists claiming we should take it easy on them because all new games are buggy...no thanks. The gaming industry consistently rakes consumers over the coals on everything from release dates, missing features and buggy/broken gameplay. I say this is unacceptable. Name one other product you would pay full price for that was missing parts or broke down 30 seconds after you used it. Why should developers get a free pass? Their mistreatment of us will continue so long as we (the consumer) allow it. Stand up for yourselves. Speak with your wallets. And stop giving money to designers who are half-assing it.

    Demand quality.    … Expand
  31. scribblesvurt
    Oct 25, 2011
    0
    Worst Game Ever. 10 years since the original and this is the best they can manage? Buggy, crappy graphics and disappointing game play. PS, A sketch for a cut scene is as lazy as it gets. I demand a refund. SAVE YOUR MONEY DO NOT BUY.
  32. STRONGHOLD
    Oct 25, 2011
    0
    Lord Solor is a tool. This game does not deserve a Ten. This game is clearly a unfinished product. If you check out firefly official forum, you can see the various gameplay issues that Firefly ignored. Wolf can climb ladders! Wolf can kill your armored lord! Any units can attack walls.
    There is no strong walls option. What is the point of building walls if they don't block enemy    Lord Solor is a tool. This game does not deserve a Ten. This game is clearly a unfinished product. If you check out firefly official forum, you can see the various gameplay issues that Firefly ignored. Wolf can climb ladders! Wolf can kill your armored lord! Any units can attack walls.
    There is no strong walls option. What is the point of building walls if they don't block enemy units?
    Building walls and staircases are like pulling your wisdom tooth by yourself.

    If you want to save money, don't buy this game. Buy Stronghold 1 or 2. Stronghold 3 is a epic fail game.    … Expand
  33. Bedlam
    Oct 25, 2011
    0
    I literally created this metacritic account to warn people away from Stronghold 3. This game is full of bugs and I want my money back! I reloaded a saved game, it wouldn't recognize I had stuff in my stockpile. I reloaded again. My wall was glitched up so that it wasn't connected. The multiplayer is not working and no skirmish mode... which leaves this game devoid of life. What the heckI literally created this metacritic account to warn people away from Stronghold 3. This game is full of bugs and I want my money back! I reloaded a saved game, it wouldn't recognize I had stuff in my stockpile. I reloaded again. My wall was glitched up so that it wasn't connected. The multiplayer is not working and no skirmish mode... which leaves this game devoid of life. What the heck are they thinking to release a game in such a shoddy state, it should be illegal. If I had any member of firefly studios in the room with me right now I swear I would throttle them with no remorse.… Expand
  34. Serjo
    Oct 26, 2011
    0
    this is the worst piece of **** game that i've ever seen in my entire life! i just don't understand why firefly does this to its fans

    and @ all the firefly-members here: would you PLEASE stop creating accounts here just to give this game a (undeserved) 10 and to tell people how great it is? you know very well that this game is CRAP! it's just ridiculous what you're doing, nobody will buy    this is the worst piece of **** game that i've ever seen in my entire life! i just don't understand why firefly does this to its fans

    and @ all the firefly-members here: would you PLEASE stop creating accounts here just to give this game a (undeserved) 10 and to tell people how great it is? you know very well that this game is CRAP! it's just ridiculous what you're doing, nobody will buy this game just because you're writing fake reviews here -_-    … Expand
  35. Exkodius
    Oct 26, 2011
    0
    What honest company would release THIS to their costumers
    for 50£ on steam? None would. All the bugs and lack of content are obvious to say the least. This is not even at beta stage, this game is in an alpha stage. I am dead serious, this is no mindless rant.
    First Stronghold 2 and now 3, even much worse? You would think they learn... You would think I learn... Also let's    What honest company would release THIS to their costumers
    for 50£ on steam? None would. All the bugs and lack of content are obvious to say the least. This is not even at beta stage, this game is in an alpha stage. I am dead serious, this is no mindless rant.

    First Stronghold 2 and now 3, even much worse? You would think they learn... You would think I learn...

    Also let's get really serious here. My brother and i bought Stronghold 3 to play together in multiplayer coop mode. Since it clearly said it would be included. IT IS NOT. The game only has one mode, death match. And no ai player options. This is clearly FRAUD.

    I want a refund for boath my brother and i. And mabye after two years when the game is actully done i can pick it up from a bargain bin for 2£.    … Expand
  36. DocMcJansen
    Oct 26, 2011
    0
    Sadly imho all the negative review here are true! missing coop / skirmish mode..pathfinding is horrible! wall building is horrible! and the game is definetly unfinished...
  37. Viscis
    Oct 26, 2011
    0
    Yet another game based on the success of a previous incarnation ruined. The game looks and feels dated, provides limited playability for a strategy game (no skirmish?!). If your feeling bored enough you could spend a few hours building a castle in the free build mode, only to do nothing with it.
  38. slamma
    Oct 26, 2011
    0
    This game is garbage. The developers knew what they were doing when they released this trash. Shame on them. False COOP gameplay advertising on Steam during preorder was criminal. I'm disgusted at Firefly and what they did to this franchise. Whenever I see high marks from user reviews for this game, it's clear they work for the company...gross.
  39. SitoCH
    Oct 26, 2011
    0
    The game is unfinished and having to pay 50$ for it is a joke.
    The problems are so many that are impossibile to list in a single review: missing features (skirmish, AI, ...), unbalanced gameplay (walls that offer no protection, broken food consumption, ...) and many bugs that every QA should notice them and stop the release (wolves that climb ladders!, bad graphics and so on).
    If you    The game is unfinished and having to pay 50$ for it is a joke.
    The problems are so many that are impossibile to list in a single review: missing features (skirmish, AI, ...), unbalanced gameplay (walls that offer no protection, broken food consumption, ...) and many bugs that every QA should notice them and stop the release (wolves that climb ladders!, bad graphics and so on).
    If you really want it and you ignore all the negative reviews wait at least for 4-5 patches and a price drop to 20$...    … Expand
  40. OldSocks
    Oct 27, 2011
    0
    This is a big disappointment. BIG disappointment. I seriously wish I could get a refund to be honest. No skirmish mode against the AI? No editor? The game is glitchy, the units often wont do as told and get stuck. Building is way more limited than before, peasants block placement. In a busy town, when is there not a peasant underfoot?
    AI is sad, often men just stand next to eachother and    This is a big disappointment. BIG disappointment. I seriously wish I could get a refund to be honest. No skirmish mode against the AI? No editor? The game is glitchy, the units often wont do as told and get stuck. Building is way more limited than before, peasants block placement. In a busy town, when is there not a peasant underfoot?
    AI is sad, often men just stand next to eachother and ignore everything.

    This game is nothing like past versions, and not in a good way...
    DONT buy this, I seriously wish I hadnt.    … Expand
  41. dronenglish
    Oct 29, 2011
    0
    Many (perhaps all) of the enjoyable elements associated with the Stronghold series have been butchered. Even the basic requirements of decent RTS do not function correctly. For example, the simple method of selecting units and giving orders is broken.
  42. Luka4ever
    Nov 4, 2011
    0
    It is amazing that a respectable game company can release a game of such low quality. The graphics might have been acceptable in the 1990s but come on, this is a game released in 2011... the game is filled with graphical bugs, poor quality game-play... This game is one of the worst games i have seen in a long time and i have seen my share of bad games...
  43. Impactor
    Nov 4, 2011
    0
    Stay away! Don't waste your money. This game is crap. I've already uninstalled it. There are so many bugs in this game, I'm sure there was NO beta-testing at all. That's the only possible explanation for this mess. I was a huge fan of the Stronghold series, played all parts except legends, but Stronghold 3 is HORRIBLE!!! Don't even know where to start.

    Microscopic maps. Mouse pointing    Stay away! Don't waste your money. This game is crap. I've already uninstalled it. There are so many bugs in this game, I'm sure there was NO beta-testing at all. That's the only possible explanation for this mess. I was a huge fan of the Stronghold series, played all parts except legends, but Stronghold 3 is HORRIBLE!!! Don't even know where to start.

    Microscopic maps. Mouse pointing from hell (attacking enemies only possible if you are lucky). NO AI (own troops just watch as wolves rape peasants in front of them. 10 own vs 4 enemies - 10 selected spearmen all attack the one soldier of the enemy troops you happen to click on with your attack command and then the other 3 enemies slaughter them while they are reloading). Wolves climb ladders, levitate over your walls and kill all peasants inside your castle, without them defending themselves. NO feedback if you are under attack, you need to coincidental look at that spot where the fight is to notice it. Even if your Lord is under attack, no message, same if wolves or bears eat your peasants or soldiers. Peasants dance and celebrate while being eaten, soldiers just watch it like innocent bystanders, without helping them. One wolf can kill 3 soldiers, even if they defend themselves. Arrows and spears fly through stone walls. Placing a group of archers on your walls is worse than herding cats. Archers on walls have no range advantage against attackers on the ground. Single soldiers can tear down stone walls, without the help of siege weapons. What value have walls in a castle building game!!!? There is NO WAY this game was beta-tested! How they could release it in this state for full price is beyond me and should be illegal. Played it about 1-2 hours on the first day, had several crashes, uninstalled it and now negotiate with steam about a refund, what they are still deny. Game is not finished and advertised features like co-op mode are not included. I'm so mad at them for releasing such an unfinished, buggy, overpriced game that I would love to torture the person responsible for this mess. Don't buy this game, except you are a masochist.    … Expand
  44. theforestgod
    Nov 5, 2011
    0
    I had intended to wait until I saw reviews but went ahead and preordered Stronghold 3 anyway. What I got was nothing like what was promised. They promised coop, but removed it at the last minute. That right there is a deal breaker for me. They went on and on about the graphical improvements and AI, when it looks and plays nearly as bad as the very first Stronghold. I understand they are aI had intended to wait until I saw reviews but went ahead and preordered Stronghold 3 anyway. What I got was nothing like what was promised. They promised coop, but removed it at the last minute. That right there is a deal breaker for me. They went on and on about the graphical improvements and AI, when it looks and plays nearly as bad as the very first Stronghold. I understand they are a small development company, I understand that games tend to be released with a few bugs. But this game plays like an alpha version of a game, not even ready to be released to beta testers. They have promised patches to fix the bugs, but it is more than just bugs. They rescinded everything good about the game at the very last second, which reeks to me of fraud.… Expand
  45. CaptainTrips
    Nov 6, 2011
    0
    Lets get this straight - I am a Stronghold fan - and would (normally) defend it until the diseased cows come home - however, with SH3 Firefly have released a product that scrapes the bottom of a buggy and featureless barrel. The new graphics engine wouldn't look out of place in 2004 - the numerous bugs render the game virtually unplayable. The stony silence from the development team merelyLets get this straight - I am a Stronghold fan - and would (normally) defend it until the diseased cows come home - however, with SH3 Firefly have released a product that scrapes the bottom of a buggy and featureless barrel. The new graphics engine wouldn't look out of place in 2004 - the numerous bugs render the game virtually unplayable. The stony silence from the development team merely mocks us fans. I purchased this game from Steam - those guys are notorious for not giving refunds on any titles for any reason.... They refunded me for this travesty. If you have fond memories of the original then avoid this like the plague. The one good thing going for this game is that is makes Stronghold 2 look great! Firefly may well of killed off the series with this installment of the franchise.… Expand
  46. Dubgasmic
    Nov 6, 2011
    0
    Basically, any review above a 5 is a major "trolololololol" this game is almost as as unplayable as ugly. now i understand its not meant to be a game based around its graphics, but this is 2011, not having AT LEAST decent graphics is a hard thing to explain. In addition, the economy's is wretched, i thought it was a castle building game, well i was wrong.
  47. Ctoplg
    Nov 7, 2011
    0
    Ive decided to place my first review ever to encourage people to never buy this game, being a stronghold fan of the original. Im sadden to say this game is a 0 plan and simple thank you for wasting my money Stronghold 3 FTL.
  48. Lexicroft
    Nov 14, 2011
    0
    My english is bad , but this game is far more bad than my english
    Dis game must have 0 score, people is giving score 9 and 10 is just marketing people, dont trust them
    Even in my Country this game suck a lot , fail game, people in my country buy pirate version and they still want refund it to the pirate store (what a mess, not even worth a penny they say) Why this game bad? dis like asking    My english is bad , but this game is far more bad than my english
    Dis game must have 0 score, people is giving score 9 and 10 is just marketing people, dont trust them
    Even in my Country this game suck a lot , fail game, people in my country buy pirate version and they still want refund it to the pirate store (what a mess, not even worth a penny they say)
    Why this game bad? dis like asking "why sea water is salty?"
    1. BUGSSS with triple S (means a lotssss) even spartan cant throw spear through walls but spearmen here can, cant build walls , units can freeze and block , even worse, it can make another units freeze when its close to the freeze unit, i called it refrigerator effects, cant build stair to the walls , cant build mount to the walls (wooden shield dat mounted to the walls, make ur archer Invunerable from enemy spear and archer), when night time , enemy can shoot ur acher from darkness , but ur archer dead from below do nothing , until bales of fire thrown to light the way, many buttons dont works
    2. Graphics and Music - suck a lotsssss i hate seeing female villager out from house when built , its so UGLY , gimme beatifull lady better than wretched hag
    3. NON-Sense - pikemen / halberdier can survive spike traps and only injured a very very bit, like the traps was designed by playground child or firefly teams and pikemen was ironman
    Wolves is very very strong and ur soldier no match for them, ur soldier is wimpy retired veteran from stone age war, who in the stone age war was fled , not fighting just pretend dead and recruited by stronghold 3, wolves should has a new name, Godzilla should suit, and even better they can multiply
    4. SADIST , default difficulty is impossible, get out here noob & new player , play a barbie instead stronghold 3 , its too sadist.
    There is a level with a new technology (wooden shield in the wall, make ur archer invulnerable) but next level it is not available, and enemy get stronger, like fighting an army with a stick and harsh languange Enemy Army spawn from the sky, i attack enemy army with small army but can handle entire castle and new enemy army spawn in front of my army and my army just go picnic to the graveyard, you gonna rushed to produce weapons, ur peasant regenerate very slowly and ur army dead faster, and firefly very sadist , when you are attacked by enemy and busy fighting them , disaster come , such as apple blight , wolves come , cows dead heart attack, giving a lots minus in happiness, its just like God doesnt side with the good people, maybe ur enemies was the good people and ure the evil , so God doesnt side you in stronghold 3, and I dont side with stronghold 3, take that 0 , this was bloody hell, hummiliation embarassing crappy worse than hello world programming
    5. EXCITEMENT the only part of this game is make me laugh of joy is when see my peasant with weapon(militia) and my spearmen fighting a group of spearman and enemy militia in the bushes, in the hill , enemy troops just flying out of the bushes and go down hill when dead , like in the roman army in the asterix comics, and dat not gonna worth 1 points, too bad    … Expand
  49. Slaters
    Nov 21, 2011
    0
    Where is the Skirmish mode? I never play the Campaign mode!!! Without Skirmish this game is a trash!!! And to worse the begin at the Campaign you don't has a realm, you just have slow persons to control! This game give me sleep!
  50. Arkh
    Nov 25, 2011
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. En resumen, un juego muy simple para el siglo en el que vivimos... según mi criterio los chicos te strongnord no trabajaron en lo que tenian que trabajar, mas opciones, mejor gestion de los castillos, cosas nuevas, inovaciones. muy mal, Si me dieran la oportunidad no lo compraria… Expand
  51. Usur
    Feb 11, 2012
    0
    Do you want to know the difference between stronghold 1 and 3? the PRICE,stronghold 3 has the same price that STARCRAFT 2,but with 1992 graphics and full of bugs,POOR game interface,poor sound,poor voices,just like DOS games from 1992. SUCKS SO HARD bro,go buy it or throw your money to the river its the same
  52. BlueRose
    Dec 11, 2011
    0
    Well I gotta say thank you to Steam, Metacritic and you reviewers. For making it possible to many of those who've never played the game before to see what buyers are saying and not allowing companies to hide their Bull***t. See I'm an avid gamer and built my custom performance computer solely for it! I must say Firefly that I've honestly never played your games but from what I'm seeingWell I gotta say thank you to Steam, Metacritic and you reviewers. For making it possible to many of those who've never played the game before to see what buyers are saying and not allowing companies to hide their Bull***t. See I'm an avid gamer and built my custom performance computer solely for it! I must say Firefly that I've honestly never played your games but from what I'm seeing from reading these owners reviews of this lousy game (so I'm hearing). It doesnt look like you'll be getting my money anytime soon for this game, nor will I waste the time installing it let alone play it. Its obviously a bad game when people from third world countries who cant even speak hardly a word of English are saying that this game is terrible, and then you have those who have pirated the game dont even give it so much as one point for even just getting the game for free for God's sake! (You know the game is really crap at that point and I've never even played the game yet!) Its obvious that you knowingly released a bad game and knowing (or should I say hoping) that you were going to make money of a lousy effort game. I gotta agree with the rest of these folks, you really should be ashamed of yourselves, give the money back to these people and dont release games until they are done and done RIGHT!! You guys know what today's gaming standards are! Live up to it or don't bother making the game and expect people to pay $50 or more for a lousy game when they can get a $20 game that is by ten fold better!! (Once again thanks to Steam, Metacritic and the reviewers for saving my bacon or wallet this time should I say. And lastly, I'm sorry Firefly, but when it comes to people who are leaving 10 for a Metascore....... O_o .......(C'mon! Really guys?)........ITS CLEARLY YOU when 70-80% of people are leaving no higher than a 2 if you're lucky. The only 2 conclusions that I could come to for people leaving a 10 in a situation like this is ........ #1 You either work for the company, or #2 You are seriously easy to please and obviously never played a video game a day in your life and/or are seriously simple minded. Sorry guys, I'm afraid you're probably gonna sink on this one fellas no matter how much you try to avoid it. Too many people already now know this game isn't worth the time to even install it! I hope it was worth it, cause you sure aren't getting my cash for this one. Not with scores like this. Terribly Sorry. :-(… Expand
  53. Kela-Appi
    Dec 31, 2011
    0
    What a disgrace. They still have the nerve to sell this piece of filth for the price of a normal game. No one should spend any kind of currency on this miserable excuse of a sequel. Just buy Stronghold 1.
  54. colossalcarl
    Jan 6, 2012
    0
    There is potential for a decent game. But it crashes constantly. I have been unable to past level 6 of the military campaign because of a consistent crash. I just cannot proceed any further. I sent all the log files that the developer requested weeks ago but they have not been able to fix it yet. They just released a new patch today (January 6th, 2012) and it did not fix the issue soThere is potential for a decent game. But it crashes constantly. I have been unable to past level 6 of the military campaign because of a consistent crash. I just cannot proceed any further. I sent all the log files that the developer requested weeks ago but they have not been able to fix it yet. They just released a new patch today (January 6th, 2012) and it did not fix the issue so the game is still unplayable for me. I don't really even mind the crashes because it keeps me from playing this game that was so unbalanced it was ridiculous. Like I said, the concept has potential but the execution is horrible.

    Here's an interesting glimpse into the problems you can face - this is taken from the release notes of the patch today:

    - Fixed the issue with the campaign not continuing after loading in a save game from the main menu.

    Take a minute to absorb that. Here were are, 3 months after launch and they have finally fixed a bug that made it so that saving the game was worthless. Sure, you could save the game. But if you dared load the game it made it impossible to continue with the campaign. I ran into this bug myself and reported it on their forum and they had it fixed about two weeks later. So picture what happened to me... I started Level 2, saved the game and quit. Came back the next day, loaded the game and completed Level 2 after about an hour of playing. I then wasn't able to advance to Level 3 because of this bug. I had to replay Level 2 from the beginning without Saving and Loading. This is just the tip of the iceburg with problems. It is very apparent that anyone buying this game for the foreseeable future is paying for the privilege of alpha testing it for the developers.    … Expand
  55. KlausKinski
    Aug 30, 2013
    0
    played the game the first time recently because i knew it was bad at launch and i hoped by now they would have fixed all the bugs but no they didn't gameplay is somewhat enjoyable but if many units stay close together i get a weird graphical glitch going that's just nice i have a up to date gaming PC whit all the latest drivers and this badly optimized game still doesn't work properly soplayed the game the first time recently because i knew it was bad at launch and i hoped by now they would have fixed all the bugs but no they didn't gameplay is somewhat enjoyable but if many units stay close together i get a weird graphical glitch going that's just nice i have a up to date gaming PC whit all the latest drivers and this badly optimized game still doesn't work properly so long after release EPIC FAIL… Expand
  56. Queshebo
    Feb 11, 2012
    0
    Anyone notice most of the good reviews were all around the same dates in OCT 11?? Firefly employees joined en-mass, to leave a review perhaps? Thanks all - I was going to buy this on STEAM. Will avoid it now and go play outside :P
  57. ReBootEd
    Feb 29, 2012
    0
    An insult to Stronghold Crusader.
    Let's not even talk about this game, let's talk about a good Stronghold - Crusader, a classic 2D RTS with excellent gameplay mechanics and serviceable graphics, 3 is terrible in every aspect, it doesn't have as much content to be terrible at.
  58. byrnzy201
    Jun 2, 2012
    0
    In my opinion its is nothing like Stronhold 2 which many people feel in love with. It has instead carried on with the same interface gameplay etc. as Stronhold Legends.....which i also thought was rubbish.
  59. bwheatley
    Jun 11, 2012
    0
    I love the stronghold series but i freaking hated StrongHold 3. It was a complete bugged mess that was so hard to beat it was virtually UN-enjoyable. I hear there is a new patch out that i will try and if it helps the game i will give a better review.
  60. Riotguards
    Jun 14, 2012
    0
    do not listen to the person called "Lucifercrow" for was hired by firefly to try and get as many sales for this abomination of a game that is called "stronghold 3" his main goal being to sell as much **** as possible before running away

    the reason why this is called for is because of one thing, the game upon 6 months after the disastrous launch it faced (similarly to swords in the stars    do not listen to the person called "Lucifercrow" for was hired by firefly to try and get as many sales for this abomination of a game that is called "stronghold 3" his main goal being to sell as much **** as possible before running away

    the reason why this is called for is because of one thing, the game upon 6 months after the disastrous launch it faced (similarly to swords in the stars 2) is still broken in many areas or missing many features which would be a standard copy and pasting (in terms of design, etc)

    where to begin

    multiplayer
    although multiplayer is not a selling point for many people it should be said that if a game announces that it will have it then it will stick to it's promise, what we got instead was a mutliplayer game which cannot even be played because it has extremely poor performance issues which essentially break mutliplayer (not to mention latency spikes when more than around 80 units are on the screen

    Skirmish
    a stronghold game without a skirmish mode? well this isn't really stronghold (just stronghold slapped on as a title) stupid designs
    who the hell though it would be a good idea to have every unit (except ranged units) be able to destroy stone walls? i can understand wooden but not stone, walls from not only being rendered useless in stopping an attacking force (without siege units) from entering but they also made walls provide NO BENEFITS to those are stationed on them that's right your archers can be killed even in the tallest tower that is available there are many reasons why this game shouldn't be bought but the biggest reason upon all is provided by Firefly themselves, for the simple reason that will censor anyone whom may speak ill of there game, they have even locked there own forms to prevent people from putting others off this game (or perhaps to prevent them from taking responsibility for the game anymore?)

    and the best thing about firefly, as of the new DLC that was added to the game they have publicly announce they will not SUPPORT it anymore, that's right, they will not fix multiplayer or any other bugs which have been reported numerous amounts of time by the community

    so in all i hope this tiny review helped put you off this abomination, the money can be put towards something else (anything better, even nickleback)    … Expand
  61. NMan7496
    Sep 25, 2014
    0
    I'm just going to start off by saying this: What A Load Of Crap! I got this game the day it was released and I was highly. I am just now reviewing this because I was refusing to even acknowledge this game's existence. I recently decided to to install it again to see if it had been patched and was improved, but I was still disappointed. In the original release you had four game modes,I'm just going to start off by saying this: What A Load Of Crap! I got this game the day it was released and I was highly. I am just now reviewing this because I was refusing to even acknowledge this game's existence. I recently decided to to install it again to see if it had been patched and was improved, but I was still disappointed. In the original release you had four game modes, Military Campaign, Economical Campaign, Free Build and Multiplayer Skirmish. The campaigns had engaging stories, but the amount of bugs and glitches makes the game unplayable. I like what they did in free build where you can send invasions against yourself, but the fact that you had three maps, all of which had the worst keep, was a great disappointment. Multiplayer never worked very well, so I can't give anything more than that. The only good things about this game are the music and the story. One of the most frustrating things in this game is the build limit on buildings, while understandable, if you build a huge fort with walls and towers, you will have absolutely no economy. If you are going to buy a Stronghold game, get the Warchest (or whatever its called) from Steam for about $20 or Stronghold Crusader 2, which was released two days ago.
    In conclusion, DO NOT BUY THIS GAME, there are much better ways of spending your money.    … Expand
  62. pepsl3
    May 31, 2016
    0
    i played stronghold 2 and love it, now stronghold 3.......yes you made a stroy thats all i se bad really bad buildings are bad cant walk on wooden walls like stronghold 2 cant put barracks and armory together like in stronghold 2 the graphics are bad i like the stronghold 2 graphics more simple and the land scape is so small why what has happend did you release this game withi played stronghold 2 and love it, now stronghold 3.......yes you made a stroy thats all i se bad really bad buildings are bad cant walk on wooden walls like stronghold 2 cant put barracks and armory together like in stronghold 2 the graphics are bad i like the stronghold 2 graphics more simple and the land scape is so small why what has happend did you release this game with out tidyup up cant target propyl i love playing building defense freeliy with everythink looking nice stronghold 3 is a fail thank you for stealing my money its like buying sacrid 3 and sacred 2 was better then 3oO pleas read this befor buying game.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

39
#39 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
60
#60 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
47

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 29
  3. Negative: 14 out of 29
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 20, 2012
    40
    Failure of the year – first two games don't deserve such a disappointing sequel as Stronghold 3 did. Few pros cannot hide a pile of bugs and bad design decisions. [Dec 2011]
  2. PC Games (Russia)
    Dec 24, 2011
    80
    A traditional strategy with many elements which are too old. Fans of the series may like it still. [January 2012, p.72]
  3. Absolute Games
    Dec 16, 2011
    30
    Stronghold 3 is boring beyond redemption. The blurb on the retail box should have been written along the lines of "We've run out of ideas, our artists forgot how to draw, and our programmers can't produce stable code anymore, but hey, a long, long time ago we made one really great game!"
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