With so many systems in Crusader Kings III, it’s easy to lose days, weeks, and even months, but Lab42’s PlayStation 5 controller makes it manageable. Despite some tangled menus within tangled menus, this is a well-designed console game.
You need to establish, rule, and expand your own kingdom in Crusader Kings III. On a huge world map that is a bit like our world, there are a huge number of Middle Age nations, with their own laws, religious beliefs, and conquest dreams. There are hundreds of in-game years worth of storytelling potential in this dynamically generated game world, which is truly impressive.
A lot of this storytelling manifests through characters — kings, queens, dukes, clan chiefs, religious figureheads — and your chosen ruler will have to navigate a political minefield in the hope of solidifying their country’s position. You’ll arrange marriages, wage war on weaker nations, and maybe carry out sinister plots — like killing dissenters or potential usurpers.
During the tutorial campaign, Crusader Kings III weaves an incredibly tangled web. Crusader Kings III presents so much information that it can be overwhelming — but this is the wall that you’ll have to climb if you want to succeed. The experience will be truly engrossing if you are patient and dedicated.
In spite of Crusader Kings III’s deep and dynamic strategy, you’ll need to spend time learning its countless intricacies before diving in fully. Once you’re hooked, it’s dangerously addictive.
Pros:
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A brilliantly deep game.
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Fast and dynamic.
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A great sense of humour.
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Excellent writing.
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Getting lost in a game.
Cons:
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A steep learning curve.
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Controller menus are rough.
Score is 8 over 10.
