Paradox Interactive's Crusader King series has always had an almost legendary level of complexity, but with new entry Crusader Kings 3, it appears the developers have finally succeeded in making a complex game accessible to the masses. Critics are praising new tutorial and RPG elements that make it easier to understand the game's many, many menus, as well as making players even more invested in the lives of the various members of court.

Crusader Kings 3 is the latest grand strategy game from Paradox Interactive. Like its predecessor, Crusader Kings 3 is a medieval simulator that asks players to navigate a family line over centuries of politics, warfare, and diplomacy. Players can start the game as a lowly vassal with barely a duchy to their name or as the ruler of a sizable swath of Europe, Asia, or North Africa. After choosing a starting person, players can do just about whatever they want: arrange marriages for their children, go to war with their neighbor, found a new religion. Once their character dies (hopefully of old age and not a dagger in the back), players are given control of their heir and continue on managing their dynasty.

All of those options leave players with a lot to keep track of, and the volume and complexity of the menus in past Crusader Kings games have caused all but the most dedicated of players to bounce off of them. The universal message from reviewers for Crusader Kings 3, however, is that players who were intimidated from trying out Crusader Kings in the past need to give this installment a chance. Vastly improved tutorials make it easier for newcomers to understand how to achieve their goals, and readily available tooltips define concepts that might not be familiar to those who haven't brushed up on their medieval history recently.

Crusader Kings 3'S RPG Elements Make The Game More Accessible


Crusader Kings 3 has also added more RPG elements to the game to make it easier for players to connect with characters and understand their motivations. The game has added skill trees, for instance, to give their character more focus, and all characters now have 3D models that give players a better sense of the disposition of other rulers and courtiers than the 2D portraits of Crusader Kings 2. Reviewers did mention that occasionally they floundered a bit as what to do next in a particular campaign due to the sheer options and lack of a defined goals. The game is still incredibly complex, even as it makes itself more accessible. Here are some other highlights from reviewers: