Crusader Kings 3

Crusader Kings 3 is a continuation of the series of global strategies by Paradox about the Middle Ages. When creating it, historically accurate customs and morals of the peoples who lived from the 9th to the 15th centuries were taken into account, but with a dose of modern ideas about the world, such as equality and tolerance.

For 600 years, the player manages a dynasty of rulers of the chosen state and can bring to life any fantasy they can come up with through them. All thanks to the extensive RPG component, which includes relationships with relatives, marriage and inheritance, intrigues and betrayal, diplomacy and trade.

The map of Crusader Kings 3 resembles the map from the second part with all the DLC, but it has become larger and starts on the eastern coast of the Atlantic Ocean, ending in Siberia and India. At release, all of Europe and the southwestern part of Russia, territories of Asia up to Mongolia and Bengal, and the northern part of Africa were included. Over time, new regions were added to the game.

The map reflects the current political, cultural, and religious layouts, which change dynamically over time without player involvement. Players must regularly check the state of affairs and adjust their plans. Thus, a weak feudal lord can, through a successful marriage or diplomacy, fall under the wing of a powerful empire, after which it will be difficult to dislodge him.

For the first time in the series, baronial holdings appeared, but the unified indivisible unit of the game world remains counties, starting from which players can play. The structure of the lands has not changed: counties belong to duchies, those to kingdoms, and above kings are emperors.

In the spirit of Paradox grand strategies, Crusader Kings 3 takes place on a global map in real-time, rather than turn-based like Total War. However, there is no RTS component with battles of units and armies on the map; wars are simplified to a dialog box and the combat power of squads, determined by their type.

The complex and intricate gameplay is built on the best mechanics of global strategies and role-playing games, focusing not only on external expansion but also on internal affairs. Since the events of CK3 span 600 years, the player leads an entire dynasty rather than an ephemeral state, and their goal is to survive as long as possible, eliminating rivals, forming alliances, and participating in wars.

Each character in the dynasty generates a realistic set of ambitions and parameters, as well as a personality, which they follow until the end of their life. Managing the personal life of the ruler and their descendants is an important aspect of gameplay; the player conducts a kind of selection, deciding whom to marry to whom and who will inherit the throne, and after death, repeating the cycle with their descendants.

The higher the indicators of the current generation, the better the genetics of the next will be, and the more they will achieve. For example, a beautiful prince is more likely to marry the daughter of a neighboring king, which will allow for an alliance and unite two powers.

Role-playing in CK3 is enhanced by a stress mechanic: when a player makes a decision that contradicts the character's personality, the stress level of that character increases. The greater the stress, the worse the ruler feels: he breaks down, scandals, or even leaves this world prematurely.

The mentoring system will allow you to train an inexperienced offspring and, by the time they ascend the throne, unlock as many skills as possible in lifestyle. The latter is a new mechanic presented in five branches: diplomacy, military affairs, management, intrigue, and scholarship. The more skills a character has in a particular area, the easier it is to implement the corresponding plans.

For example, a warrior king can quickly expand the borders of the state, but he must be succeeded by a diplomat who will calm the neighbors and make peace with enemies. Next, a king may be needed who can improve finances and strengthen the vertical of his lineage, after which a scholarly ruler will help with a leap in scientific development.

Relationships within the dynasty are an important part of the gameplay. Often, the transfer of power from father to son is prolonged—discontented relatives may unite and attempt to kill the legitimate heir or seize his throne. The struggle for power also occurs behind the scenes, through intrigue, gathering compromising materials, or assassinations. The same can be done externally by orchestrating covert operations and sending assassins to representatives of rival dynasties.

In Crusader Kings 3, there is no specific storyline that the player will go through, upon which the game will conclude. Instead, there is a large set of random situations (many of which do not repeat), and by solving them, the player writes their own story. At the beginning, players are offered to choose one of six campaigns, determining the difficulty, starting point, and date of commencement—867 or 1066 AD, with everything else being the same.

The state can be developed through construction, research, strengthening power, and changing culture and religion. Much depends on the choice between tribal, clan, or feudal forms of governance, each with its own pros and cons.

If desired, one can change the religion, creating their own heresy and setting features, such as allowing cannibalism or declaring promiscuity as a virtue. The same goes for culture: the set of customs and traditions of the people can be reformed, teaching them something new. The reverse is also true—by conquering a province, the player is free to impose their religion and culture, but this may cause discontent.

The army has changed. Now it consists of militias and professional soldiers, both of which can be in different branches of the military. The higher the combat skills of the soldiers, the better, as this opens up promotions to specific units, such as knights. The player determines whom to hire, allowing for better regulation of the army's composition.

If the player skillfully resolves issues within the dynasty and successfully develops the state, their dynasty accumulates a significance scale, a sort of level of fame among other states. This makes it easier to conduct diplomacy, arrange marriages, and vassals become more loyal and less eager to stab you in the back.

However, CK3 is so flexible that one can quietly sit in a corner throughout the game, sending their vassals on hunts, drinking parties, and quietly developing while others engage in bloody carnage.