Crusader Kings 3

Crusader Kings 3 — the continuation of Paradox's global strategy series about the Middle Ages. The creation took into account historically accurate customs and morals of the peoples who lived from the 9th to the 15th century, but with a portion of modern views of the world, such as equality and tolerance.

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

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

The map reflects the current political, cultural, and religious arrangements, which dynamically change over time without player intervention. It is necessary to regularly check the state of affairs and adjust plans. For instance, a weak feudal lord can, through a successful marriage or diplomacy, come under the wing of a powerful empire, making it difficult to dislodge them afterward.

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

In the spirit of Paradox grand strategies, the action of Crusader Kings 3 takes place on a global map in real-time, rather than turn-based like Total War. However, the RTS part, with battles of units and armies on the map, is not in the game; wars are simplified to a dialog window and the combat power of troops, determined based on their type.

The complex and intricate gameplay builds 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, not an ephemeral state, and their goal is to survive as long as possible, killing unwanted characters, forming alliances, and participating in wars.

Each character in the dynasty generates a realistic set of ambitions and parameters, as well as a character, 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 and who will inherit the throne, repeating the cycle with their descendants after their death.

The higher the indicators of the current generation, the better the genetics of the next one and the more they will achieve. For instance, a beautiful prince is more likely to marry the daughter of a neighboring king, which will allow forming an alliance and uniting two states.

Role-playing in CK3 has been improved with a stress mechanic: when the player makes a decision that contradicts the character's nature, the latter's stress level increases. The higher the stress, the worse the ruler feels: they break down, quarrel, or even die prematurely.

The mentorship system will allow you to train an inexperienced offspring and by the time they ascend to the throne, unlock as many skills in the lifestyle. The latter is a new mechanic, represented by five branches: diplomacy, warfare, stewardship, intrigue, and learning. The more skills a character has in a particular field, the easier it is to implement corresponding plans in life.

For example, a warrior king can quickly expand the state's borders, but he should be succeeded by a diplomat who will calm the neighbors and make peace with enemies. Next, a king capable of improving finances and strengthening the vertical of his lineage might be needed, after which a scholar ruler can 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 delayed—disgruntled relatives can unite and attempt to kill the rightful heir or conquer his throne. The struggle for power also happens behind the scenes, through intrigue, gathering compromising material, or assassinations. The same can be done externally, by conducting secret operations and sending assassins to representatives of competing dynasties.

In Crusader Kings 3, there is no specific storyline that the player will follow to the end of the game. Instead, there is a large set of random situations (many of which do not repeat), through which the player writes their own story. At the start, you are offered to choose one of six campaigns, determining the difficulty, starting point, and start date—867 or 1066 AD, otherwise, everything is the same.

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

If desired, you can change the religion, creating your own heresy and setting features, for example, allowing cannibalism or declaring debauchery a virtue. The same goes for culture: the set of customs and traditions of the people can be reformed, accustoming them to something new. The reverse is also true—having conquered 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 types of troops. 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, thus better regulating the composition of the army.

If the player skillfully solves problems 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 inclined to stab you in the back.

However, CK3 is so flexible that you can quietly sit in a corner for the entire game, taking your vassals on hunts and feasts, and quietly developing while others create a bloody mess.