I’ve often bemoaned the fact that console gamers never seem to get “proper” versions of grand strategy games. There are probably two or maybe three reasons for this — the first and second are because of how consoles are made; with limited processing capability and a gamepad based interface. The third is probably market — with the question being, is there one? Clearly with the introduction of Paradox’s classic Crusader Kings III to Game Pass for Xbox, Microsoft think there is.
The truth is, Crusader Kings III is probably more of a dynasty building simulator than it is a pure grand strategy title, and that just happens to be what makes it so unique and fantastic. What makes Crusader Kings III on Xbox so amazing is that, with the caveat that the console version is using a slightly older release than the PC game, this is a complete version. That means there are four different ages to choose from, thousands of characters (many based on real rulers) and hundreds of titles to choose, earn, conquer and coerce.
I say titles, rather than countries or kingdoms, because Crusader Kings III takes a more granular view of historic conquest than other games you’ll be used to. The core concept is that each kingdom — let’s take England as an example — is split into many Duchies, which are further split into Counties and those into Baronies and similar, smaller pieces. In the time period that Crusader Kings III takes place (between about 850-1400 AD) it is not only Kings vying for power against each other, but also their Vassals — the lesser rulers who maintain smaller portions of each kingdom right down to barony level. Crusader Kings III takes the view that a ruler cannot possibly be in control of everything, and must therefore delegate management of the finer details to their vassals — with various consequences.
Players begin the game as more or less anyone they want. The game suggests four or five characters for each of the four starting periods (and indicates the difficulty level) but you can ignore that and pick someone else. For example, in the first option the focus is on the Viking invasions of England, with players encouraged to choose from several leaders of the Northmen (who may be familiar to those who watch a certain series) or the English rulers who must face them. But if you don’t fancy getting involved in all that, you can simply do what I did, and choose to unify Africa under the kingdom of Ghana. The map reaches from as far south as central Africa right up to Scandinavia, and then as far to the East as Tibet. Rulers are as accurately represented as possible, as are the cultures and religions of the regions they represent.
Whoever you choose to play Crusader Kings III as, you’ll see that they have a complicated web of relationships already in place. Their spouse, siblings, children, parents, friends, liege, vassals and even their concubines will have an opinion of them — from minus 100 to plus 100. A character who likes you will likely support your endeavors, whilst those who do not may reject your plans and/or ultimately rebel against you (or oppress you) depending on their rank and position compared to yours. Thankfully, there are many ways to influence your relationships in both good and bad ways, and you may not need to be too concerned with all of them.
Success in Crusader Kings III is very subjective, and despite being quite the sandbox, the game gives you options in the form of what it calls Decisions. These are often situational, and it’s nice to see them develop during the game… Depending on their traits and/or the way things are going, you may be presented with options to found a new religion, or to form a new Kingdom. Easy examples include unifying the various tribes of Ireland or the warring rulers of England to form kingdoms — and ultimately, to form Britannia if you can bring Scotland, Ireland and England to heel. When founding a religion, you may choose to refine the Catholic faith to be more tolerant and modern — or you may choose to create a pagan faith in which clothes are forbidden and everyone dances beneath the waxing moon.
The real art — and the challenge — of Crusader Kings III is that of ensuring your dynastic legacy. A playthrough will span several hundred years and your initial ruler will likely die before they reach sixty — sometimes long before. Most titles pass to the eldest son by default, but again succession can be modified if you have the power, technology and influence to do so — perhaps passing to the youngest eligible child, whether male or female, will give you more years of rule. There’s nothing worse than stepping into the shoes of a fifty-something heir with wounds, venereal diseases and a whole lifetime of bad relationships. Another problem during succession is that the bigger your kingdom, the more likely it is that some of your titles will end up with other relatives or claimants — perhaps because of marriage or whatever. You’ll need to manage succession very carefully!
There are many, many other systems and subsystems in Crusader Kings III that I could go into, but it would take all day. What really matters for this review is that you’re getting pretty much everything that the PC version has, but on your console. What is even more amazing about this is that the controller interface is really well implemented, and it works well in conjunction with a deep, detailed tutorial and an ever-present “suggestions” system that reminds you of things you need to do (like declaring wars, securing an heir, arranging marriages and what land you might lose if you were to die now). It’s very impressive stuff compared to the kind of half-baked PC to console conversions that we are more used to seeing.
My recommendation for Crusader Kings III is absolutely rock-solid. If you want to play grand strategy on your console, then this (alongside Stellaris if you prefer a sci-fi twist) are the absolute standout options. For me, the Crusader Kings III setting is perfect — I love medieval history and the intrigue that comes with it feels so authentic here. Crusader Kings III on console is a superb, almost perfect, conversion of a title that was very nearly flawless in its original form. It’s an absolute must buy if you don’t have Game Pass, but if you do — where you can try it for free — then I urge you to give it a few hours. It may seem sense at first, but it regards the time you put into it.
You can get Crusader Kings III on all next-gen platforms and on PC, this version was reviewed on Xbox One Series X.
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