I have to say, some advanced grand strategy games that are produced by the legendary studio Paradox Interactive can be quite intimidating. The insane amount of information on screen at one time can confuse anyone into thinking that they are doing their taxes instead of playing a video game. However, after some experience taking the time to play some of those titles, I learned not only how to manage that, but the truth of what all that information actually means in terms of game play.

Here’s the reality of most of those numbers that pollutes your screens. Most of it just really doesn’t matter. Some strategy gamers might disagree, but hear me out. When you first start playing games by Paradox, simply don’t worry about all the crunchy numbers that pop up on every single text window that wants to interrupt your gameplay session. Just focus on the numbers that actually matter to the core gameplay of your chosen title. Trust me, it’ll make your first steps into the world of Paradox Interactive games far easier than taking it all on head first. It can be enough to drive even the veteran strategy gamers away.

However, I took a chance here recently on the current PlayStation sale and picked up a little title called Crusader Kings 3. Going into this I knew who developed this game, and what I could expect as soon as I booted it up. Yeah, I’m someone who watches Youtube videos before I purchase games. I’ve longed obsessed over games that allow me to rule over a medieval world no matter what level of involvement my character has. Mount and Blade Warband is the pinnacle of medieval ruler simulators before I tried this, and as it stands right now, CK3 has absolutely taken the cake.

What is Crusader Kings 3? In simple terms it is a medieval dynasty simulator. Of course there’s some very light 4x style gameplay and a little bit of warfare, but that’s just how it was to sit on a throne. The gameplay is seriously one of the most unique designs I have ever seen. The game doesn’t focus on waging war, building strong economy chains, or grinding through an expanded tech tree. No, CK3 is firmly about the characters and is more akin to character driven RPG than a strategy game. I like to think of it as a cross between Game of Thrones and The Sims. Weird combination, right? It actually works quite well. 

You can choose to either take on the role as a real historical person, or create your own to start out with. Let’s be honest, we all want to create our own. After you make your starting character, you create your dynasty with your coat of arms and all, then select what level of ruler you want to be and where at geographically. For my first playthrough I actually chose to become the Count of Dorset in England, because I know that just jumping straight in as a King would be waaaaaay too complicated, and I was correct. Immediately I didn’t put 2 and 2 together and realized that in 1066 the Norman conquest of England started, so here I am in my little castle holding as my liege, the King of England, gets smacked around by William the Conqueror, and takes the throne. I’m no fool, as soon as he took the throne I immediately swore loyalty to him. There was no way I was even going to attempt to take that on my first game.

As time went on my character got married and we started having a ton of daughters who I married off to fellow rulers to secure alliances. Now, this is where CK3 really shines. The diplomacy system where dynastic marriages rule the day is such a thrill to set up. As my political ambitions grew, and as I started to acquire neighboring Earldoms, I realized that the only way to keep my land protected is with the help of my peers. My daughters served their medieval purpose and married some insanely powerful Earls, giving me access to assets that eventually led me to become the Regent Ruler of England since the current Monarch was a child, as well as create my own Duchy in the South, finally able to grant titles to my loyal followers because I acquired more Earldoms Holdings than I could handle. If you have too many holdings as an Earl yourself, you start to gain a penalty.

CK3 is one of those games where you get so invested into the story you’re creating that hours can just fly by without you realizing it. That’s why I compare it to games like The Sims where it’s all about the stories you create with your characters, and the NPCs that are just as ambitious as you are. Events happen within the world that your character has a few choices as to how to react to which greatly influences the world around you. You can join your liege on a hunting trip and something can go horribly wrong where you accidentally shoot him with an arrow which kicks off some wild stories, or you can attend royal weddings where it turns out that it was a ruse to murder an entire bloodline. Yeah, think of the Red Wedding from Game of Thrones.

This has quickly become one of my FAVORITE games this year, and I know I will be playing it for quite a while. THe best thing? It’s completely multiplayer! You can work with your friends in order to help one of you gain the throne of France, or go to the other side of the world and lead a caliphate against the Crusaders looking to take back Jerusalem. This is a true historical medieval ruler simulator, and I simply can not wait to hop back in and see what kind of crazy stories I can make. The possibilities are endless.

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