Crusader Kings III: Review

Crusader Kings III is a grand strategy role-playing game developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive. Released in 2020 as the successor to Crusader Kings II, it brought significant improvements in interface, gameplay depth, and accessibility while retaining the series’ distinctive blend of dynastic politics and medieval simulation. Rather than focusing solely on military conquest, the game excels in simulating feudal society, succession struggles, religious conflict, and personal ambition across centuries of European, African, and Asian history.

System Compatibility

Production

Crusader Kings III was announced in 2019 and released on 1 September 2020. Built on the Clausewitz Engine with the Jomini framework, it allows for detailed character interactions, vast map rendering, and procedural storytelling. The development emphasised a more intuitive UI and better tutorials, responding to criticisms of its predecessor’s inaccessibility. The game continues to evolve through expansions and free updates, including content packs focusing on different cultures and time periods.

Plot and Game Objectives

There is no fixed plot. Players create or select a noble house from 867 or 1066 and attempt to secure their dynasty’s legacy through war, diplomacy, intrigue, or religious reform. The main objectives include:

• Securing and expanding your realm
• Ensuring a stable succession
• Managing vassals and courtiers
• Advancing culture and faith
• Building a dynasty that outlives your character

Decisions are often influenced by your character’s traits and relationships, making every playthrough distinct.

Combat System and Game Mechanics

Combat is largely abstracted, relying on numerical strength, terrain, commander traits, and army composition. It is not real-time in a traditional action sense but instead resolves through calculations influenced by several modifiers.

Key Mechanics:

• Levies and Men-at-Arms: Basic and elite troop types
• Knights: Named characters with high prowess can act as battlefield champions
• Commanders: Influence tactics, morale, and combat results
• Sieges: Require careful timing and supply lines
• Casus Belli: Wars require a legal cause, from claims to religious justification
• Lifestyle Trees: Characters develop skills in diplomacy, martial, stewardship, intrigue, or learning

Arms and Armour Featured

While the game does not render weapons in battle, it features various weapon types and armour in the flavour content, events, and character models.

Focus on Swords:

• Characters can acquire personal swords, passed down or forged
• Events may reward players with artefacts such as ceremonial blades or legendary swords
• Sword styles vary based on culture:
  • Arming swords for Europeans
  • Scimitars in Islamic realms
  • Sabres and curved blades in Central Asia
• Smithing events allow you to commission custom swords with traits like high quality or cursed legacy
• Sword artefacts can be equipped for prestige bonuses and duelling advantages

Critical Acclaim

• Widely praised for narrative depth and player freedom
• Improved tutorial and accessibility welcomed by newcomers
• Modding community remains active and integral to longevity
• Some criticism of initial content volume, addressed in later DLCs

Review Scores:

Legacy

Crusader Kings III has established itself as one of the most influential strategy titles of the decade. It successfully brings complex historical simulation to a wider audience without compromising the richness of detail. It has also become a reference point for emergent storytelling in games, with players often sharing tales of betrayal, scandal, and glory across generations of their dynasties.

Where to Play

• Steam: Full support for mods and DLC
• Xbox Game Pass (PC & Console): Available as part of the subscription
• Paradox Plaza: Direct purchase with account-linked updates
• PlayStation Store and Xbox Store: Console versions with UI adjustments

Crusader Kings III remains the most refined expression of grand strategy with personal stakes, marrying the feudal system’s brutality and ambition with the quiet drama of medieval lives.

Watch the trailer: