Crusader Kings II

As of the writing of this review, I've put in a couple of long-term playthroughs in the vanilla game, and whilst there is a ton to do, a lot of roleplaying potential, and a robust system of features embedded into this game's DNA, I couldn't help but notice the obvious signs of "Phantom Limb Syndrome" as I began to understand how everything worked together. Being a long-time player of The Sims 4 (from the beginning, no less), I am no stranger to games with rampant "DLC Fever". Where one can notice the lacking in Sims 4 right away, however, one only notices it in CKII after more and more begin to pile up. -"Looks like that one chief next door has a Concubine, and I'm seeing characters with "Child Of a Concubine" as a trait. I wonder if I can..." You'll need a DLC for that. -"There's this new religion/heresy spreading throughout my nation. Wonder what would happen if I tried to convert to that?" You'll need a DLC to engage with it. -"Ooooh, I've always wanted to play as [insert Pagan, Muslim, non-Catholic nation here]" You'll need DLC for that. -"This game is really neat, but I'd like to create my own dynasty and take over the world as myself" You'll need DLC for that. -"I'm of African Descent..." You'll need DLC for that. -"I really wish I could control my ally's army..." You'll need DLC for that. -"This music su-" You'll need DLC for that. Don't get me wrong- I've lost HOURS to this game. It's addicting just making decisions and clicking through the menus, but that's really all it boils down to... clicking through menus and speeding up time to wait for something new to happen. It's the same principle that gets one from 9am to 5pm in a repetitive job, but that isn't my measure of "fun". If it's yours, or you enjoy text adventures and CYA stories (and conquering a somewhat steep learning curve), then this will do, but note that at some point you'll stumble upon a feature, wondering what possibilities it holds, and inevitably... "you'll need DLC for that".

Steam's been giving away the "Standard Edition" for free, for at least two years by this point, if not longer. While I appreciate the gesture, and it's nice to have the game on GOG, the whole shindig of releasing a castrated game and then selling its individual parts as DLC is just predatory behaviour on the developers' (or publishers', or both) part and should be made illegal. Paradox is Europe's EA in this regard. Good thing they never got the chance to implement lootboxes, because I'm sure they would have loved to. As to the game itself, it can be a lot of fun, even considering some questionable things in terms of historic accuracy and whatnot. But again, the "Standard Edition" might as well be just the game's engine, because there's just so little to do. My 1 star rating is aimed at Paradox, not the game. The game, I'd rate at 4 stars, had it actually had anything more than the bare basics.

A huge game that should be considered foundational for all grand strategy players. Be aware that the reason there are so many DLC is because it was released and updated for over 6 years. If you are not interested in grand strategy then just try it for free, if you don't get the itch to keep playing for hundreds more hours then this game is not for you anyway so the DLC doesn't matter. If you enjoy Grand Strategy and somehow haven't played this yet or enjoyed the sequel CK3 then this is a must play. Also I don't think you are able to download Steam Workshop mods on this version however all the big full conversion mods are on the Paradox forums anyway and are often updated quicker as well there. I would recommend watching a short youtube video on the game if you aren't sure what you're getting into. It can extremely simple if you want it to be or insanely complex as well so don't be put off.

I have this game on Steam and it gave me hours of FUN! You lead a dinasty through the ages and there's so much you can do! You have to handle the lands you directly possess, but most of all you need to handle your vassals! And your wife! And your mother-in-law! And your children! There's so much that can happen and in every game something different may happen! There are many DLCs, that is true, but I think none of them is strictly necessary. I suggest playing the vanilla game first and, if you enjoy it, look at what each DLC adds to see if it may improve your games! For example: - Sword of Islam allows to play with Muslim characters, with a different play stile - Sunset Invasion is considered the least interesting, it add an ahistorical Aztec invasion from the west that mirrors the Mongol invasion from the east, for those who like a challenge. - Rajas of India allows playing with Hindu, Buddhist and Jain characters (honestly not that interesting) - The Old Gods makes northen Pagans playable, i.e. Vikings! This is definitely FUN!!! I recommend this! - Holy Fury was the last expansion and adds interesting things like Bloodlines, Coronations and other interesting additions! In a few word: GIVE THIS GAME A CHANCE! The vanilla game is fun even without DLC. If you like this game, then you can decide to explore the DLCs, but they are not strictly necessary to have a good experience.