Best in the stronghold series if you like stronghold games or any games like stronghold games then you have to get this
To start with this game is very like stronghold crusader in game play and game modes. It has a greater focus on warfare than sim but the sim is still there and plays a large part in the fun and depth of the game. It also keep this unick and a stronghold game. There are some building taken out from stronghold 2 but you can still get all the buildings from crusader and some more so there is still alot of buildings in there. The only things that arn't in there from crusader are flowers and gallows and stuff like that. But the honour system is still there and also there is a new glory point system where you get glory point for fighting in hand to hand combat. You can use glory points to build statues which create honour. In this game there is 100% new seige equipment and castle traps ranging from werewolf lauchers to tunnel systems which make the combat and castle sieges way more fun. There are three different race evil,ice and arther which add a host of new tactics to the game ice is my favourite side at the moment with the ice witch. There is a huge array of things to do on single player mode including 3 campains for each race which are very enjoyable, legends trials where you complete a series of missions against enamy lords castle which gets increasingly dificult. There is also a great skirmish mode where you can play up to 3 computer controled side which is amazingly fun and the al is very good and is the best yet in any stronghold game by a lot. there is a custom builder which is easy to use and i have made some great maps with it on the game.There is free build mode if you down loaded the new patch as well.
In the multiplayer game there is so much fun to be had with new game mode such as king of the hill. There is also the regular death match to be played which i usualy play. You also do not have to register or any of that anoying stuff you can just hope on and it will use you name that you use on the game which you can change when ever.
The graffics in this game are much improved so don't lissen to people who say they arn't this game look by far the best in the series and the animasions of the units and castle works are amazing. Units no longer clump together as well but do sometimes walk whough each other which is okay as it stop units and villages geting stuck. There are no bugs as well in this game and online runs like a dream.
The sound is equaly brilliant with all the great stronghold tunes and with new music that fit the theme.
The only things i find anoying is there is no mothers and children runing around the castle which makes it a bit less relistic but then this is a game with dragons in so it isn't ment to be relistic. Also there is no friends list to add people to onine but firefly may add it in with a patch as they have added tones of new content with their latest patch including a reward capinate, lobby for online play and free build mode.
Personly when i picked up this game i was expecting it after the reviews i read to be worse than the other stronghold games but to be honest it is by far the best. What is wrong with perfesional reviewers these days. Pick this game up know i have seen it for 5 pounds in HMV i mean you have no excuse not to get it and it will work on machins which many modern rts woundln't and still looks amazing.
Thx for reading.