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Great gameplay

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 55 / 63
Date: May 29, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I'm a huge fan of strategy games and of empire-building games. Stronghold 2 does a really good job of balancing the aspects of gameplay and warfare.

First off, I really love the graphics and atmosphere. I love medieval research and recreation, so I was quite impressed with the attention to detail here. The game is in fact educational, helping you learn how the complex interplay of economy, land usage, mineral resources and even social balance all helped to keep a village or castle area going.

I love the fact that there are management issues to deal with - that you're not just cranking out troops and blasting away at enemies. Those troops had to come from somewhere. The money to pay the peasants who mined the ore had to come from somewhere. If all you're out for is build-and-blast, there are plenty of games out there to do that for you. Stronghold lets you delve more deeply into the actual world that these struggles took place in.

There are in fact different modes of gameplay that focus either on world-building on or conflict. Depending on your aims, you can choose one path or the other, and focus on whichever pleases you more.

I've read some reviews where people complain about game speed. I haven't had ANY issues at all with the speed of the system. When I watch the little people on the screen, they appear to be moving at "actual normal" speed compared to the buildings and objects around them. What, do you want super-human little peasants that can zoom faster than Speedy Gonzales?

That being said, this is of course a new game. That means it runs best on newer systems. If you try to run a new, graphic-rich game on an ancient P-100, then of course it's not going to work. That's always true with any game. PCs are not meant to last forever. You need to keep them upgraded and RAM-filled to handle what the new games offer. I find that a quite reasonable thing. After all, I want new games to be as great as they can be. I don't want them to have bad graphics and tiny maps in order to still work with ancient systems.

I do have a complaint with the marketing which incessantly promotes that you can "see maidens bathing" as a selling point. Good God Almighty, isn't it enough to say it's a good game, without trying to push porn points? You don't actually SEE anything, for those who care :)

Well recommended!

If you're unsure about Stronghold 2 - then read this review FIRST!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: April 24, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Okay, so this is the deal. I wanted to write the best possible review of this game BECAUSE of the horrible publicity it's gotten, that is in my opinion, ABSOLUTELY unfair. First off, I am a Stronghold Crusader fan since the first one came out and I bought it as a double CD along with Tropico by GameSpy. Then I bought the Stronghold Crusader CD which you can get at Wal-Mart for 10 bucks. It was the best game I'd ever played! The only thing that bothered me about that game was that the trees disappeared after several hours of playing and I always wished they had a night-view scene. Other than that I thought the game was flawless. Then one day while cruising the video game section at my local Babbages, I spotted the Stronghold 2 - newest edition to Stronghold Crusader. I read the box cover to cover but at that time it was like 40 something dollars so I opted to read the reviews on Amazon.com first. Boy was I disappointed. So much so I decided never to buy the sequel of my favorite game. :o(

Then the other day I was browsing Wal-Mart again and saw that Stronghold 2 was now listed at $20.00 and I had just enough left from my unemployment check to get it. In reality I didn't expect much because of the bad reviews but boy was I wrong!!! This was like playing the old Sims and finally getting Sims 2 and being BLOWN away by the new 3D engine and the new graphics features of that great game. Stronghold 2 is absolutely the BEST upgrade of my all time favorite game ever. Why is it so good? I can't even name all the kewl things they've added but I'll give it a shot.

So before I mention all that, let's get into the specifics of game play itself. Yes, I tried playing the game before I downloaded the patch and it lagged pretty bad. BUT then I downloaded the patch, some 62 MB of download off the Internet with a dial up connection that took about 3 1/2 hours (lol) but it was well worth the time. I realized the patch GREATLY improved the load time and the way the sim worked as a whole. My computer is just average compared to today's standards. I have a 1.8 Ghz Computer with 512 MB ram with 32mb video card. Very average. And btw, if a game's MIMINUM specs are a 1.4GHZ processor and recommended Ram is 512 - then figure it out guys. You need a pretty good computer to make this game work so stop F#^%# WHINING! This game plays GREAT on my pc and it's not a top of the line computer in ANY way. Not only that, but I created a castle and surrounding kingdom including EVERY option available - all the farming industries, churches, stone quarys, weavers mill, apple orchards, armory and all that that entails and the ONLY time my computer started to noticeably hesitate was when I pressed F1 and created a massive invasion to test the strengths of my castle. Another awesome feature unavailable in the original Stronghold Crusader.

So that being said, the new Stronghold 2 is just absolutely unbelievable. The new 3/D graphics are UNREAL. Building a castle on a precipice surrounded by moving trees and water below with NO limit as to how you can build and where you can build really satisfied my creative side. Then the DETAIL of every aspect of this game is flawless. You can now see directly into the stone keep and zoom in to see the King and Queen feasting around a large table. This little servant dude delivers everyone's meals on a silver platter and then they eat and drink until they're totally wasted and stumble around burping. Then they dance around and it's major bonus points when it comes to your honor rewards. Then the queen goes back to her chamber and actually takes a bath while the servants wait on her. Come on now, how much more could you ask for in the detail department? The only thing noticeably different in the mechanics of the game is the gong, rat and crime factors. All you have to do is place several gong pits, falconer's stands and guard stands. Problem solved. It worked for me. And like the original Stronghold Crusader, the basic principle is still the same. Set up apple orchards and stone quarys first. Then develop tree mills and build your armies. They kept the original principle that made the first Stronghold Crusader such a success and at the end of my first game I had (without cheating - >:o{ ) $10,000 - 3 stockpiles full, a fully amassed army and every factory and industry available in the game. It was AWESOME! Not only that but they have more missions and scenarios than every before. Although my favorite thing is just building my OWN castle in the map editor and decking it out with every bonus available and then putting it in the free build mode and storming the castle with a large invasion. So cool to watch! And yeah, you can still build an awesome castle and surround it with enemy castles that will try and take it over as the game progresses.

But the real perks for me are small things like the wide-angle view. You can even zoom into the small houses and watch the approaching armies. There's a Lord's kitchen with this lady and her two kids that sit on the benches waiting for the festivals. There's jousting tournaments with spectators that sit in the stands cheering them on. There are even detailed facial features on all the AI! My favorite though is hanging out in the torturer's guild and watching the villagers get put up on the rack or beheaded - so kewl - lol. Once again the ONLY thing I wish they had in this edition is a nighttime view like the latest edition of SimCity4.

So if you're hesitating about getting this game - don't. And don't expect to play it on a 500 MHZ computer or even a 1.0 Ghz because it won't work. And yeah, I'm gonna get a new computer just to play this awesome game...

Thanks Firefly for all your great work!!!

Lord Mitchell

Stronghold 2

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 11
Date: October 06, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Ok, this game's got a large selection of really cool features. I havn't even gotten around to playing much of the the storyline mission. They have instant battle, also known as "siege" battles. In this, you are thrown into an historic battle.

The voice acting is well done, in my opinion. The physics are surprising good. Also, graphically this game is quite good. I have to turn them down because my computer doesn't even meet the minimum requirements. I've got 640 ram, 1.0 Ghz processor and a 128 video card. It lags, sure, but it is such a fun game I still play it, although I've cut back.

One bad thing; the update for the game, which includes some very important patches, is somehow not compatible with my game, giving me an error that says the game isn't even installed on my computer. This may have something to do with the shape of my CD, however.

Either way, this is the best strategy game I've ever played. Lastly, I have to say the funnest thing is the multiplayer.

Excellent Medieval SIM

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: September 17, 2005
Author: Amazon User

If you are looking for a great castle sim, with a challenging combat/siege warfare system, look no further. I'm a medieval history buff, and have always been interested in everything from combat to politics to feudal life. This game, while not perfect, is a fulfilling escape into the world of knights and barbarians.

As far as hardware issues go, I have had none. My computer exceeds the recommended specs and I play with all settings maxed in 1600x1200x24 resolution (AMD Athlon 64 3500+, 2gb Corsair PC3200 RAM, PNY GeForce 6800GT). However I would not recommend that someone who has only the minimum or even recommended system requirements turn on all the eye-candy. Castle siege scenes can become quite demanding on both the processor and video card, but if you have the hardware it is quite beautiful and realistic.

I haven't encountered any in-game bugs - at least none that have impaired my gaming experience in any noticable way. This seems to be a very well designed game, and although it may still be a work in progress, the foundation is there for a very fun, replayable game. The support staff and developers seem dedicated to continuing to update this game and provide help for users who encounter problems.

I would highly recommend this game to anyone interested in historical sims, real time strategy, or castle wall demolition.

despite some poor reviews, this game is awesome!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: January 24, 2006
Author: Amazon User

when i first got stronghold 2, i wasn't expecting much. i had read many reviews from others after it first came out, and they said that it was a sad, sad game. however, when i started playing it, i realized what a thrill it is! unlike the 2nd game of Empire Earth (the original was one of the greatest games EVER), this game follows the same layout and scheme as the first two strongholds. the simplest way to say it is, it's Stronghold Crusader on crack. there are so many new things you can do in this game, and new opponents, and the soundtrack is FANtastic! they integrated the original 2 soundtracks and added to them! this entire game is simply pumped-up with new features and ideas, and i definately recommend playing it.

*to address the "slow" problems, i have noticed a little lag on my older computer. that is, however, to be expected, as this is a new game. however, when i set the graphics setting to "low" it helps tremendously. i also (wierdly enough) notice little difference between the low and high settings anyway. ... also, i have an ATI x600 card on my laptop, and the game runs smoothely on it... not quite sure as to the earlier problem with ATI support. i don't even have the game patches yet either. make sure your graphics driver is updated, i have had that problem with other games before.

**another note... if you are more of a war-based player, i suggest you go with the new Empire Earth 2 or something like that... this is a game where you have to have to have the economy in order to have the military. i LOVE that, but some do not.

ENJOY!!

Stronghold 2 Reviewed After A Month

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 10
Date: August 18, 2006
Author: Amazon User

With gameplay similar to the original, this game is great. Stronghold 2 has some added goodies, fixes where the original got jacked up, and the whole honour/promotion deal (do good things for your people to gain honour which lets you raise an army or get promoted by the king). It also looks better than the original. I thought the campaigns were a little weak, so I stopped playing them and just played the scenarios--again...and again...and... This is one of those strategy games that has a great replay value by the way.

I give it the following scores: (5 being the highest)
Graphics: 5
Fun: 5
Gameplay: 5
Campaign: 2
Scenarios: 5
Replay Value: 5
_______________
Overall: 5

AWESOME!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: June 01, 2006
Author: Amazon User

As a lover of the medieval period and the games that showcase it, I bought the original Stronghold and was pleased with the overall performance and stability as well as gameplay. I felt some changes were needed (what first game doesn't?) but overall, a great play. Then Stronghold:Crusader came along and blew me away with its array of mercenaries and desert setting. But this...ABSOLUTE MIND BLASTING! A great game and a great play...for those who enjoy castle sims and medieval warfare. My recommendation? If this is your sort of game, BUY IT!

I LOVE this game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: June 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Please be aware that a lot of these low ratings are a result of the bugs before they made the patch. I've had no problems after patching the game.

First of all, I am not a gameplayer. I liked SimCity the original for a while way back in 1990, and since then I've played almost no games at all. I happened on this game because Stronghold (#1, original) and Tropico were bundled, and on clearance for $2 at target. From the very first little mission, where you have to build a settlement and manage to make a bunch of bread for the king, I was rapt. It far better than simcity because aside from the nice graphics, it's very educational and diverse. The series of missions act like a non-intrusive tutorial, letting you learn how do each thing, and challenging what you learned before.

Stronghold 2 is better and more expansive than the original in many ways. The graphics are spectacular--with a 3d view that you can move around smoothly in any direction. There is more richness and complexity. Some of the added complexity (more types of building, production, and soldiers) can be a tad overwhelming, but they introduce it slowly, and eventually I learned that you don't need to build everything.

After being so blown away with Stronghold 1 and Stronghold 2 and Stronghold Crusader, I wondered if I've been missing out all these years. I ordered a bunch of games in similar genre, and none of them interested me. Settlers, Pharoah, Cleopatra, The Guild, and others... I think age of empires 3 is nice (3 1/2 stars), and I'm delaying judgment on rise & fall and rome total war.

But stronghold is far and away the best game I've ever played.

Stronghold2 A look for a buyer/a kids veiw

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: April 22, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I own the 1st 2 stronghold games and am fully anticipating the upcoming stronghold ledgends game. For Parents with kids who want this game , but worry about the rating, all Stronghold games feature no nudity or gore or any other things taking up the world today! Blood is in this game, and at first you may stick your nose up, but it is not disgusting and rather unrealistic.
For Adults and kids who want to know what stronghold games are like, i strongly reccomend the 3 games because they are fun due to

. Castle Management
. Medeival Warfare
. Historicly Correct Castles
. And Humor Among Other Things!
I personnaly adore these RTS games and like some kids out there have parents that are skeptical, but this game is A OK!!!!
*****!!!

AWESOME NEW ADDITION

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: March 29, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I'm not sure why this update of Stronghold Crusader has gotten such poor ratings. I'm playing it on an Anthlon 2200 1.8 GHZ computer with 700 something mb of ram with a Radeon Video card with 256 MB and it plays fine. I've had NO issues what so ever. The grapics are INCREDIBLE compared to the older version of Stronghold Crusader. There is no comparison. I've spent hours upon hours building different castles. In the freebuild mode I can add just about anything to the landscape including waterfalls, ponds, animals and vegetation. I can add any color I want to the ground and create cliffs and mountains. Much more than the old game.

I also like the rat, gong and crime factors as that adds an extra element of excitement. Then, along with the addition of the Lords kitchen and the feasts and things, it is over the top. It's extremely rewarding to see the Lords kitchen fill up with barrels of wine, vegetable baskets, pigs, eel plates and geese. I really get a kick out of the pig and sheep farms as well. It's funny to watch the fat little sheep run around eating everything in site. The colors are also fantastic. So much better than the traditional light brown 'clay' color of the old game.

The only thing that I dont like compared to the last series is how the buildings crumble into nothing. At least in the first edition it would leave something that looked like ruins, but that is very minor. Also I dont like the workers houses. They look like little ugly mushrooms. I'd rather them look like colonial houses if anything at all.

As goofy as it sounds, I like just watching the granary fill up with food as the little workers deliver apples, cheese and bread. Kewl!

Such a great improvement over the antiquated original!!!

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