Stronghold Crusader review: Definitive Edition — the return of the classic real-time strategy game

Real-time strategies have always had their own special atmosphere. It’s the perfect combination of planning, resource management, and large-scale battles where every little thing can be decisive. Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition is a return to the days when the RTS genre was at its peak, but with some updates to make the game more accessible to modern players.

Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition

Pluses:

Improved graphics that preserve the spirit of the original; deep gameplay; high-quality optimization; new story campaigns and units; completely re-recorded character lines with the participation of actors from the original version of the game.

Minuses:

AI enemies often behave illogically; high entry threshold for newcomers to the genre.

8/10

Rating
ITC.ua

Content

1 What is Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition?
2 Graphics and sound
3 Optimization and bugs
4 Impressions of Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition
5 Who is Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition?
6 Price of Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition

What is Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition?

The game, as the name implies, takes place during the Crusades. The player gets the opportunity to take part in battles for the Holy Land, build their own kingdoms, and lead armies in difficult desert conditions. Historical veracity is rather in the background here — this is not a strict reconstruction of events but an artistic interpretation with vivid characters and dramatic sieges.

The player does not just deploy troops, but builds real castles with walls, towers, moats, and gates. Each fortification has its own role: towers provide an overview and space for archers, walls stop infantry, and gates allow you to control access to the territory.

The economy plays a special role. The desert terrain limits opportunities: fertile land is located only near oases. This creates constant competition for control over resources that must be quickly walled and protected. The player has to balance between defense and economic development: too much attention to the fortress leaves the army weak, and excessive concentration on the army without enough defensive structures makes the castle an easy prey for the enemy.

The developers from FireFly Studios kept the key historical figures in the game, while adding several new ones. In particular, the Definitive Edition features four new enemies based on real-life leaders of the era. They bring different playstyles and new approaches to castle building, making each campaign more unique and tactically intense.

However, FireFly Studios went beyond the usual expectations from remasters. Two new historical campaigns have been added to the set, in which the main focus is either controlling a new faction or fighting against it. This faction consists of eight new Bedouin units, including a healer, which adds more tactical options.

Graphics and sound

Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition retains the classic isometric style of the original, but has received a significant update that makes the game modern and recognizable at the same time. Buildings, castles, and environments have become more detailed, and units have smoother and more natural animations.

Small elements, such as individual stones in the walls, patterns on armor, or the appearance of horses, are worked out with great attention to detail. All this creates a sense of nostalgia for the veterans of the series and at the same time looks fresh for new players. In addition, there is a flexible camera zoom feature that allows you to see your castle in detail or get an overview of the battlefield.

For the Definitive Edition, we completely re-recorded the characters’ lines to make them sound clear and high-quality. To do this, we invited the voice actors from the original Stronghold Crusader.

The soundtrack has also been improved: the music emphasizes the desert atmosphere with oriental motifs and dynamically reacts to the events on the screen — it sounds more intense during combat, and calm in peaceful moments. Sound effects bring the game world to life, creating an atmospheric audio environment.

Optimization and bugs

Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition runs very well on a mid-range PC, offering a high number of frames per second. Even during large-scale battles with hundreds of units, the game runs smoothly, load times are short, and crashes are rare. The only bug that does occur is a collision of unit models.

Impressions of Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition

The game, which has been reviving the classic RTS since 2002, captivates not only with its historical atmosphere — the medieval Middle East, campaigns spanning the first three Crusades, and carefully crafted settlement economics — but also with the depth of mechanics that make you really think about every next step. Managing a base here is not just about building and pressing buttons: you need to collect and process resources keep track of food, taxes, and defenses — all of which creates a sense of living medievalism and real strategy.

However, the game is not without its drawbacks. The first of them is the artificial intelligence of the enemies, which hasn’t changed much since the original. The enemies behave predictably: they gather at a certain distance from your castle and simply wait for all their troops to arrive, without taking any active action at this time. This makes defense extremely easy — even a basic set of towers, archers, and moats can completely stop attacks at almost any difficulty level.

Another disadvantage of the game is the weak tutorial. Although the game offers a rich tactical experience and a deep combination of resource management and medieval battles, it will be difficult for beginners to understand everything. The game’s tutorial only superficially explains the basics and does not help players avoid common mistakes, making the game less accessible to newcomers.

Who is Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition?

The updated Stronghold Crusader is primarily for fans of classic real-time strategy games who appreciate the balance between economy and combat. If you like RTS with a strong emphasis on fortress defense and resource management, this game will offer dozens of hours of fun and strategic challenges.

Price of Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition

The price of the game is quite loyal, considering the amount of available content — the game costs 415 UAH on Steam.

Conclusion:

Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition is the best way to experience the classic RTS. The developers from Firefly Studios have managed to find a harmonious balance: to respectfully preserve the beloved original and at the same time qualitatively improve it for modern players.