The original Stronghold title was released in 2001 and became a true game changer for players, the industry and real-time strategy titles in general. It offered a perfect mix of historical wargaming, castle building, exciting medieval battles, crafting a secure supply chain of critical resources, keeping your peasants happy (or afraid) and a great mix of defensive and offensive strategies. It was easily one of the best-selling titles at the time, which is why the 2023 HD remake was so well received, including in our GiN review. The only real drawback was the fact that while the single player campaign was really well done, there was not a lot of replay value other than doing the campaigns all over again (something that I did quite a few times).
For more variety, Stronghold Crusader was released a year after the original in July of 2002. It had a focus on combat, skirmishes, a somewhat primitive but passable version of multiplayer fighting and even a map editor. There was also a Crusader Trail series of missions with 50 combat scenarios played against a variety of AI opponents. That is the title that developer Firefly Studios has chosen to remake, and which we are reviewing here today. It’s available exclusively through the Steam platform.
Named the Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Editon, it remains faithful to the original while also adding in a metric ton of new content. That makes it perfect for both veteran players and those who are new to the franchise. There really is something for everyone, and it’s being offered for under $20, making it a really great value. If you are looking to play a different kind of RTS where constructing massive fortifications is just as important as building up huge armies, you will find a lot to like about the new definitive edition.
As they did when they remade the first Stronghold title, Firefly used many of the original artists who put together things like rocks and trees, workshop buildings and combat units and let them craft all the new stuff for the definitive edition. As such, it maintains the complete look and feel of the original but without all the low resolution restrictions imposed by the limited computing power available back in 2002. It basically looks amazing now (it was no slouch back in the day), and it could easily compete graphically with just about any other modern title, especially considering how much stuff can be happening on the screen at the same time. It can get quite chaotic when you have a large castle and town with all the peasants running around doing their jobs at the same time as a massive siege is taking place.
If that was all that Firefly did with their definitive edition, it would still be worth the sub-$20 price to see this classic fully restored and remade for the modern era. But they did so much more than that. Almost every aspect or element of the original title has been added to. This includes new units and even new AI opponents, which is kind of surprising. In the original Stronghold, we only had four main opponents, the Rat, Snake, Pig and Wolf. The original Crusader added quite a few more, including both European and Arab leaders. Now the definitive edition adds even more people to fight to that list, but they’ve also included some old enemies. The fact that each AI opponent approaches strategy quite differently is really interesting, and some are even more powerful if they get to work together, like an early rusher paired with a defensive turtle type opponent. Meeting and greeting the new AI lords on the battlefield was an amazing experience.
But there is even more. The original 50 missions of the Crusader trail are joined by 50 more spread out over two new campaigns. And there are a group of new timed missions now too where you will be judged on how quickly you can take down opponents, which is a real challenge for a defensive player like myself. There are also seven historical campaigns to play ranging from the first crusade all the way to the seventh where you will fight to push the French out of Egypt once and for all. There are also dozens of skirmishes, a map editor to make your own missions and a multiplayer mode that supports up to eight human players.
There is even a free build option where you can peacefully build up an economy while constructing a massive castle of your dreams. And even then, Firefly Studios is not resting on their hindquarters. They have a very aggressive post-launch schedule of both free and paid DLC which will expand the Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Editon even further.
The only real negative is the fact that the multiplayer component was a little too faithfully recreated. The lobby area for players to host or join games remains pretty primitive compared to most other modern titles. It would have been nice to update the 2002 interface just a bit. I did not really mind too much since I mostly enjoyed just fighting all the new and classic AI opponents. Plus, if you have friends who want to play, you can generate a passcode which makes getting together pretty easy so long as you all log in at the same time.
Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition is so much more than just a nostalgic throwback. It’s a fully realized, feature-filled experience that honors its legacy while delivering fresh content for a new generation. With a staggering number of new missions, AI opponents, graphical upgrades and quality-of-life improvements, Firefly Studios has created a definitive version worthy of the name. While the dated multiplayer lobby is a minor blemish, the sheer volume of content and thoughtful enhancements more than make up for it. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a curious newcomer looking to see what made this castle building and destroying series so beloved, Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition is a must-play and doubly so at its extremely accessible price point.