Stronghold 2 Critic Reviews

The vastly improved graphics are a joy to behold, the new punishment stations add a dimension to gameplay and the various modes will keep you playing 'til doomsday and beyond. It's almost perfect atmosphere-wise, and I could not have wished for anything more.

There are a handful of games that provide greater economic depth, or are more immediate and spectacular on the field of battle, but few marry these two traditional aspects of real-time strategy so seamlessly and with so much charm.

If you're into serious castle-building and siegecraft, nothing else comes close.

The new perspective works excellently and the added buildings and units are welcome. It's a shame some of the old problems, like the unconvincing AI, are still around, but the intricate economy and unusual siege play make it stand out.

It is a breeze to get started and there are helpful hints to aid those new to the genre.

A more in-depth take on strategy than normal, but not quite a "Rome"-beater.

Whether you want to follow the story-driven campaign, or simply reconstruct the motte and bailey delights of Dover Castle, you'll be hard pressed to unearth an RTS that plays for keeps quite as well as this.

Stronghold 2 is addictive in its complexity and rich in its many-layered economic management system, not to mention challenging (yes, partly thanks to the lack of help in learning how to play the damn thing).

Manages to provide an engaging combination of simulated medieval warfare and peasant life without getting too lost in the mundane details that can easily wreak havoc on such a title.

Even with the painfully long load screens and the lags in the game play I still enjoy this game.

A satisfying blend of Sim and RTS - strategy fans, medieval groups and jousting wannabes alike should make sure to check this out as soon as possible.

It's a game with style, in the true sense of its word. That is, it has decided what it wants to be and then just does that, without worrying what the world may think of it.

It's the kind of game you could've bought three years ago for the same price, same graphics and same gameplay.

Not as ground-breaking as the original, but still a rewarding experience.

Tries to do just a bit too much and ends up not really excelling at anything.

The graphics are supreme and almost unmatched in today’s strategies, but with "Age of Empire III" just around the corner, we can’t see Stronghold 2 sustaining life for a long time in anybodies gaming world.

Neither the RTS-style combat nor the castle sim elements of the game live up to today's standards.

It wasn’t a lot of fun to play, and it didn’t run very well on my computer. All it did was remind me how much fun Stronghold was, and that I should go back and play it sometime.

The story is a mess, visuals are lifeless, and gameplay is flawed on many levels.

Stronghold 2 isn’t poorly developed; it’s just a combination of bugs and a bad front end that keep Stronghold 2 from being a must buy title.