Stronghold: Definitive Edition Review Summary

New content and campaigns: The addition of new campaigns, missions, and content enhances the gameplay experience. Players enjoy the variety and depth added by these new elements, including the Wolf and Boar campaigns and additional game modes.

Nostalgic and enjoyable gameplay: Many players appreciate the nostalgic atmosphere and enjoyable gameplay experience, especially when playing with friends. The game captures the essence of the original while adding new content and improved visuals.

Enhanced visuals and graphics: The remastered graphics and visuals are significantly improved, offering sharper textures, updated lighting, and a more polished look. Players appreciate the modernized visuals that stay true to the original style.

Improved controls and zoom: Modern control schemes, enhanced zoom options, and keyboard shortcuts make the game more accessible and convenient to play. These improvements are well-received by players.

Faithful to the original: The game remains faithful to the original, preserving its essence and atmosphere. Original voice actors and the nostalgic feel are highly appreciated by long-time fans.

Poor AI and Pathfinding: The AI is criticized for being stupid and having poor pathfinding, leading to units getting stuck or not following instructions properly. This includes issues with units disappearing or not moving as expected.

Campaign and Mission Design: The campaign and mission design are criticized for being linear, uninspired, and poorly executed. Some missions are too difficult or rely on trial and error.

Fire Mechanics Issues: The fire mechanics are frustrating and poorly implemented. Fires spread too quickly and are difficult to extinguish, making gameplay unenjoyable.

Gameplay Mechanics and Bugs: The gameplay mechanics are seen as broken or poorly implemented. This includes issues with terrain interactions, unit movements, and various bugs.

Lack of New Content: The new content and missions are seen as lackluster and uninspired. Players feel that the game does not offer enough new or interesting material.

Economic and resource management: The game features a complex economic system where players manage resources, food supplies, and morale. This system is interdependent and requires strategic planning to ensure the castle's survival and growth.

Castle-building and defense mechanics: Players can build and manage castles, including defensive structures like walls, towers, and traps. The game emphasizes strategic placement and defense against enemy attacks, adding depth to the gameplay.

Campaigns and missions variety: The game includes a variety of campaigns and missions, such as story-driven campaigns, economic campaigns, and siege trails. These missions offer diverse objectives and difficulty levels, providing a rich and engaging single-player experience.

Difficulty and learning curve: The game offers varying difficulty levels and a steep learning curve, providing a challenge for both new and experienced players. The difficulty settings and mission objectives require strategic planning and adaptability.

Multiplayer and cooperative modes: The game offers multiplayer modes, including cooperative play with friends and competitive matches with up to eight players. These modes enhance the gameplay experience by allowing players to engage in strategic battles and collaborative castle-building.

Performance and optimization issues: While some players report better performance, others experience noticeable drops in optimization and FPS. The game's performance appears inconsistent across different systems.

Server synchronization problems: Multiplayer mode suffers from server synchronization issues, causing delays and disconnections. This affects the overall multiplayer experience negatively.

Frequent crashes and technical issues: The game experiences frequent crashes, particularly in multiplayer mode. Players report having to reload the game often and encounter issues with joining the same host multiple times.

High-resolution and refresh rate support: The game supports high resolutions like 3440x1440 and 1440p, as well as high refresh rates up to 165 Hz. This caters to players with modern gaming setups.

Audio and unit bugs: Some players report issues with character voice synchronization and units bugging inside buildings or randomly disappearing. These bugs can disrupt gameplay.

Highly recommended for fans: The game is highly recommended for fans of the original Stronghold series, RTS games, and those who enjoy building and strategy games. It is considered the best version to get and is worth buying for both new and veteran players.

Worth the price: The game is seen as a good buy whether you're a long-time fan or new to the series. It is considered worth full price for new players and a steal at discounted prices.

Nostalgic value: The game is praised for its nostalgic value, bringing back memories of the original Stronghold series. It is recommended for those who have nostalgia for the classic games.

DLCs and additional content: The DLCs are considered cheap and worthwhile, providing more gameplay. However, some new content may not be as well-done but still offers additional gameplay.

Specific recommendations for certain content: Valley of the Wolf is recommended only for those who want to complete all content. Swine's Bay is considered good value for money.

Steam Deck: The game has received praise for its graphical improvements and compatibility with Steam Deck. However, there are significant issues with controls, interface, and stability, including frequent crashes that disrupt the user experience.

Monetization: The game is generally perceived as offering good value for money, with many users appreciating the amount of content available for the price. However, there are some concerns about the pricing of DLCs, with a few users finding them overpriced. Additionally, there is a mention of the game providing incentives to purchase more DLCs, which could be seen as a strategy to encourage further spending.

Desire for custom maps: Players expressed a desire to create their own maps and scripts to enhance their gameplay experience.

Humorous gameplay moments: Some players found humor in building walls between wheat fields, indicating a light-hearted and enjoyable aspect of the game.

Gift for special occasions: The game was mentioned as a gift for a dad's birthday, suggesting it may appeal to a wide age range.