On one hand, you can have an encounter that can last a few hours, and on the other you can have someone Zerg rush you and it’ll be over in a few minutes. Multiplayer is the double-edged sword of the game, given that it’s completely unpredictable.

One of my favorite strategies is funneling them like in 300, doesn’t work well against live opponents though Can you manage multiple encounters as well as an economy/food supply? All in all, the ‘Skirmish Trails’ is just the last test until you go up against real opponents online in the Multiplayer mode. This is where you are put to the test and your true skill shines. Each setup gets harder and harder as you complete each one, giving you the test of co-operative gameplay and multiple AI enemies. From there, the ‘Skirmish Trails’ has you facing numerous challenges and setups against AI opponents.

As with the name of the gameplay, ‘Learning Campaign’ is the true tutorial of the game, giving you a strong feel of how to manage your castle and army while giving you a story along the way. As with most RTS games, the story is pretty simple in each map but as you progress you are thrown in much harder challenges that make you rethink certain strategies and develop new ones. The main narrator of the game, the Scribe, acts as your guidance, giving you a second perspective in case you get focused on one thing (like running low on food or being attacked). You journey through the Crusades set in 1187AD and switch from a Crusador to an Arab. ‘Learning Campaign’ throws you in several different scenarios which act as the main story of the game. Most veteran RTS gamers should pick this up quick without the need of a tutorial, as I did. Single player has a tutorial meant to teach you how to play the game. Once starting the game, a menu indicates the option for single or multiplayer gameplay. Though similar, Stronghold Crusader II is different enough to stand on its own and just as challenging. Many sleepless nights were spent on AoE2 both online and against just my brother via LAN, and I can say that many sleepless nights were spent on Stronghold Crusader II.

Stronghold Crusader II definitely brings me back to playing Age of Empires II back when I first got my PC, making the game easy to jump into. Every now and then, a game I play reminds me of another, which is usually a good thing.

Stronghold crusader 2 reviews