Published , by TJ Denzer
Published , by TJ Denzer
When it comes to in-depth grand strategy gaming, one would be remiss to have the conversation without mention of the Crusader Kings franchise. Crusader Kings 3 just got announced in October 2019 and it promises to deliver the beloved franchise into the modern era almost 8 years after the launch of CK2. To help explain what that means, Crusader Kings Director Henrik Fåhraeus took part in a recent dev diary to explain his vision and conceptualization of the depth, accessibility, and evolution he intends to bring to Crusader Kings 3.
Launched on November 13, 2019 via the Paradox Interactive YouTube channel, the new developer diary allows Fåhraeus to bring viewers deep inside his vision of what Crusader Kings 3 should be. Fåhraeus speaks to Crusader Kings 2 as sort of a proof of concept in game design and foundation, where Crusader Kings 3 is meant to take what was learned from its predecessor and smooth out the edges into a solid and deep, yet approachable modern game. You can catch the dev diary in its entirety just below.
Though no game footage is show, Fåhraeus’s philosophies for Crusader Kings 3 takes center stage. The Director promises that players familiar with the long-running timelines and multiple player character leadership of CK2 will be happy to find a similar scope of depth in the sequel. That said, Fåhraeus also continues to stress that the systems are being reworked to deliver an overall better gameplay experience.
“Crusader Kings 2 was an indie game, sort of,” Fåhraeus explained. “It feels like an indie game even if it wasn’t. Crusader Kings 3 should feel like a more modern game, more contemporary with all the resources Paradox can bring to it. If the second game proved the mechanics, then Crusader Kings 3 makes them smooth, functional, friendlier, and more approachable than Crusader Kings 2 could ever be.”
With a high bar to clear in terms of the wealth of gameplay options that Crusader Kings 2 offered, we’re excited to see more of what Fåhraeus has in mind. For more Crusader Kings 3, you can also check out recent interview with Fåhraeus and Lead Designer Alexander Oltner to learn more about bloodlines and dynasties in the game.