If you like your grand strategy sims with a dose of infanticide, incest, and papal grovelling, then you'll be excited to learn that a new entry in Paradox's stupendous Crusader Kings series is on the way. Crusader Kings III, as it's known, will land at some point in 2020, and will bring with it a huge overhaul of the user interface system from previous entries, making for an entirely modern looking and feeling grande strategy game.
The announcement trailer does little but confirm the theme of the game world will be much the same as previous games in the franchise. But the Steam page is up and it tells us much more.
Although the general setting, design, and feel of the game will be familiar to players of both Crusader Kings and its fantastic sequel, CKIII will look to learn from Paradox's more recent efforts in the grand strategy space, like Stellaris, where the user interface is toned down considerably, and the menus and methods of interaction far more contextual and intuitive.
The game will also receive a beautifying engine upgrade, leading to much better looking game worlds and a more optimized experience, so no longer should there be stuttering and lag when you play at the fastest in-game speed. To help those that haven't played before or in a while, Paradox will also introduce a far more in-depth tutorial and learning experience. Tips and advisors will help keep you on the path to glory once you've moved beyond the basics too.
While we await for its 2020 release, Crusader Kings II is now free to play, so get in and learn how to manage your kingdom now, before the new reign begins next year.
