Company of Heroes 2 vs Stronghold Crusader 2
Company of Heroes 2
Company of Heroes 2 is the exciting follow-up for the original Company of Heroes game. Set in World War 2, this game is rather multiplayer-focused but it does provide players with an intense single-player campaign which also double as a way for you to be familiarized with the gameplay before heading into multiplayer.The game does have a lot of "standalone" DLCs that adds either a new single player campaign to the game or a new multiplayer army for well... the multiplayer gameplay which you'll have to buy if you aim to get a "complete" version of the game. This kind of make the multiplayer aspect of the game rather pay-to-win since players without the new multiplayer standalone, which usually features a new army that's slighter stronger, will probably be on a disadvantage.
All in all, Company of Heroes 2 is still a great game from a great franchise, but it seems like the developers/publishers may have lost some favor with its player base mainly because of the slew of "standalones" that players have to shell more money for in addition to the "base game".
Stronghold Crusader 2
Stronghold Crusader 2 returns to the desert of the Middle East right in the middle of the war of religions known as the Crusades after a long hiatus. Similar to the previous game, you'll get to play as a brutal Crusader Knight or Arabic freedom fighter as you lead your respective armies to annihilate the other in the game's fast-paced gameplay. Being a series known for its brilliant castle simulations, you can also build huge castles in the desert to house your population and to recruit massive armies to fuel your battles.There are more than 25 unique unit types, each with their own special abilities; other game modes aside from the main story-based campaigns as well as a multiplayer aspect that can house up to 8 players.
That said, the game has a lot of bugs and as such, your gaming experience will definitely be impacted. Many features that fans of the series have loved were somehow taken out of this sequel too and that had angered and disappointed a lot of the game's fans. All in all though, if you enjoy Crusades-themed games, you might want to get the first game in this spin-off series.