Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires vs Stronghold Crusader 2
Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires
Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires is another Empires spin-off from the main Dynasty Warriors franchise. It combines the repetitive hack and slash that the series is so famous for with a more strategic, Risk-like gameplay where you'll not only need to get your hands dirty in actual combat, but also make important military decisions based on your role as a leader of an army.However, many players have said that this game is definitely a step down from the 7th installment. Not to mention, like Dynasty Warriors 8, this PC port is plagued with the same control issues if you use the mouse and keyboard combo, but the problems go away once you switched over to using a controller. So, if you plan on buying this game, make sure you have a controller ready.
That being said, Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires is definitely the sort of game that caters to fans of the game series and may also appeal to some fans of strategy games, but as mentioned, despite being the newest, it's certainly not the best game in the spin-off series - it is merely a somewhat decent one.
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.