Europa Universalis IV vs Stronghold
Europa Universalis IV
Europa Universalis IV is the fourth game in the award-winning Europa Universalis franchise. Similar to its predecessors, the game has everything you'd need to build your own nation from the ground up and guide it through the ages. The freedom in which you get to customize your giverning style, your nation and even your game is simply ridiculous (in a good way) and of course, the best selling point of this series is that almost everything is based on accurate historical references, be it a historical figure or an event. This time around you'll get to grow your nation over a much wider span of history, arrange royal marriages, form coalitions, support rebels in proxy wars and more. You can even cooperate with up to 32 different players to govern a single nation. The multiplayer mode apparently now has an improved chat and a new matchmaking system.Unfortunately, the major downside about this game is that the developers, Paradox Interactive, have apparently "sold-out" by adding in features that should have been in the original game into DLCs that players actually have to pay extra for, ending up spending over $200 for just a single game. Not to mention, many players have complained that the DLCs they release are priced at the same price point despite having progressively lower amount of content.
That said, the game is still an epic masterpiece and a worthy sequel to the Europa Universalis series, but the game's hardcore player base is admittedly not happy, and honestly, we wouldn't recommend getting this game unless you can get all of the DLCs dirt cheap... maybe like in a bundle.
Stronghold
Stronghold is the original castle simulation game and it's not shy to let you know about it. Back when it first came out, the game was incredibly popular among fans of the real-time strategy genre and it is pretty obvious to why. The game not only let you build and design your own castle in its combat-free economic campaign; you also get to engage in medieval warfare against AI enemies in the game's single player campaigns or against up to 8 other players via the multiplayer mode online. You can even besiege actual historical castles, set up typical catle defenses to stump invaders and make sure your people are well-taken care of.Stronghold is a classic when it comes to castle sims. In fact, until today, there still isn't any game that managed to achieve a similar depth in terms of its gameplay. If you love castle-building and real-time strategy, this is a game you'll most certainly enjoy. Do give it a try!