Sid Meier's Civilization III vs Stronghold Crusader 2
Sid Meier's Civilization III
Sid Meier's Civilization III is a compilation of the third iteration of the award-winning grand strategy game franchise, Civilization, as well as all its associated DLCs, namely the updated and enhanced multiplayer expansion in Civ 3: Play the World and new civilizations, scenarios, and features in Civ 3: Conquests. The game definitely improved on its predecessor by a mile, providing players with basically more ways to play. Due to this, the game has a depth that surpass the other games the franchise has produced.However, its multiplayer has been suspended but if you like, you can still play the game on LAN. Not to mention, many other aspects of the game, like the graphics and some of the features, are becoming rather dated as well. So, unless you plan on playing only single player or on LAN, you might want to grab a slightly newer version of the game if a deeper gameplay is what you crave.
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.