Ikariam vs Stronghold Crusader 2
Ikariam
Ikariam is an online empire-building MMO strategy game that partly resembles games like The Settlers Online and Sparta: War of Empires, and yet manages to offer something else that's entirely unique. In this game, you play the role of a leader of a Greek polis (city) and it is your sacred duty to develop your polis' infrasructure and economy, build up an army to defend said polis and attack other poleis, as well as to bring about new technological discoveries that will aid the growth of your empire.Ikariam may feel like every other browser-based MMO strategy game, but once you get into the game, you'll quickly realize how much more depth this game has and how exciting it is to play the game. It's definitely not easy to succeed in Ikariam - only the best leaders and strategists will manage to get to the top... Are you among these few?
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.