Mount & Blade: Warband vs Stronghold Crusader 2
Mount & Blade: Warband
Mount & Blade: Warband is hailed as one of the best installments in the Mount & Blade game franchise. This time around, you play as an aspiring leader who has his sights aimed at the currently vacant throne of Calradia. Assemble your army of battle-hardened warriors and dive into the fray as you battle your way up to what you want! The game brings realism to medieval battlefields with a ton of improvements, ranging from the ability to turn thrown weapons into a make-shift close combat weapon when the enemy gets too close to the ability to pick up projectiles off the ground to be used as extra munitions. There plenty of new features as well. You can now marry a lady for political gain or simply because you like her; grant lands to your companions, turning them into your vassals; as well as its incredible multiplayer battles that support up to 64 players and has varying modes. The game's multiplayer aspect is also very well-balanced, so that players will be able to fight each other on a somewhat equal footing.Mount & Blade: Warband is the epitome of the Mount & Blade series and honestly, if you're a fan or even a newcomer looking to give the series a try, this is definitely the game to get. The game is available on both PC and consoles (PlayStation and Xbox).
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.