Crusader Kings II: Monks & Mystics (PC) Review

By Ian Soltes 29.03.2017

Review for Crusader Kings II: Monks & Mystics on PC

Crusader Kings II has had a small, persistent problem throughout its years. Once the player had set their alliances, resolved their wars, solidified their development and so-forth, downtime would come. There would be little more to do than to hold feasts and wait for the next child, among other arbitrary events, making for a repetitive, even boring experience. Crusader Kings II: Monks & Mystics tries to address that issue by enhancing the number of options during those otherwise uneventful times.

Who knew being a king could be so boring at times? After the wars were done, the diplomacy handled, and the economy on the rise, there would often be little to do but just sit around and wait. Sure, things could happen from time to time, but plenty of days would pass in which nothing was happening at all. Needless to say, that could be a problem. So how to address this problem? Allow for cults of course! From the start, the player is presented with a choice to join one of several secret sects. Things like monastic orders, assassins, or outright devil worship! It's surprisingly simple and a decent way to break up the mundane events of day-to-day life.

Each secret society opens up a wide variety of options, all opening up new avenues. Simple things like going on long pilgrimages or funding expeditions, and bigger things such as creating horoscopes, murder, and even summoning foul things into the world. Each option is remarkably straightforward but offers a great way to break up the tediousness that afflicts daily life in Crusader Kings II. Each cult has its own members and power, and by completing various tasks, the player can rise in both the standing of the cult and progress through its ranks. Even those who start as a lowly newcomer can rise up through the ranks to become a grandmaster!

Screenshot for Crusader Kings II: Monks & Mystics on PC

Thanks to the variety involved and the many potential outcomes, the cult systems help to alleviate the boredom a lot. Additionally, Councillors now have new 'passive' modes in which they can do things that will help the realm without needing active assignment, which reduces the need to micromanage them. It's great for when raising an army is unimportant and it's more useful to have some upkeep costs reduced.

Beyond that, there really isn't much that's new or exciting. The expansion adds in societies, a new mode for councillors, and a few minor tweaks, but it isn't some overwhelming or impressive thing. It's actually a bit sad when compared to, say, the last Age of Empires II expansion, which introduced a whole new terrain type among other things. While the new additions take the edge off of the boredom, there's still lots of empty hours to fill in Crusader Kings II

Screenshot for Crusader Kings II: Monks & Mystics on PC

Cubed3 Rating

7/10
Rated 7 out of 10

Very Good - Bronze Award

Rated 7 out of 10

Honestly, the biggest draw for people in Crusader Kings II: Monks & Mystics will be the addition of secret societies and cults. They're a great addition and can certainly be worth it, but the feature can certainly not be worth it to someone uninterested with the features it brings. It will make every-day life more enjoyable and interesting, but it won't be some massive shake-up for those who aren't interested in what the cults and societies have to offer.

Developer

Paradox Development

Publisher

Paradox

Genre

Strategy

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  8/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date None   Australian release date Out now   

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