I've never imagined myself to become an avid history fan. I hated history as an young adult, plain and simple, many year ago I even rejected a second date with a fine catch because he was an history major.

But this game changed all that, it's a "real history" simulator from 1066ad to 14xx where you can jump into the skin of dynasty head of any minor or major european, northern africain and middel-eastern ruler and starting changing history, you can even jump from dynasty to dynasty in a given game.

As far as simulation/strategy games goes, this game beats all over for me, despite my major obsessive passion for other gems like sims, simcities, the guilds, and what not

Great but complicated game. just like in real. The only thing I were missing is a battle-screen like in Medival Total War. If the game would have that, too. It would be the best medival Strategy Game I ever played!

This game has sucked HOURS from my life...in a good way! Sometimes, I get so caught up in planning my next move that I realize I haven't taken a turn in over an hour.

CKII is what I would call an Stratagy RPG Dynasty Creator/Simulator. You don't really play to have a certain nation win (England, France). You play to make your FAMILY, your sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters, grow in power controlling more land and wielding more power.

There is SO much information in this game that even if it weren't a game but only a multimedia encicopedia of the middle ages it would be worth the price. Figuring out who is related to who and how theyre related is a puzzle game in itself. It's worth EVERY penny and more.

The only bad thing I have to say about the CKII experience has nothing to do with the game! Their forums are HORRIBLE! You have to register your copy of the game on the forums to be able to even READ them. It wouldn't be a big deal but that's where you can download tons of awesome mods! If there is ANY kind of problem with registering, you'r sort of screwed. I'm STILL going back and for with the admins trying to figure out what went "wrong" with my registering the game. I'm just going around in circles with these people and am actually pretty upset I don't get to experience the user created stuff for the game.

Of the rant. The game ITSELF is wonderful, even if the company that makes it is a pain in the butt.

The game is very interesting and challenging wish I could enjoy it. But I've been stopped playing because of the issues below.

The game crashes too often for many people, I have never managed to exit the game normally.

To justify it's price and all it's paid expension it has to operate near flawless. But it doesn't. It doesn't have a smart graphic engine, because it's demanding for cpu/gpu while it mainly renders trees on the a bit hyped 2d > 3D "board" (waste of resources)

The latest patch introduce an interesting crash after 1 click in the first tutorial.

Crusader Kings II is possibly the greatest Paradox game in existence. The core game is amazing and the included DLCs add to the experience immensely. Make sure to register your game on the Paradox forums for first rate support, guides, tutorials, and free mods.

A great buy Crusader Kings 2 is a great game and the ruler designer is great fun later on being able to make your own character

The better paradox game ever, with tones of hours of fun. It's really detailed so it's very inmersive, you'll feel the victories and defeats more deeply because you manage a character not a nation or an army.

And with the new DLCs policy of paradox you only buy those that you like, there's no expansions. You can be able to play with someone even if you don't have any DLC. The stability and functionality of the game it's being improve constantly with free patches. A great game with a great price!

Crusader Kings is pretty much one of the best grand strategy game I ever played to. The goal is to lead your dynasty to glory and fame, a goal that you can fulfill using several ways, ranging from diplomacy to wars and that kind of stuff.

Crusaders Kings Collection comes with a handful of DLCs that add quite a lot of flavor to the game (particularly Mongols DLCs), so it's a must buy!

The core game is fantastic, and I recommend you buy it. This deal gives you the core game as well as some cosmetic DLC for the Mongols and some Dynasties, a load of songs and the ruler designer, which allows you to create your own character instead of playing what the developers gave you. It's definitely worth it if you are a fan and know you'll like the game. It is, however, a bit pricey for the unitiated and I'd recommend against buying this pack if you are a bit on edge about the game.

One of Paradox Interactive's best games in my opinion. A bit different from most in that you play one person instead of a country, and you are meant to ensure the continuation of this dynasty. However, if you play as a King or Emperor you'll effectively be playing a country as well. Whoever you play, though, the intricate cloak-and-dagger politics of the game can easily have you hooked after just a short while, and there is so much detail in this game, it's incredible. As with most Paradox games, it's as realistic as you can get with a computer game too. There are so many different ways to play this game (you can choose anything from a count to an emperor, from different countries, with different religions - as of now, you cannot yet play people from theocracies, republics and pagans, but surely DLCs will be released to solve this problem too). An excellent choice even at the original price, and if you happen to find it on sale - what are you waiting for? Get it ASAP!

Excellent pack, the game itself is extraordinary and the DLCs are worth it, they make for good immersion and add up a lot to the game. Particularly, the music is absolutely enjoyable.

Amazing game. Similarly to the first Crusader Kings, you control a family dynasty instead of a country. The mechanics are similar, yet so much better. The first game was maybe a little too easy to gain a large number of titles. In CK2, you can't just buy a claim on a territory like in CK. You actually have to send your chancellor to a province and have him make a claim, which might take a while. This limits the player from just constantly claiming and conquering his neighboring Christians. They've also managed to make the Pagans harder to play against. You used to just be able to conquer each Pagan ruler one at a time. Now if you declare war on a Pagan, other rulers that share his religion might also join in to help.

The map is also pretty amazing. With plenty of map modes to help you find what you want to know. There is a new menu that will help you filter all characters in the game to find whatever you're looking for (big improvement over the ledger from Deus Vult in CK). You can now create, join, or foil plots involving characters in your realm. And since every character has an opinion on every other character, there are plenty of plot lines that can develop in any given game.

This collection comes with some nice DLC as well. Nothing that will alter gameplay, but it all adds to the atmosphere. It's nice to see portraits that actually look like certain ethnicities. And these games can always use new music to keep you from getting annoyed at the same thing playing over and over.

One of the grandest strategy games ever. Bring your dynasty into glory plot against others.Create empires and bring glory to your dynasty.!!

Very like the first game, DLC unavailable via the launcher, which is shoddy, damn shoddy. Another fail for Paradox methinks. This is eally becoming a feature of how they do business.

I'd advise other prospective buyers to beware.

This is a great game - and an amazing way to while away your time. Intrigue, war, building a dynasty - are all here and done in style and in depth. Single and multiplayer. CK II expands upon its predecessor in every way - gameplay, depth, graphics, even music and sounds. This is one of the most absorbing and enjoyable games I've ever played and will last far longer than some FPS that you'll get only a few plays out of. Furthermore this is a good deal (though not as great as a recent deal elsewhere) with the kicker being that it's DRM-free. I think it's important to support direct download sites like GamersGate who offer DRM-free options.

The bundle is really not worth the extra cash - the DLCs don't add anything too noteworthy to the game. Still, the game itself is fun - reminiscent of Europa Universalis, it will probably also appeal to fans of the Total War franchise if they prefer the management end of the game to the ability to control each battle.

This is a great game and very easy to get addicted. The learning curve is a steep one and you can find yourself a bit lost in places but the manual and forums help there. If you have a few months to kill this is a great buy..

This is simply the best strategy-game i have ever seen, although there are still some bugs on it.

If you like really deep strategy and micro-management, but don't need extravagent graphics and sound-effects you should try this one!

The DLC also is nice but not a "must have" if you just want to try out something new and maybe never have played a paradox-game before...

However, the price for this DLC-bundle is really fair so think about it.

Have fun with this fantastic game!

This is a fantastic Micro-Management game!, i would class it along the same lines a Risk, but with Dynasties and a lot of fantastic mods out their!

Can be slow to get into, Ireland is a good challenge start with one "chunk" of land, aim unite Ireland under your skillful / tyrant fist! then the world is yours for the taking...

Great depth and a gameplay not offered by any other game I've played. The game map is enough to make a history nerd drool, but the chance to play with an interactive map of Europe over centuries makes this game a great purchase! I especially like the role of religion in the game, both as it is an otherwise somewhat unexplored element in strategy games, but also because it's a neede addition to any game about the Medieval era. I would like it if the non-Catholics had more religious options, though. The Monophysites, for example, can barely do anything with their religion. The game is quite hard, and definitely takes time to get into. They've included a quite nice tutorial in this installment, though.

The Collector's edition was only an extra €4 or so from the full game, so it was definitely worth the extra music and sprites, as well as the Ruler Customizer. There are other DLCs by now that aren't included, but that I can live with.

The game can't be added to Steam, which is a bit annoying, but it works very well on its own!

This particular collection is well-worth the money. It doesn't include all of the DLC but it includes all of the pre-Sword of Islam DLC at a steal. Paradox does a really great thing and ensures that new features work without their associated DLC, so really there's no pressure to buy SOI (though I'd recommend it). The game itself is a huge timesuck, in a good way. With a rich modding community (I'd suggest CK2+) it's even better. The sheer number of characters in this version makes it a whole different animal from Paradox's previous games. You can really be anyone anywhere and have the game as challenging or easy as you'd like. Unlike the other Paradox grand strategy games, playing a character in your favorite region doesn't have to be the "oh god, easymode" experience that being a Hispanophile or Frankophile was like to be.

Bought it for the Game Of Thrones Mode, really solid Grand Strategy that is relatively easy to get into.

Amazing gaming, allowing you the player to experience what it it like to be a medieval lord in the middle ages. Not only that but the game play is nice and complex for those fans of in depth strategy games!

The Crusader Kings 2 is a great deal. All the DLCs add lots of fun to the game. This is the best Paradox game after Europa Universalis 3 was released years ago. Crusader Kings is absolutely the best franchise Paradox produces. A lot of the other titles they produce lack the personal aspects of the family lineages that Crusader Kings has. If you are a history lover and like to play strategy games, buy this game, you will not regret it!

I have played many Paradox strategy games, and I am sure that this is the best one.

This is the also the best strategy game I had ever played.

DLCs are good, too. I like RUler Designer DLC.

This pack contains the ruler designer and some other interesting DLC (faces pack). The songs don't really add anything more than a bit of atmosphere. I, however, found them to be worth the purchase. Especially when the pack is on offer, it really doesn't make that much of a difference.

The game is now worthy of a purchase as well, as with any Paradox game of the past. It's got a gameplay that is quite deep and will last you for potentially hundreds of hours. Being passionate about history adds to the appeal of the game. And most bugs seem to be fixed with the 1.05 patch.

This is a great game - and an amazing way to while away your time. Intrigue, war, building a dynasty - are all here and done in style and in depth. Single and multiplayer. CK II expands upon its predecessor in every way - gameplay, depth, graphics, even music and sounds. This is one of the most absorbing and enjoyable games I've ever played and will last far longer than some FPS that you'll get only a few plays out of. Furthermore this is a good deal (though not as great as a recent deal elsewhere) with the kicker being that it's DRM-free. I think it's important to support direct download sites like GamersGate who offer DRM-free options.

As a Paradox game there are also many great mods to enjoy. Probably Paradox's finest hour and definitely the best game I've played all year. Three word review: rich, magnificent, essential.

This bundle contains not only Crusader Kings 2, but also six DLC's which normally cost €1,99 to €4,99 each, for a price €10,- more than normal CK2. This means that you not only get one installer for the game + DLC's, but effectively get one DLC for free.

Crusader Kings 2 is thé Paradox game for the Medieval Time period, where you try to bring power to your dynasty. Once again Paradox delivers a unique gameplay fitting for the time period.

Songs of Albion, Songs of Faith and Songs of the Holy Land are three DLC's that add more nice music to the game. Ruler Designer allows you to design your own portrait. Dynasty Shields adds a lot more available dynatsy shields. The Mongols contains lots of new faces for the Mongols and even new sprites. All in all these DLC's enhance your CK2 experience greatly.