Deal | The castle is calling, Sire: Remastered strategy classic now under $5 on Steam

Stronghold is one of the true classics of the real-time strategy genre. The castle-building game from British developer Firefly Studios was originally released in 2001. More than two decades later – in November 2023, to be precise – the Definitive Edition brought the cult title up to modern standards. The remastered RTS is currently discounted by 70% on Steam, bringing the price down to around $4.50 instead of $15 – matching its lowest price to date, according to SteamDB. The strategy game is also playable on the Steam Deck and runs surprisingly well.

Stronghold still plays much like it did 20 years ago. Players build a medieval fortress with castle walls, towers and granaries. Anyone who wants to hear the iconic “The people love you, Sire” has to make sure the castle’s inhabitants always have enough food and housing. At the same time, players must fend off enemy attacks or go to war themselves with knights, archers and siege towers. The Definitive Edition gives the classic a noticeable facelift, including revised graphics with 4K and ultrawide support, improved textures, new animations, modernized effects and an overhauled user interface. The new edition also adds a new 14-mission campaign, a 10-mission “Castle Trail” of siege scenarios and additional content.

The bottom line is that the Definitive Edition is not a true remake, but a remaster – and that is also its biggest point of criticism. Fans get the classic in its most attractive and comprehensive form to date, but they also have to accept some legacy issues from the aging engine. Troops, for example, move rather stiffly and only turn in eight directions. Many players also found the story of the new campaign too shallow.

On Steam, Stronghold: Definitive Edition has an 86% approval rating from around 10,000 reviews. On Metacritic, the game has a Metascore of 80 and a User Score of 8.6. German gaming magazine PC Games awarded it 7 out of 10. The current offer should therefore be particularly appealing to fans of the original who have not yet played the remastered version. Fans of classic strategy and building games should also find plenty to enjoy despite these caveats.

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