Crusader Kings 3 was one of 2020's sleeper hits on the PC, capturing players with its mix of medieval warfare, diplomacy, and hereditary conflict. It's one of two follow ups to 2004's Crusader Kings; the second in the series came out in 2012. The games have earned praise from players for the unique Middle Ages setting and style of gameplay.
Crusader Kings 3 has received nearly universal acclaim from gamers and critics alike. It's also sold impressively well at more than 1 million copies in its first month. For that reason, there's a lot excitement around a new upgrade for Crusader Kings 3.
The Northern Lords Flavor Pack expansion (available as of March 16) makes a variety of additions themed around the Norse lands previously sidelined in the game. Perhaps the most substantial change is the inclusion of "adventurer realms," allowing characters to abandon their home territory and start kingdoms elsewhere with the help of armed units like huskarls. Developer Paradox Interactive notes a player could, for example, conquer Normandy, eventually moving their entire kingdom there. Even when players don't choose to go on adventures, AI opponents will, among them landless factions.
What Else Has Changed In Crusader Kings 3: Northern Lords?
There are also new goals, innovations, and dynasty legacies to pursue. The extra legacies include two tracks: adventure and pillaging. Of those, the first lets players do things like send their children to serve in the Varangian Guard, the personal retinue of the Byzantine Emperors, something that happened in real history. The pillaging track makes conquest more efficient, which is obviously beneficial for a Viking. Some of the goals players can set out to achieve include founding the High Kingdom of the North Sea, joining the British Isles and Scandinavia, or founding the Jomsvikings, a group of Norse fundamentalists opposed to Christianity and other new religions. As with some other factions in Crusader Kings, players risk being punished if they're insufficiently faithful. Russian history fans will be glad to know they can lay the foundations for the Rus, which while descended from Norsemen, ultimately absorbed various local tribes into their ranks.
Paradox has meanwhile incorporated a variety of culturally unique units, such as berserkers, shieldmaidens, and traveling mystics. Among new interactions in the Crusader Kings 3 expansion are raising runestones and more family activities, such as snowball fights with children. Snow of course requires winter, and yes, winter is now fully depicted in the game, taking its toll visually and mechanically. One religious interaction includes the ability to hold a Grand Blót, a sacrifice of humans and animals to the Norse gods in exchange for improving piety and reputation with vassals.
In tandem Paradox is patching the core Crusader Kings 3 experience to allow duels via a martial perk, or to let characters become poets, since this was especially important to the Norse (think eddas and sagas.) Gamers can download the 1.3 patch for free. Crusader Kings 3: Northern Lords, however, is $6.99 DLC on top of the base game, whether bought through Steam, the Paradox Store, or the Microsoft Store. Newcomers wanting to go all-in can get the $74.99 Royal Edition bundle, which includes all current and planned expansions.