Is CK2 Worth it in 2024?

Is Crusader Kings 2 better than Crusader Kings 3, or does it simply have some awesome features that should be carried over? Well no matter the answer, I still love the living daylights out of CK2, and it comes down to not just atmosphere, but to a slew of features and aspects that CK2 just nailed, many of which CK3 is still lacking, or has chosen a different way to handle. In this video, I present to you the top 10 features of CK2 that remain crazy good, reasons that keep me coming back even in 2024. In other words, is CK2 worth it in 2024?

What do you think of the features listed in this video, and are there others I've missed? Do you straight up prefer CK3, or does CK2 still hold its own? Let me know in the comments, and remember to leave a like and subscribe to the channel!

#crusaderkings2 #ck2 #ck3

[thunderbagel]

I crave CK2's council mechanics in CK3. CK2 allowed me to engage with my council members in ways that CK3 has yet to pull off. In CK3, it feels like I just select the person with the highest number in the relevant skill and forget about them until its time to pick a new member

[Quite_Gaming_]

Even though ck3 is more refined I always go back to ck2 it just has has that awesome mechanics and vibes that ck3 does not have tho both are amazing

[goonerhill]

I hate that they changed the notification system from ck2.
In ck3 i feel less knowledgeable of my surrounding events.
I'm a lowly count and not even informed when my king dies.
Let alone if he divorces the queen when he discovers she's been cheating.

[afrovarangian]

Selecting a character and hearing that melodic beat in CK2 😩

[cathar]

CK2 is a medieval grand strategy game with historical concerns. CK3 is SIMS in a medieval fantasy.

[HistoryTeacherSteve]

Also, I agree that CK2 music was so, so much better.

[Viet_Nam_Ball]

I miss the sound of sending peoples to their eternal sleep.

[yazui.i.]

What I like in CK2 is, that Tribal Governments or Nomads have that bonus of their Vassals joining a defensive/offensive war. Makes them early on stronger and actually formidable against a big kingdom. Same with the Levys recovering, which is slower in CK2 and feels actually like they get a training or your population needs to recover before you start the next war. In CK3 it recovers a lot faster, well that is what I remember.

[borginburkes]

CK2 is more challenging and unpredictable than CK3. In CK2 no two games ever played the same for me, CK3 feels kinda stale and passive

[Schicksal]

Still haven’t bought ck3 yet and still enjoying ck2. So much to discover for me in this game.

[Yusa_Beach]

There was a mod i think that probably allowed you to be a baron or a theocracy, It was called "Rise to Power", you could start from landless and move up to the hierarchy ladder

[Blackbeardo]

I fully agree with everything you say. While the older players age, the gaming industry adapts to the newer generations of gamers. Us older generations are much more used to prominent sounds, big flashy logos that are easy to see, and to us it all "makes sense". That's why in CK3, everything FEELS more minimalistic than in CK2. Despite having 3D characters and a fancy superficial layer on top, it still doesn't quite reach the potential CK2 offered with less visually pleasing aesthetics, while also having events and a UI that's way more in depth. Short and simple, CK3 is oversimplified and has a minimalistic "strange" look to it, and it's gonna take Paradox a few more DLC's and polishing, until the game is even CLOSE to CK2.
However, CK3 is definitely getting there with the latest DLC's that have been added to the game. I'm also liking the developers latest plans. Making it possible to play as landless lords and travelers. There is also the upcoming Byzantium-focused major expansion, which might shake up things for the better in CK3.

[restoxx]

ck3: "I'm the upgrade"
ck2: "kid you're just a cheap fuckin knock off"

[gitte]

I miss the way laws and culture worked, I remember always rushing for legalism to get late medieval administration to get primogeniture and it felt so satisfying, as opposed to just waiting.

[stevewalsh]

CK2 is the definitive Crusader Kings title.

[diewott]

I think CK3's biggest problem is the lack of difficulty. In CK2, early game as a low noble used to be much more of a waiting game than in CK3, which I think is something much more interesting. But I guess my slower pace is not really something most PDX players enjoy. I still enjoy CK3, I think it has the best modding scene of all PDX games right now, but the base game is indeed lacking a bigger degree of challenge.

[antoniobautista]

I love CK3, but even I still think that CK2 feels like it's had a lot more love put into it, and it's a lot more immersive. I'm an F2P for CK2, but it was still really fun even with the large amount of restrictions. Even with the large amount of restrictions, it did feel like a huge and fun world.

I think that if CK3 or even CK4 mixes both CK2's events, duels, and dynasty scores, but also the more interactive laws, cultures, prestige, and piety of the present-day it will literally be perfect. CK3 is fun, but it lacks the immersion and life brought by the interactions and events that CK2 had. The most interaction you get in CK3 is enabled via mods like VIET, or locked behind DLCs like the Royal Court and Tours & Tournaments. Meanwhile CK2 had so much events, although repetitive, it just felt more...alive.

Rambling aside, I agree will all of your points Andy, and they seem aligned with mine. The music, the atmosphere, and I think most importantly the art and interactions just make CK2 better. The mechanics of ruling and administration in CK3 is better (albeit I may not know the full extent since I'm F2P for CK2), CK2's focus on truly putting you into the life of a medieval ruler makes CK3 feel like a technically sound, yet fairly bland experience on vanilla compared to its more wonky, yet fun and full of life older brother. I feel lucky to have been able to play the free version of CK2 before buying CK3. It makes you appreciate the improved fundamental mechanics, while at the same time making you miss greatly what was left behind.

[Zackary]

CK2 is sooo good. Playing eu4 a lots rn but always thinking about CK2

[jonmichael]

Nearly 3, 000 hours in C.K. 2 for me and I’ve got 3 and prefer 2 as of today. Sept. 2024.

[QUAKERSATTACKS]

The only drawback of CK2 is neutral armies combining with enemy armies