14 DAY TRIAL // Crusader Kings II is a Paradox Interactive made grand strategy title that deals with the power struggles of the early Middle Ages, with a focus on family dealings, betrayal, diplomacy and interactions between characters with their own agendas and personalities.
The world of A Song of Ice and Fire tells a complex story with a number of factions, rich characters, long-term feuds and a lot of diplomacy, betrayal, with a bit of the supernatural sprinkled on top.
Given the similarities between the book (which also spawned a television series and a number of other video games) and the game, it was pretty much inevitable that a Game of Thrones mod would be launched for Crusader Kings II.
This first version of the mod allows gamers to control almost any noble involved in the rebellion during which the allied forces of Stark and Baratheon defeated the mad Targaryen king.
The map is beautifully simulated and manages to capture the look of Westeros very well and, although I am not the biggest lore master of the series, the various landmarks, families and holdings are well located.
The team also put a lot of work into simulating the complex liege-vassal structure of the world of Game of Thrones and the traits used for the important characters reflect their personalities as they emerge from the R.R. Martin books.
It makes sense to pick a less known House to play as initially and try to gather as much power before the rebellion really kicks into gear.
The one weakness for the Game of Thrones mod is that the combat mechanics of Crusader Kings II tend to lead to powerstack battles that aren’t well suited to the Westeros world and tactics.
Worth a full Softpedia review? We have one for the core Crusader Kings II game, the mod is a work in progress.