Crusader Kings III Video Focuses on Vassals, Impressive Character Portraits, and More

Today Paradox Interactive released a brand new and extensive video featuring several aspects of its upcoming grand strategy game Crusader Kings III.

The video takes a look at vassal contracts and character portraits (and fig leaves), which are super-detailed and implemented in a way that makes them very dynamic.

The portraits are most definitely a massive improvement over Crusader Kings II.

You can watch it below. 

Crusader Kings III releases on September 1, 2020, exclusively for PC.

If you’re not familiar with the game, you can enjoy my own hands-on preview as I tell the tale of how I fought, murdered, deceived, and seduced my way into becoming the King of Lombardy starting from the position of a modest count.  You can also read my interview with with Product Manager Max Weltz. 

If you’d like to learn more, here’s how Paradox itself describes the game:

• Character Focused Gameplay: Every character you play or interact with has their own unique personality. Events and options in the game are largely determined by the type of person you are.
•  Infinite Possibilities: Play as any noble house from Iceland to India, Finland to Central Africa over five centuries. Interact with wandering guests, stubborn children, devious spymasters and saintly holy men in an elaborate tapestry of medieval life.
• Waging War: Rally your vassals and raise your men-at-arms to besiege enemy castles or put down rebellions. Personal prowess on the battlefield can win you great honor, but strategic planning is the path to victory.
• Royal Marriages: Spread your dynastic DNA throughout the world, stamping your royal seal on the crests of kingdoms and duchies far and wide. Marry for power and raise children to press claims on new lands.
• Saints and Sinners: Keep faith with your religious leaders or perform great crimes in the interest of the state. When the going gets tough, you can always embrace a heresy or craft a new religion more in line with your character’s priorities.
• Schemes and Skullduggery: Learn the secrets of your courtiers and vassals so you can blackmail them for their support. Seduce your way into a superior’s good books, or plot the untimely demise of an unfortunate relative.
• Events Inspired By History: Experience great holy wars, peasant revolts, cadet branches of dynasties, heretics, superstition, castles, knights and wars over inheritance.
• 3D Character Portraits: Characters age and change appearance as their traits take a toll on their body. The higher the rank, the fancier the clothing.
• And much more: Holy Orders, mercenaries, pagan and Viking raiders, easily customized rule sets and a beautiful new map to play on.