Upon release, Stronghold: Crusader was met with largely positive responses. Alongside an enjoyable campaign feature, players could take part in single-player skirmishes that would allow for bespoke battles against the AI, offering greater opportunity to mess around and experiment with the gluttony of different units you could play with.Īn updated version of Crusader was released in 2008, though many still to this day prefer to play the classic castle sim original.