I've always been a fan of the stronghold series and when I lost my original Stronghold disks moving I was glad to see that I could get the whole collection cheap. Now I'll just wait for the 3rd to go down in price and be set! Great series countless hours of enjoyment.

This collection contains the Stronghold games from the original to Legends. I personally did not care for most of them, but Stronghold Crusader and Stronghold Crusader Extreme, both of which are included in the collection, are enough to make this a great purchase!

Stronghold Crusader has a really long skirmish trail thing that is a real challenge to beat, and indeed I haven't beaten it. Plays similar to the other Stronghold games but much more polish, even if very dated.

Stronghold Crusader Extreme is like Crusader, but EXTREME! It is just off the wall crazy in the form of massive spawning troop points, god-like powers and an extended trail.

This serie is really awesome but I has always been kinda in to the Stronghold series, really fun and addicting.

Stronghold 1 and stronghold crusader are the best since they are the first and that is where you begun playing them.

Stronghold legends I think they went a bit to far with adding this "Super natural" factor in with dragons, Giant bats, Demons and such.

First off, before I downloaded this game about 2months ago, I had never played a Stronghold Game. However, when I downloaded it I decided to play the games from 1st to last. The odd part is is that I HATE games with poor graphics BUT the first 2 games were VERY fun. Even though they had poor graphics I preferred them over the newer releases of this game simply because I love the medieval aspect of the originals. I wasn't a fan of stupid music and dragons in the last 2 releases (I'm a huge fantasy fan but these dragons just didn't cut it for me).

All in all, I would say if you loved the medieval feel and play style of the Age of Empires games then you'll love the first 2 installments of this game! However if you're not a fan of RTS (Real Time Strategy) games or if you don't enjoy building ancient cities, defending them from invaders, or otherwise creating a wonderfully prosperous community, than this game just isn't for you ^^

I gave this game a 4/5 stars because I LOVED the games. Just really hated the crappy portrayal of a fantasy world filled with bad music and worse dragons in the later installments.

*If you're wondering what games were/weren't good:

The original "Stronghold" + "Stronghold Crusader" + "Stronghold Crusader Extreme" were all very good and felt very authentic.

The "Stronghold Legends" and later installments were bad and just felt overall, cheap and lost that good old medieval feeling I so much enjoyed in the earlier versions.

Well how can i review a series who has followed my gamer experience from when i was eight?

The first stronghold was Very good for the times, but it has'nt got the necesary to cope with more modern games.The 2 second is better, but gameplay is a bit more difficult, and missions plot is weaker. about legends I'm a bit critical, but it's a fair game. Crusades is a lot better if you want a war game, not an economical one.

Stronghold Collection Not Going Very Strong and Fails to Hold Attention

I remember playing the first Stronghold and having a lot of fun with it, despite some of its shortcomings, like the AI’s penchant for troop rushing and building flawless estates (communities plus castle), thus ensuring the computer was never assailed by the sort of social and logistical problems that players run into. These shortcomings meant that, despite the fun I initially had with the game, I grew tired of it quickly and moved on to greater and greener RTS pastures.

Not much has changed, really.

The Stronghold Collection includes the first (2001) Stronghold release, Stronghold Crusader (taking you to the Medieval Middle-East), Stronghold Crusader: Extreme (an add-on and upgrade to the previous version), Stronghold Legends (adding mythic campaigns, such as that of the Arthurian legends), and Stronghold 2. Of these, the first stronghold is so dated at this point as to only have nostalgic value. I also found it odd that Firefly Studios (the games’ producer) didn’t unify the two Crusader games considering that’s what was done when Extreme was released, but it was likely a matter of marketing (“Hey, look! We’re giving you five games rather than four!”) Still, one can’t really complain that this choice is wasteful considering all five games fit onto a single DVD, a fact that is itself very telling regarding how out of touch they are with recent releases that utilize graphics and game engines necessitating more space.

Despite all the issues I’ve had with the various iterations of the Stronghold franchise through the years—graphics that fall well short of the then-current industry standard, choppy animations that make your units seem to shimmer as they move, overbearing AIs, an incredibly high screen brightness that can’t be adjusted in-game (to the point of losing graphic details and definition), too much micro-management (such as having to build facilities for removing an estate’s feces)—I can’t say I didn’t give the collection a try without knowing what to expect. Still, in today’s competitive video game market I was disappointed to see Firefly Studios didn’t do anything beyond repackaging the old games together.

There is no effort made to boost the graphics or engine to meet today’s capabilities and standards, for instance, nor to even elevate the earlier releases to the standards of the latest (Stronghold 2), as other companies have done when re-releasing their earliest classics (Valve’s upgraded release of Half-life using the Half-Life 2 engine comes to mind.) There are no additional patches or the like to tweak the commonly known game play, feature, and AI problems that have been around for years, and there were no special additions available solely with the collection, such as so much as a soundtrack CD (which is a shame, as I always considered Stronghold’s soundtrack to be one of its stronger attributes.) I was especially annoyed to see the older games weren’t upgraded to at least get rid of the desktop resolution change that happens when exiting the game to accommodate today’s available screen resolutions (I was playing on a 22” widescreen LCD at 1680×1050 resolution), thus leaving your desktop displaying the game’s resolution rather than reverting to your own settings. Nope, the Stronghold Collection is just all five games pressed onto a single DVD (without any hard copies of so much as one of the manuals, I might add—all the manuals are on the disk in PDF format, making learning the game more inconvenient to newcomers) and nothing else.

So, what else is there to say here? While I give Firefly Studios two thumbs up for putting everything together at a great price for newcomers looking to try their hand at the Stronghold franchise, I have to turn one of those thumbs back down because of how they chose to do so. I admit to squeezing several hours of enjoyment from the Stronghold Collection, but the games’ failure to impress me with anything new or special made me turn away from it again fairly quick, and so I find myself giving this Firefly Studios’ release a mere 5 out of 10.

Stronghold is a strategy castle simulator that more often than not charges you with protecting your lord and your people by building a formidable castle and manning it's walls. Each of the games in this collection are classic strategy fun, but each has their own strengths and weaknesses in the gameplay. Stronghold 1 and Crusader/Extreme suffer a bit from the fixed camera angles and because you can't see troops through walls this can leave you surprised more than you'd like. Stronghold 2 added way too much in the ways of the simulator aspect which sapped some of the fun out of the game trying to find places (and just plain figure out) for all the new stuff. Finally, Stronghold Legends fixes all of the issues added in Two, but adds Warcraft II-like factions and heroes.

I'd recommend playing Stronghold 1, Crusader, and Two for the story mode. Then Two for sieges, and finally Legends for other modes of play (you can set up your matches for humans only, so the only new aspect you'd need to deal with are the heroes). Otherwise, enjoy yourself, these are great games and well worth your attention and some money.

A worthwhile collection for a series of classic RTS titles that fall in league with Age of Empires, Empire Earth, and Warcraft.

The graphics are good for an Windows XP roster. It's all about the gameplay, though. The first couple of games are good. Legends, Crusader and Crusader Extreme are okay, delving more into special scenarios.

The collection as a whole gets a 4/5 from me.

its best castle builder game ever. I keep playin in every time when I want to relax. I remember when my big brother and I were playing Stronghold 1, years ago. Now I am married and still playing. Best castle builder game ever!

For those looking for a primer for the upcoming Stronghold 3 this is a great purchase. The graphics are dated but the mechanics and the game(s) itself are still great fun if you are into city-building and perhaps one of the earliest forms of castle defense. It's basically Legos come to life as you imagined it as a kid :D

The only downside is the rather notorious Legends which was the last game. It takes it into the fantasy realm and changes the game to the degree where it's just not fun, for me and most other people when it came out :P

Bottom line is, if you like medieval settings, don't mind dated graphics and always wanted SimCity/Tropico with real combat, look no further.

This collection takes you to the medieval times, wherein you will take a role of a king that will manage both the inside and outside of your castle. This is the best castle simulation series that I have ever played ever since I was a kid.

Stronghold Collection is one of the best castle builder games in the gaming industry. Each game allows you to take a role as a lord who must build their estate by collecting resources such as wood and stone. In Stronghold 2 they add a little more realism helping the player get a taste of medieval life by adding gong pits, apothecary, guard post and a torturer’s guild. Building the most magnificent castle a player can imagine can be fun but in my opinion defending your precious castle or taking one is the most fun. I would recommend this game for anyone who is a fan of medieval castles, or anyway historical RTS games.

This is a collection of Stronghold 1, Stronghold Crusader and Stronghold 2. They can be played via campaigns but they are really sandbox style games.You construct your own medieval style village, castle included. All the games emphasise managing an economy. For instance if you want to train soldiers you will need to obtain swords and shields first. You need to get a iron mine, a blacksmith and resources to produce swords and shields etc. You will also have to manage your villages population since they are the basis for your soldiers aswell.

The siege warfare is very detailed especially in Stronghold 2 which I enjoyed alot. Campaigns are somewhat lacking and I never got a special connection to my "avatar". You never feel like you really are building "your castle".

Still if you used to construct sand castles as a kid and has a thing for medieval warfare, maybe you should try it out.

Just a lot of fun games in this pack. I remember playing the first one's when they came out a long time ago. They still have a lot of entertainment value in them. Great pack of great games. This is one of those that you keep on your PC for years to jump into when you feel the urge.

An extremely fun game. There is a bunch of content in this pack for any fan of the series. Hours of gameplay make each of the games fun to play and long lasting. A good buy for anyone who likes the series.

The Stronghold Collection contains four games that I remember playing when I was younger. I consider the first Stronghold and Stronghold: Crusader to be the better of these four castle sim games. The two more recent games seemed less polished, both in terms of graphics and user interface. In any case, despite the age of these games, the campaigns are fairly enjoyable. If this collection was on sale, I would easily recommend it to anyone who enjoys medieval RTS games.

Stronghold Collection contains all the current games in the series: Stronghold, The game revolves around you, being one of many lords building his very own keep and striving to conquer the other lords, while building up a stable economy, keeping your serfs happy and defending your own nation.

The Economic system in the game is well worth giving this game more than a quick glance, the combat is just the icing on the cake. Well worth spending your time on until Stronghold 3 comes out later this year.

Stronghold is a simulator of medieval castles and a good medieval strategy game. In every release of this package, there is a campaign involving aspects both military and economic, which causes the player to build medieval castles, manage them and face their enemies. The package offered brings all the games in the series released so far, perfectly adapted to the operating system Win XP, Vista and Win 7. It is a great way to remember the series while waiting for the release of Stronghold 3.

Firefly studios makes some pretty solid RTS games. I have always been a fan of the crusader franchise, and this bundle will not dissappoint. It will give you a bit of everything if you like to manage your castle, stronghold 2 is the game for you. Prefer to just attack with as many units as your computer can handle at once? Play stronghold crusader. Prefer dragons, wizards, and the like? Play Stronghold Legends.

Great collection of castle building games (although Crusader is more about the combat). Good combination of city management and combat, but it does get HARD (Crusader Extreme comes to mind...).

One very good game and a mediocre game in a package. I only bought the Stronghold collection now (in 2011) and started out with Stronghold 1. Still a relatively pretty game although be warned max screen resolution is 1024x768. It is fun and entertaining how you gradually get new buildings, units and capabilties while advancing through the campaigns, all combined in a well thought out and not repetivive collection of mission objectives.

Stronghold 2 on the other hand feels due to its 3d graphics outdated. If you are able to zoom in and out and are used to Total War like optics be warned. It essentially plays itself nearly as Stronghold 1 with a different interface though and of course as mentioned already 3d graphics.

Overall Stronghold 1 > Stronghold 2 for me.

The first game alone is worth the price. The first had great balance of economy and military, where as the third one added a bit too much.

This is a strong title and playing against the AI is interesting enough once the campaign is beaten, though if you can get a friend along too you can have some serious fun.

Stronghold is best RTS game in terms of fun/time spent. Its creative and its enjoyable, especially for a game simulating caste/feudal economy additionally with creative castle building... Especially now when there is a 75% off deal... Its a MUST!

I remember playing the original Stronghold for hours on end. This game and, later on, Stronghold Crusader kept me interested for many years... and for a reason.

The games have the best of the strategy genre and they really make you feel like you are accomplishing something in the rich medieval world, whether that be taking care of your people or waging wars with the opposite fractions.

The choices and the possibilities are endless and always fun, especially when you have to build a lot of things or organize your archers on the numerous towers.

Keep in mind that these two games, along with Stronghold Extreme, are in 2D, therefore, not a lot of cool graphics and animations. Stronghold 2 and Legends do not share this technical disadvantage and the 3D engine can still make you skip a beat, although I didn't find the gameplay too appealing.

Nevertheless, you can have a lot of fun with this collection, especially if you like real-time strategies with fantasy elements (Legends) or the good old medieval slaughtering (The rest of the games).

One of the best castle builders you can find anywhere. It would have been nicer for a little more diversity in buidlings and castle features but overall a very impressive game. Spend a lot of my time reacreating castles all over the world just so i can destroy them all over again. Two thumbs up!

Been a big fan of the Stronghold games since they were first released, this just packages them all together so that they can be enjoyed in total bliss. Great games.

An engaging RTS series. Really, as long as you're a fan of RTS games you'll likely find at least one game in this collection that strikes your fancy.

For the most part, the games are pretty similar, aside from the graphical evolution throughout the series. However, some of them put more emphasis on the combat or the city/castle building apsects so keep that in mind.

A nice collection of games that actually work on Win7 ;)

The Real-Time Strategy genre on PC is quite crowded, but the Stronghold series has a somewhat unique 'defense' angle to the gameplay. Essentially, you build forts to protect your people and assets, but you must also use your people to gather materials, hunt and defend.

There is also some siege-based gameplay, requiring you to attack others, which provides some variety. None of these features may sound very unique for an RTS game, but for me, the Stronghold series gives its own engaging spin. I found a really nice sort of mixture between town-building, RTS and defense games in this series. And you can also play an Economy-based campaign, where you have to focus a lot more strongly on your assets.

The graphics in the 2D games are a nice, pre-rendered affair, highly functional. I often don't like pre-rendered 3D from that era, but they work quite well for Stronghold. The 3D games are somewhat dated but nothing that really detracts from the game. And at times, the genre works better in the third dimension.

These are just fun, medieval RTSs and if that interests you, I'd highly recommend checking it out.

Stronghold is definetly one of the best RTS games I've played in my life. The price of this package is worth it for Stronghold Crusader ALONE! Then you get all the other great games for one low price, it's basically a steal!

An excellent value, combining a few gems along with some semi-precious stones.

The main conceit of the series is that you build a castle piece by piece, along with the village economy needed to support it, and then either defend it against attack, or raise and equip a force to raid an enemy castle. There are four games in the bundle, all DRM-free.

Stronghold: the original Stronghold is probably the best in the series for those who wish to play the game as an economic simulator. There's a whole economic campaign, which is deep, challenging and satisfying.

Crusader/Crusader Extreme: The best combat-oriented game of the series. Still played by thousands of gamers years after its release, because there isn't anything like it. While other games, such as Medieval: Total War, may have better graphics and more detailed army behaviour, no one does medieval siege warfare better than Crusader.

Stronghold 2: An entirely satisfying 3d game. Widely panned when it first came out, it has aged well. It's not that it's a GREAT game, but it's not bad at all, and is worth playing through in its entirely.

Stronghold Legends: Stronghold 2 with added mythology. A good entry-point to the series, as the campaigns are more engaging (story-wise) than in the other games, and I found it to hold your hand for a little longer than the others. Also: dragons! Disliked by many devout Stronghold players for its lighter, ahistorical tone, it's nonetheless a lot of fun in its own right.