The fan reception and huge outpouring of support for Stronghold Crusader DE has been super uplifting for us. Not bad at all considering the original came out at the same time as The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Yu-Gi-Oh outside of Japan and Ben Affleck being voted Sexist Man Alive.

In celebration of this accomplishment, we’re taking a look at how our skilled art team has uplifted the game from its source files to create something that is not only polished but captures the essence of what made the original game so great.

With many pieces of the 2002 source material either built on archaic technology or completely absent, the art team had their work cut out for them. Not only did they have to recreate and render artwork to an elevated modern definition but to also match the essence of the original.

This goal, already difficult, even became contentious where key characters were concerned. However, whenever new assets or changes were made, the ever-present principle was to respect the original design and bring the definitive edition closer to the intended vision.

PSST: In case you missed it, we’ve also created a dev commentary video where Lead QA and Stronghold expert Josh shares exclusive tips and tricks for mastering Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition. Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to the series, Josh’s insights will help you dominate the battlefield!