tl;dr
FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BALD

Plus:
* True successor to the first game. If you liked that one you will love this one.
* Well balanced cultures and theology.
* Lots of quirky references to the first game.
* Highly addictive like the first game.
* Don't think of this as an imitation or competitor to CK or TW, it just isn't.

Minus:
* Manual battles are even more atrocious than in the first game, just don't even try it.
* Gets very laggy and slow to respond after playing for a long while and you have to restart the game.
* "Having a governor for every settlement is recommended." How, with only 9 spots in the court?
* Wish there were at least 20 building slots too.
* Pagan shamans re-use monotheistic voice lines referencing their God.
* Multiplayer achievements, big minus.

Overall, if you have never played KoH you might just want to stick to whatever it is you are playing.
CK has much more intricate (and in my opinion annoying) details, politics and royal family stuff.
TW's manual battles are beyond superior, they can't even be properly compared.
But if you remember playing KoH back in the day then this is an absolute must-have.
Or, if you just want an alternative, rather than a replacement, for any other grand strategy game.

tl;dr FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BALD Plus: * True successor to the first game. If you liked that one you will love this one. * Well balanced cultures and theology. * Lots of quirky references to the first game. * Highly addictive like the first game. * Don't think of this as an imitation or competitor to CK or TW, it just isn't. Minus: * Manual battles are even more atrocious than in the first game, just don't even try it. * Gets very laggy and slow to respond after playing for a long while and you have to restart the game. * "Having a governor for every settlement is recommended." How, with only 9 spots in the court? * Wish there were at least 20 building slots too. * Pagan shamans re-use monotheistic voice lines referencing their God. * Multiplayer achievements, big minus. Overall, if you have never played KoH you might just want to stick to whatever it is you are playing. CK has much more intricate (and in my opinion annoying) details, politics and royal family stuff. TW's manual battles are beyond superior, they can't even be properly compared. But if you remember playing KoH back in the day then this is an absolute must-have. Or, if you just want an alternative, rather than a replacement, for any other grand strategy game.