Crusader Kings 3: All Under Heaven – Now, that’s a big sandbox

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Calling Crusader Kings 3 a grand strategy game with RPG elements is accurate, just like describing Dwarf Fortress as a colony builder. However, that description doesn’t fully capture what makes these games truly unique. They’re enormous playgrounds where players create their own unpredictable stories, ranging from intimate personal journeys to epic conflicts between entire empires.

Continuing with the idea of building something from scratch, these stories generally need room, tools, and resources. Typically, these worlds grow gradually with small additions, like a new tool or a bit of gravel. However, the Crusader Kings 3: All Under Heaven expansion instantly gives players much more building space and a whole set of new tools – it’s a complete upgrade all at once.

Seriously, this DLC is HUGE. Before, the map kind of stopped at the edge of China, but “All Under Heaven” completely changes things. It pushes the map way out, all the way to the Pacific Ocean! Now we’re talking all of China, Mongolia, Siberia, Korea, Japan, and every island group in Southeast Asia. It’s a massive expansion, and it’s awesome!

Unlike some previous games, the map isn’t divided into separate sections – you can travel anywhere from Lisbon to Kyoto without any loading screens. This naturally puts a strain on performance. Even with a powerful computer – an i9-14900KF processor, RTX 4080 graphics card, 32GB of RAM, and the game installed on a fast SSD – I found the game ran smoothly on normal and fast speeds, but occasionally froze at the highest speed. I did encounter some bugs, including a few save files that were corrupted by glitches (which have since been fixed). There were also typos and incorrect information in some tooltips, and I suspect some new features didn’t quite work right with existing character perks. It’s the typical level of issues you see with new Crusader Kings 3 expansions, but it wasn’t as bad as some players predicted. However, keep in mind that my computer is quite powerful, so others might have a different experience.

Paradox tried to make the new areas visually distinct from the rest of the game, using different colors, rice fields, and cherry blossoms. However, it feels like they didn’t fully commit to this vision. While the new setting is Japan and China, the buildings and landscapes aren’t as unique as they could be. The music, on the other hand, is a definite highlight.

If you were concerned about whether the gameplay of Crusader Kings 3 would work well in a historical East Asian setting, you can rest assured that it does – and excels! For those who enjoy political strategy and scheming, playing as China or Japan offers a richer and more engaging experience than playing in Europe.

Japanese politics revolve around powerful groups, or ‘blocs,’ of families with shared interests. A new feature called ‘Festivals’ is used to attract families to join your bloc or to weaken their ties with others. However, these blocs aren’t always stable; disagreements or differing ambitions among member families can cause them to fracture, making skillful diplomacy essential.

In Japan, local leaders have two main paths to power: they can work within the existing government system or try to overthrow it and restore feudal rule through force. Surprisingly, these power grabs don’t always involve violence. When my group gained enough influence to challenge the current regent – the real power in Japan, as the emperor is largely symbolic – he actually resigned peacefully.

Honestly, looking back, the ruling council really should have put a stop to my family way before they did. I mean, I basically declared the land I was given as my own personal territory and started taking over neighboring areas! But I always treated the council members well, and with dangers popping up from outside and other families causing trouble for the central government, they didn’t want to risk crossing me. Then, after the coup, our ruler – it’s so ironic, she was called ‘the Kind’ even though she literally let one of her own kids starve in a dungeon – was able to establish the Shogunate, finally achieving what her family had been working towards for generations. And hey, the emperor can still play dress-up if he wants, that’s no problem for me.

Chinese politics operates very differently from other systems. While Japan blends traditional and bureaucratic governance, China’s system is intensely bureaucratic. Unlike systems where wealth or status can be inherited, power in China is primarily held by the ruling family. For everyone else, advancement relies on education, passing competitive exams, and networking – essentially, working your way up through the ranks to potentially give your children an advantage. However, even that progress can be threatened by natural disasters like flooding.

Like the governing structure, most people in China don’t own land, except for traditional family properties. Higher-level titles – like those for counties, duchies, and kingdoms – are granted, not inherited, and come with land. You can even be appointed to positions at the Empire level, though these are purely honorary and don’t include any land. These Empire positions are like imperial ministries or advisors to the emperor, and powerful roles – such as Grand Chancellor – allow you to influence the empire, fund major projects, or even control the emperor.

In the Byzantine Empire, power and wealth determine political positions, but in China, success and ability – known as Merit – are what get you ahead. The more you achieve through effective leadership and participation in various activities, the higher your Merit Rank will become, opening doors to better jobs. Whether you choose a military or administrative path, this system gives players a clear objective in what could otherwise be a complex game. Unlike in Japan, there’s limited opportunity to succeed outside of this established system.

It’s incredibly refreshing to play something different. In Europe, my games always seem to turn into attempts to rebuild the Roman Empire, meaning lots of warfare. But climbing the ranks in China’s government has been surprisingly peaceful – I’ve spent hours focusing on scholarly discussions, witty debates, and the occasional bit of scheming. The most powerful figure in China turned out to be an elderly, unassuming scholar who truly lived by Confucian ideals… and was secretly plotting to overthrow the emperor, which is a classic storyline for a reason. He even appointed me as his most trusted advisor, giving me extra funds, and became one of my students!

Playing as China feels really unique because of this ‘Dynastic Cycle’ thing. It’s like, you’re constantly balancing keeping things stable with not pushing the empire too far. When things are good, it’s easy to manage everything, but every bad decision – like sidelining a capable local leader just to grab power, or even disrespecting the emperor – slowly builds up tension. Eventually, that tension breaks, and things fall apart. I’ve watched China crumble into smaller kingdoms, then get rebuilt under a new ruler, over and over. Sometimes though, when things are at their weakest, outside forces move in and grab land, making it even harder to recover. It’s a constant struggle to avoid that fate!

In my Shogunate game, I started taking over smaller countries along the Chinese coast. This triggered the Dynastic Cycle, and if China becomes weak again, I have a chance to take control of the empire. However, keeping those conquered territories is proving difficult, as a unified China would be a very powerful enemy.

The Dynastic Cycle is easily the most compelling feature Paradox has added to Crusader Kings 3. It provides clear goals based on your current plans, and even less powerful rulers can begin influencing events and rise to lead one of the major political factions.

Whether you’re a skilled swordsman rising to power in Japan, a cunning chancellor scheming against a Chinese dynasty, or a divine ruler in the jungles of Cambodia, ‘All Under Heaven’ would be a compelling game on its own, appealing to fans of titles like ‘Shogun’ and ‘Three Kingdoms’. But combined with the existing mechanics of Crusader Kings 3, it opens up incredible possibilities: What if a Japanese warrior traveled the Silk Road? Could you play as Marco Polo? Or launch a nomadic invasion starting with China? Could the Holy Roman Empire and the Chinese emperor team up to defeat Genghis Khan?

As the various elements begin to connect, you’ll truly feel immersed in a dynamic and lively world, full of exciting possibilities and allowing you to play any role you choose.

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2025-10-28 20:18