This second expansion release for this popular 4X strategy PC title adds a number of new features, including an espionage system, new races and civilizations, invasions, a civilization creator, new user interface, and a citizens mechanic.

The first expansion pack, called Mercenaries, included the galactic bazaar, new ships and parts, two new factions called the Torians and Arceans, and a new campaign. It was a believed to be a fairly strong release for the series, packing in even more content inside one of the best 4X games available today. But unfortunately, it was hit by mixed reviews. The issue with the expansion was that it was rather light on features and content for its $20 price.

Is Crusade any better? I say yes. It seems as though the developer, Stardock, paid attention to criticism and feedback it received on the last expansion and has worked in new mechanics and features for the game. This is great news for consumers and fans of the company, the latter of whom felt bitterly disappointed by Mercenaries. It's difficult for a developer to bring new DLC to the table when solid mods are available, but Crusade is worth checking out. Best VPN providers 2020: Learn about ExpressVPN, NordVPN & more Here's a look at what's new. See at Steam Halt citizen!

Prior to installing Crusade, the game's empire management feels a little too mechanical. By that, I mean you never really had the opportunity to interact with the population. This has been tackled by allowing players to select from a collection of unique roles, including admiral, celebrity, pioneer, and engineer, to help the empire flourish on the galactic stage. It's possible to have citizens remain located on a core world, or you can take the risk and have them transported to newly acquired worlds. This plays into the new espionage system, which enables citizens to be trained in the dark arts to steal technology from other civilizations, create civil unrest on enemy worlds, and even assassinate other citizens. I really like the new citizen mechanic and view it as a solid replacement to sliders to further develop and buff your empire.