izigame.me

I've been buying and playing PDX games for twenty years, longer than many current players have been alive. I have played and own every game and expansion they've put out, save one or two music packs, ect. Finally I've been downvoted into oblivion for defending Imperium: Rome on reddit. So it pains be to give a negative review for this DLC, it's the first time since EU3 that I've been so disappointed in playing a PDX game, and the first time I'm frustrated enough to leave a bad review.
What I like:
I like the unique cultures and "religions" they added to the Iberia region. They were trying to add some flavor and complexity to the area and I think the addition of these added something to that. I understand though that these are not accurate religions, but the devs were hamstrung by the game mechanics and using them as religions was the simplest way to accomplish their goals. I appreciate the attempt and it doesn't affect my enjoyment.
I like that you can get different bonuses/punishment customized by how you end the struggle.
The additional clothing options, I'm big on that stuff. Could have done more here.
What I hate:
I hate that the struggle is separated into phases which limit your actions. Unfortunately this is the "meat & potatoes" of the whole DLC. The requirements for ending the struggle are way too strict mostly because you have to be in specific "struggle phases" before you're allowed to end the struggle. It all just seems like an arbitrary way to slow down the player and is just another anti-blobbing method. Missing a phase meant it could take another century to end the struggle. I conquered all of Iberia and Aquitaine, with the worlds largest treasury and army but still couldn't end the struggle due to being in the incorrect phase. I fu^king hate that sh*t, to the point where I wasn't enjoying the game and used a console command to continue.
The DLC only adds one, just ONE, special unique artifact, the Bells of Santiago. The artifact system is one of the best innovations that CK3 brings to the table over its predecessor, but it still feels neglected this far into CK3's life cycle. You mean to tell me that throughout the history of Iberi in the middle ages and they could only think up ONE SINGLE THING that could be added as a special artifact?! To make matters worse, and what prompted me to write this review, is that that one artifact is bugged. It apparently has a hidden requirement in order to gain the benefits of owning it, you have to be in the struggle. This means that if you, like me, have successfully ended the struggle, you (and in fact no one) can meet the requirements of gaining the bonuses. Because this was the only artifact added by the DLC, it's kinda like THE TROPHY for WINNING the struggle, but it's less useful than the generic fake Excalibur hanging in my throne room because I "no longer meet the requirements" (which are listed in the game files but not in the item description).
This was a golden opportunity to add some unique throne rooms to the game. My Andalusian throne room looks not that different than the throne room used by the Abbasids. There was either no effort or very low effort here for this DLC.
The whole struggle mechanic was not the kind of complexity I want to see going forward. I don't want to have a whole different rulebook for each region of the world, this whole struggle with phases mechanic was just too much and was kinda unnecessary. I know people will disagree and some think that any added complexity is good, but memorizing a whole new rulebook was too much. Why can't I convert this county? Oh because I'm in the wrong damn phase is why. I hope this isn't going to be the way the game takes shape going forward.
In conclusion:
This DLC fails to me because too much effort was directed at the frustrating, hampering, confusing, needless, poorly designed "struggle" mechanic, and the ONLY artifact added is still bugged months later, making it pretty useless. I'd like to see DLCs going forward which avoid needlessly complicated regional mechanics and focus on flavor such as: lots of artifacts and special artifacts, clothing and crowns, throne rooms, unique governments (for Byzantines), ect. The unique mechanics for the Norse and Byzantines in CK2 was the correct way to add flavor and customization to regions/cultures, Fate of Iberia is very much the INCORRECT way.