When Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders was released on the original Xbox in 2004, it hooked me with its massive RTS battles and hack-and-slash combat. Sixteen years later, the PC version has finally arrived.

In "The Crusaders," you command a medieval fantasy hero and send him out into the wide open battlefield to pummel your enemies with magical and melee attacks. In addition to running around with supercharged heroes, you must direct your troops to engage other troops and save you with scraps.

While action-packed, "Crusaders" also has a tactical component. You can use the sun to blind your enemies, use smoke and forests to hide from them, or set fire to trees to watch them scatter if they try to do the same. Terrain, weather, and elevation all come into play.

For the PC version, developer Blueside has adapted the game to the latest resolutions and widescreen, but the game remains largely unchanged. It can be controlled with a mouse and keyboard, but you will probably want to use a controller.

It definitely doesn't look as good as it did in 2004, but the character models and animations are fine, and the giant scorpions smashing through the castle walls never cease to look incredibly cool.

If you missed the first edition or want to play it again, "Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders" is now available on Steam for £15.99/$19.99. The long-awaited "Kingdom Under Fire 2" was also released last year and retains the action and strategy, but also includes MMO elements.