Europa Universalis IV Review

Paradox Interactive is an eminent name among strategy game fans, specifically when it comes to historical real-time strategy. Over the past few years, those of us who have been keeping up with them knew that they were coming close to delivering something remarkable.

And with their latest, Europa Universalis IV, they delivered. It's the one perfect game the fans have been craving for years—a strategy game unlike any other with a perfect gameplay mechanism, grand nation management, and an especially flawless multiplayer mode.

Europa Universalis IV takes place between 1444 and 1821, during which players experience historic wars, dynastic diplomacy, and dynamic trading, and eventually explore their way towards victory. The ultimate goal of the player is to power their nation throughout this era and become the most established Empire.

Europa Universalis has everything a grand strategy game can endure. It provides significant freedom to control a nation flanking precise depth on the history of Europe, and some Muslim nations such as the Ottoman, Mamluk, and Persian.

Europa Universalis IV's biggest improvement is its interface design. Even though it's the fourth installment of the series, the game hardly has any similarities with previous entries. Those who are familiar with a separate series from Paradox, Crusader Kings 2, will find many similarities, especially with the interface and mechanics of the game.

Unlike CK2, the interface here feels advanced, easily accessible, more informative, and clearer. Even for someone unfamiliar with the U, it won't take long to get used to it.

Grand strategy fans crave loads of tools to operate hefty and complex scenarios, and EU4 is an inclusive package of them. Every single action has a clear explanation, and they never feel confusing. Happenings within the game are displayed in different colors, and they can be interpreted easily at a glance.

The world map view is a delight to stare at. Unlike any previous game, the changes of seasons, details of each nation, military units, and dynamic trade routes make the map exceptionally impressive. Never has a historical grand strategy game looked this lively.

Europa Universalis IV doesn't really offer any fixed victory provision. Instead, players can set goals according to their will. Based on the immense strategic choices available, anyone can maximize the quest to its finest. Colonizing, carrying out military conquests, and politics are all part of the missions. But the most remarkable addition is the newly introduced trade system.

There are trade routes a nation can gain control and earn a hefty piece of gold. This feature isn't just a new addition, but rather connects with the core of the game. These routes can be divided and merged, steering them towards a nation's greatest benefit. It's not possible to take control of an entire trade route, but the more under your control the better.

A defensive run headed by a powerful fleet is vital here because, without protection, no merchant ship can trade in your territory. I found this feature easy to start with, but it became really complicated in the long run. Though trading doesn't directly affect other elements such as diplomacy and warfare, it's a whole different ballgame to be in.

It's not just the trading system; political scheming has a new definition, too. The game gives players enough freedom to build their nations. However, outlining a government to constitute the society and manage trade politics along with warfare is never supposed to be easy.

Players' diplomatic skills are heavily tested when the gameplay goes deeper. If yours isn't a powerful militaristic nation, other nations will form a coalition to bring you down. On the other hand, your aggression in conquering neighbors wrecks your reputation as a peaceful nation. Additionally, there are always threats to deal with, accompanied by the rebels.

Thus, as much as players need to maintain balance between warfare and peace, dealing with internal issues such as keeping the military in shape and managing a powerful fleet to steer the trade routes is equally important. It's obvious that you can't keep every single nation worshiping you, but as long as you stay outside their fences, abhorrence towards you won't matter much.

Multiplayer experience is yet another delight of this game. Players can play skirmish against each other or join forces for cooperative play. Up to 32 players can join a single map. Without stepping into the multiplayer stage, it's hard to realize how massive Europa Universalis IV can get. In the multiplayer mode, players can drop in and out anytime during the session with the help of the hotjoin feature without difficulty.

Experiencing the history is an element of Europa Universalis IV worth mentioning. There are literally thousands of historical events to familiarize oneself with, presented uniquely for every single nation. Forget the gameplay; if you want to discover European history, this game has enough in its bag to keep you busy for days.

It's truly amazing to witness how all these histories with precise details are being presented. Along with the regional histories, there are thousands of historical leaders, and more than four thousand Monarchs accompanying you while you're in the game.

Well, I never thought I'd be able to say this for any strategy game, but Europa Universalis IV is flawless. The only downside I felt the game had was its complexity for newcomers. Strategy fans unfamiliar with the mechanisms this game offers can find it easy to play but extremely difficult to master.

So, unless newcomers spend an adequate amount of time with the game, their longing to master it may fade sooner. Compared with the Civilization series, it's both easy to learn and master, but mastering requires intense patience.

Despite its rough edges, gamers will still enjoy the game to the fullest. Europa Universalis IV is a strategy game unlike any other. It's the start of a new era for the grand strategy genre, and things can only get better from here. If you are a strategy game fan and want to devour pressure, look no further and order this game.