Europa Universalis III
All conquering, says Andrew
For many gamers, titles like Europa Universalis and others similar are the gaming equivalent of Marmite. Those who love it will find the fact that somebody else does not an inconceivable concept. Similarly, the genre's haters will wonder how anyone would want to waste their time in front of a screen dominated by a detailed map and a frightening amount of text-based information. The thing is, though, if anybody is willing to persevere with EUIII, they might just find an experience more compelling than they ever thought possible.
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The game's world is set between the dates of 1453 and 1792, so at the beginning you are asked to choose a starting point between these two points. For those non-history boffins amongst us, numerous interesting years of interest are suggested as exciting entry points to commence your rule. You can choose to lead pretty much any nation that existed at the time, giving you the option to rule as up and coming military underdog or, (for an easier ride), a nation already at the top of its game.
As explained in this site's preview of EUIII, the sheer amount of options and decision-making direction available to the player can be quite overwhelming. There are, however, a selection of well paced tutorials at hand in order to draw you into some of the game's elements at a gentle pace. Want to start a war? Great stuff. Fancy forcing a new religion on your people? Go for it! You want to explore the New World, you say? See you in a decade for a report back, my 15th century buddy. If this review were to explain every significant way to influence your nation (many detailed as 'national ideas'), the length of this review would probably break the internet, so instead let's concentrate on a couple of the most central and prominent aspects of it as well as just one of the optional choices: war, the economy and then exploration.
For the majority of the time, priming your eager finger over a big, red button in the anticipation for war every couple of years isn't the best preparation for winning any foreseeable battle. No sir, careful planning and a tactical mind are the essential ingredients needed for any nation to bake a perfect, country-smashing cake. Scuffles can take place on land or at sea, so it's best to size up the opposition and their location before setting off. Also wise would be organising your military before setting off, with the balance of artillery, cavalry and infantry elements set to deal with the enemy's defences accordingly.
Money management isn't just a case of making sure the books balance at the end of every year or so, but can also mean the difference between a happy, healthy society or a possible revolt. The whole system is controlled via a simple set of sliding notches sat upon a bar. You won't be able to play around with them willy-nilly, mind you, so when you are let loose with the finances it's all about having the mindset to decide what is best both for your nation as a whole and the interests of its inhabitants. Just one of the national ideas that pop up along the way is the option for exploration to the New World, particularly if you take control of one of the big European players.
Establishing a new society across the Atlantic Ocean, could, if luck were on your side, generate a lot of wealth and power for your original settlement. However, the knock-on effects it could have, especially if your people are against it, could leave you regretting any such sea-faring decision quicker than you can shout 'shiver me timbers.' You see, no decision in EUIII can be taken lightly, since the dynamic game world reads your decisions and relays them to the game's AI dwellers who then act accordingly. Whether it's starting a war without a treaty, trying to force a new religion onto your peoples or, as mentioned, swanning off on a journey of exploration without giving a second thought to the nation's economy, then you might be leaving yourself wide open in a situation where revolt is a real possibility. And lets face it, the word 'revolt' doesn't look good on any King or Queen's CV, does it?
Since EUIII is a game that deals mostly with facts and figures, Paradox Interactive hasn't gone overboard in terms of aesthetics. The colourful 3D map is the first time the series has taken the leap from two dimensions, but that doesn't mean you're going to dump your copy of Gears of War, then gather the family and neighbours over to gawp at its beauty. It does the job, yes, but for once it can be truly said that in this gaming sphere, the graphics really don't matter. High on the list of achievements for EUIII has to be its interface, which, while admittedly might be daunting to the series' newest adventurers, soon works seamlessly for anybody. After a few short hours you'll be off and running, using the differently shaded maps to account for various factions across the globe, spotting duelling nations and organising your business with ease.
Anyone who has followed the progress of EUIII will already know that it is by far the most compressive title in the series by far, in every aspect, from historical detail to gameplay nuances. The new dynamic game world, for one, will make sure you never tire of beginning a new adventure; because although AI nations will follow their historically dictated routes if left alone, you now have the power to influence their previously unshakeable mappings throughout the centuries. If that isn't enough, Paradox have included a multiplayer portion that supports up to 32 players across one globe. Multiple players can also share the responsibility in controlling one nation, adding in a factor of co-operation and shared decision making that just isn't possible when playing EUIII on your tod.
While EUIII is based in a world before ours, this review has omitted any such reference since the subject matter (that may put off potential players), while of particular interest to some, shouldn't be the reason to decide to play EUIII or give it as wide a berth as possible. The fact of the matter is that what Paradox Interactive has created is an experience that anyone with a little time and patience can learn to love and enjoy.
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