Rating: 
Summary: A truly wonderful strategic game
Review: Victoria, or Vicky as it's called on Forums, is a complete piece of art in strategy games.
Using the engine of popular and award winning games as Europa Universalis or Hearts of Iron, Paradox Entertainment gave birth to a new installment of the saga. This time the scenario is set in 1836 and brings back to life the Victorian era. You can play almost 100 years (as a matter of fact 84 years exactly) and your goal is simply to be the most prestigious nation. But, what exactly is prestige? Prestige is a mixture of several things such as economic power (industrialize your nation and enjoy the benefits of the new economy), colonial presence (let your flag rise over far and distant lands), technological progress or education, for instance. Veteran players will find the UI (user interface) familiar and newbies not so perhaps. But it takes no more than a couple of hours to grab the basics and start playing fairly; although several days or weeks to master the game (assuming you dedicate 3 hours a day approx). But you have available and at your disposition a wonderful forum on line where to ask any kind of question or share your thoughts with developers. What's interesting, or at least in my opinion, is the cultural progress you can give to your population. You can educate your steel miners, for instance, to make them become craftsmen at factories or officers for your armies. This, accompanied by social and political reforms in your state, can maximize wealth and achieve high standards of living. Fail and suffer popular rebellions throughout your empire. Overall is a very addictive game and worth to give a try if you feel attracted to historical games.
Rating: 
Summary: I TOLD YOU SO!
Review: You see, I told you so in my early post this game would be less than $15 within 6 months. I've been playing games for 35 years and I know a FLOP when I see one, and knowing PARADOX's ways, I knew the game would be a flop out of the box. It's just not that great of a game like the man fanboi's that rushed here and posted how great of a game it is. That's why is "SAVES" to listen to outsiders who will give critical and "honest" opinions of the game based on "mechanics", "manual", "tutorial" and general bugginess like I do when these new games come out. I have the ability to play the games and return them when they are flops, many people do not. Thus I can give fair and honest reviews of these games and not be BIASed like the man fanboi's that have posted below me. Those who listened to me, you can now see the savings I told you about. I still predict and even lower price in another few months, but, for the less than $10 now, for those that like this particular time period and since they've finally FIXED the game and it works as it should have out of the box, it's a worthy purchase. Personally I have no interest in this time period except for games like Railroad Tycoon or Industry Giant II, those two games are much more FUN to play if you like more of a beer and pretzels type of finacial game, sure Victoria has some military efforts, but, they are so abstract and not really necessary for this type of game platform. Buy it with the pleasure of knowing you're getting a finished product and something of interest to you of this time period. And you can thank me for saving you some money. ;)
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