Rating: 
Summary: A veritable jewel in the strategy-gaming crown!
Review: Europa Universalis is an incredible and deeply satisfing game, it combines some of the aspects of award-winning games such as Imperialism and Civalization II while adding a rich historical and cultural backdrop. While there are alot of aspects to master and the game does seem daunting at first, I found myself realy enjoying the experiance as I progressed. One word of strategy, though, in order to fully enjoy this game, you need to play it with a Machiavellian(sp?) bent. The only negative comment I would add is that the manual isn't nessisarily very well organized since there is no index which complicates matters if you're looking for a particular bit of info on a given facet of gameplay.
Rating: 
Summary: As much fun as a box of rocks.
Review: First of all getting the game to run is no walk in the park. Freeze and Lock-up, partially resolved with a download. Okay give the manufacturer the benefit of the doubt right? On with the game, the worse tutorial I have seen in a while and unless you download a patch you cannot save the Tutorial. The Manual has no index so if you encounter a problem you have to finger through the whole thing in hope to find what you need. Overlooking all this, lets move on, I am an experienced gamer I can do this. I have now completed two scenarios and to say that I am unimpressed is an understatement. Where is the strategy? You send a large army into your enemies territory and wait for the computer to duke it out, you the player have no control of the troops send into battle. Capture enough of the enemies territories the enemy will sue for peace and you can impose terms. Yippee. Exploration is a bore, any territory you enter, the natives attack. Yippee. Funny how "Sid Meir's Civilization" makes game programming look easy. I have not played such a dismal game since "Braveheart."
Rating: 
Summary: Balanced and entertaining for the most part
Review: First of all, I must stress that you get the EU 1.09 patch and install it before playing this game. It will save you a lot of trouble with crashes and other bugs that infest the game. That being said, Europa Universalis is a game that demands one's total attention: that is, no internet connection, no winamp player, a near total absence of programs running. Otherwise, the game will turn your computer into a rattling hunk of plastic, and gameplay will be incredibly stilted as the processor, RAM, etc, try to process the huge amounts of data that passes every month in this game. You'll want at least 128 MB of RAM and at least a 800 MhZ processor if you want gameplay to progress silently and smoothly. Technical problems aside, EU is in a class of its own among its genre: namely, it is firmly balanced. No horde tactivs here; you'll need to use every resource at your disposal (trade, diplomacy, colonization, religion, as well as military) to keep your nation humming alone. Plain out-and-out consistent wars eventually result in huge coalitions of states aligned against you cutting you down to size, and your country will lose stability to the point where threats from within are as deadly as those without. On the other hand, peace is rewarded by increased revenues, better foreign relations, etc.. The folks in Sweden (Paradox) who created this game have made hyper-extensive research on historical figures and events, and it shows in the names of kings, emperors, military commanders, and explorers, all of who were real people. Basically, EU is a board game akin to Risk whose scope is far greater and complexity so great it had to be played on a PC. This is not for everyone, however, as only dedicated gamers will be able to comprehend it initially. Play Civilization II and Starcraft before getting EU, or you may find yourself completely overwhelmed.
Rating:
Summary: Everything a hardcore Strategy Game Needs.
Review: First off being a huge Civ fan like many people who enjoy this game one can't help but try and draw comparisons, but I believe it would be wrong to do so.Civ is more of a micromanagement empire game. Although you might disagree with that, you will agree compared to this game. Technology and military is a part of this game, but they are NOT THE GAME. The technology tree is linear because its mainly there to show improvement to military over the span of three hundred years, but don't expect to be flying around in Stealth Bombers by 1650. I like the technology because its not overly important, but important enough that you shouldn't ignore it. (It could cost you that crucial battle against Turkey for Judea) Plus the fact that only three military units exist should not be held against the game. There are still subtleties such as whether to build a siege army or an army to go head to head with the enemy forces. The main thing to know is although war is a big part of this game it is not the central part of the game, as might be the case in Civilization. I find it absolutely amazing that a simple little war in a far flung hodpodge can trigger the great alliances and embroil the world in warfare. (Trust me it happens all the time). The only thing that keeps this game from getting five stars are some of the bugs. I find it real irritating when I click on a button and find myself starring at my desktop rather then playing the game. Too many crashes in that regard. The tutorial and manual suck, but I never use those anyways. The best way to learn this game is to wade in and go down in flames a couple of times. Plus this game has one of the best online communities around. Anything you want to know can be found on the games website including mod's and scenarios. A great game for anyone that wants something to occupy themselves until Civ III comes out.
Rating:
Summary: The Benchmark for True Real Time Strategy Games
Review: I am a senior gamer who has been playing computer games since they were only available on mainframes at universities. Europa Universalis is the first true real time strategy game I have seen short of major simulations on large scale systems. It is not a hack and slash you way across the world game and for those who are looking for that, they will not find it in EU. It is rather a game that makes you think in the way leaders had to think during the time period 1492 to 1792. Too much agression earns you the animosity of all your neighbors. Fight too many wars in Europe and you will find everyone attcking you at once. A very realistic and controlling factor. This game is far more dependent on an excellent diplomatic and trading model and the need to develop economically and expand ones colonial base. Another nice thing about this game is that each country plays very differently depending on its location and cultural setting. England and Austria once use very different strategies to achieve success. Widely available add ons any country on the map can be played and province resources can be randomized once you have learned learned where everything is. With these, this game offers infinite variety and long term playability. As a note of reality, the graphics are not state of the art, but they are fully functional and, linked with a fantastic and flexible interface, make a complex game very playable. Nearly everything in the game is explained with a pop up when you hover the pointer over something for a while and most things yeild more information or options with a right click. The manual is more indepth than most these days and explains most of the mechanics quite well. It does suffer from a lack of an index or a table of contents. One is available however on the company sponsered on-line forum. Finally, honesty requires acknowleging that the sound is terrible. The music is uninspired and repetitive even for a classical music fan and the sound effects range from irritating to truely awful but are essential to keeping track of everything that is going on. This is not sufficient however to detract from what is a truely great game. Most so called strategy games available are just "gather your resources and throw your armises at the enemy" look alikes that have absolutely nothing to do with strategy. This is a true global strategy game where managing your trading relations, developing sound diplomatic relations, exploring and settling new lands and very judicious use of your military force are all necessary for success. If you are a history buff or if you want a game that really forces you to think about what you are doing this is the game for you. As a side benefit it has one of the best, most inteligent on line communities I have ever encountered. Who are constantly developing new history based or alternative history senarios. The only problem with this game is once you get started, you may never eat or sleep again.
Rating: 
Summary: Close, but no cigar
Review: I bought this game based on the 5 star rating. I have enjoyed this game, but it does not deserve anywhere close to a 5 star rating. If it was a car, you would take it back. While the styling is a solid 4.5. The game has a good historical feel... Dependability is a 2. This game has bugs. 1 example: an annoying and constant screaching sound starts half way through the game and never stops. And there are more. Ergonomics is a 2. The user interface is poorly conceived. Example: When a battle or other event takes place, a dialog box opens to tell you about it. Problem is, sometimes events trigger other events at a fast pace and you get hundreds of dialog boxes opening all over the place. Exceptionally annoying to constantly keep closing dialog boxes. (I will admit, there is a workaround for this in the game, but it also has its problems) Suggestion for Strategy first: Don't put dialog boxes in a realtime game. Duhh. If you are a wargame/history freak (as I am), you will enjoy playing it. The styling is a Porsche. But don't expect a 5 star game. The motor is a Hugo.
Rating:
Summary: Very Indepth Strategy
Review: I find this game to be one of the more complex games in the history of strategy games. Before I bought the game I heard some people complaining about how hard is to learn to play this game, so I went to the players forum, read the faqs, and also some of the very interesting After Action Reports (AAR). Then I bought the game, and I have to say the game's learning curve is not bad at all. I do think that the main reason some people dislike this game is that you can't play with the same "strategies" of other games like AE, i.e. build a ton of barracks and rush to take over the map, or civilization, where you go bananas building a unrealistic number of small cities, change to democracy, and you have won the game. No, EU is really a strategy game. For example, you have to think before going to war. Is my army strong enough to take over the enemy army? DO the technology levels and morale favor me? Will my allies honor the alliances? How will the rest of the world react to my Declaration of War? And most important, how will my own country going to react to this war? And war is just a small piece to the puzzle, because you also have to worry about your country's economy, infrastructure, religious tolerance, diplomacy and colonial expansion. The other mayor feature of this game, and what puts it appart from many other games is the amount of nations that you are competing against. Apprx. 80 empires, kingdoms and small states are fitting for global dominance, regional influence, or simply trying to stay alive, and to do this they forge very complex alliances and pacts.
Rating:
Summary: Better than Average, Still Not Great.
Review: I followed this game through the beta versions and the magazine write-ups and newsgroup comments for over a year before it came out. And, honestly, if you are really into historical simulations and strategies, this is an outstanding game. However, if, like me, you are more an historical hobbyist, the historical accuracy and constancy of the game is going to get somewhat tedious after a while. Part of the fun--for me--of a game like Civilization, for instance, is NOT playing the Earth over and over and over and over again. The fun is in randomizing the geography and the cultures and the resources; each of these either dictate or influence strategies, and in a strategy game, create endless playability. Unfortunately, Europa Universalis doesn't really have that, so for me at least, it didn't create the feeling of "I can't wait to see what my next game brings." I know what it's going to bring. The Pope will declare the Reformation in...etc. So, between that and the bugs, I can't give it the highest rating. All the above said, however, there are few games on the market today that rate near it. So, buy it, learn it, play it for 3 months, and then put on the shelf.
Rating:
Summary: OK, but not great!
Review: I have to vote with the folks who recommend not buying. Terrible manual, clunky-awkward interface, awful tutorial, exceedingly steep learning curve - to name a few problems. It could have been a great game, but it's not. Personally, I think they should take lessons from Sid Meier on how to make a game playable AND enjoyable. Save your money and wait for Civ III, due out in October, 2001.
Rating:
Summary: Am I the only one???
Review: I know that this game is supposed to be GREAT, I know...I read the reviews of it. So, either I must be the stupidest person in the world, or I must be missing something in the game. FIRST--The bugs that infest this game are HUGE. I have been kicked back to my desktop, so many times it aint funny. I have problems running a game with sound. SECOND--The game is limited. Three land units and three naval units??? Yup. Sure there are upgrades, but you can only make the SAME number of units. Hmm... THIRD and THE MOST IMPORTANT--In my opinion this game just is not FUN. It may be realistic, but afterall it is a GAME. It needs to have some aspects of fun. The battles are lacklustre, the play action is repetive. If you are a student of history, you MIGHT like this game. If you are not, chances are you wont like it....
|
