Published: 27 Aug 2024
Last updated: 1 Sep 2024
Europa Universalis IV
- Developed and Published by: Paradox Interactive
- Released on: 2013
- Genre: Grand Strategy
- Rating: 3/5
- Originally written: ~17th September 2023
It has enough breadth and just enough depth to keep you ticking away, in my case for 1.5k hours, and yet nothing is ever deep or fleshed out enough to not feel shallow. You can do anything… as long as said anything fits within the constraints of the system.
There’s not many games that allow you to simulate this period of history, and play any country, ranging from European monarchies, to a nomadic horde, to Indian sultanates, to African and New World tribes, all within the same game, using a combination of shared and unique mechanics, and run those countries for 400-odd years. But in giving this range, it can never do every country and area justice, and everything eventually feels half-baked. However, I understand why, as any deeper would turn the scope of the game into something completely unworkable.
Sure, there’s empire building, but there’s not much to do other than clicking buttons, putting down buildings. In fact, now that I think about it, a vast majority of the gameplay is clicking a range of buttons of varying forms. Invariably, this means it becomes a highly-detailed, complex map painter, with a Renaissance-themed lick of paint.
Also the fact this game is still being actively developed is astonishing to me, I can’t fathom how ugly the codebase must be - I would have thought EU5 would have been announced years ago. I know the DLC money must be good, but jeez.
