From the minute you hear its highfalutin Latin name, you assume that Europa Universalis III is an extremely complex and well fleshed-out game, and whilst you can’t always judge a game by its title, this assumption is spot-on in this case. Being able to choose from a great number of periods that fall between 1453 and 1798, you'll be able to control any of the nation states that were in existence during the period you select. The periods include times of major historical importance, such as the Thirty Years' War and the American War of Independence. This massive time frame delivers a plethora of states that have since been absorbed or have disappeared completely after breaking up. The level of detail on display in the game and the sheer number of eras available within the game are incredible. Not only are the many nations represented, but there's plenty of personalities too.
Coloured maps, fun for the whole family.
You are able to play as many of the leaders of the world from kings to queens, and there are said to be over a thousand historical leaders and over 4,000 historical Monarchs at your disposal. Along with the well known, and not so well known, leaders of the world, the game gives you the chance to cavort with other notables from history, such as Sir Isaac Newton, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart or René Descartes. It appears that a great deal of research has gone into the game's world.
Diplomacy plays an incredibly important role in Europa Universalis. From trade agreements to marrying off your family to neighbouring leaders, you'll have to traverse the razor's edge that is international relations. It's not always about making friends, however. In the turbulent times of our past, nations declared war on each other more often than they do now, and there's always the threat that you will offend those around you, leading to an invasion. You are not merely a passive contributer to the onset of these wars, however; you can also choose to raise an army and go to war at any stage. On this, your advisors will inform you of both the benefits and shortfalls of your proposed actions, and it is up to your discretion as the leader of your nation as to whether you continue.
Government style now plays a greater part in the series. Styles of government can be selected and along with this newer forms can be researched, advancing your country socially as well. National ideas can be researched affecting the way your government - and by extension, your society - is run.
A tremendous amount of research and development appears to be going into the game.
Quite a few units are available to be trained and purchased, from infantry and mounted men to artillery. Europa Universalis III introduces a new concept called military tradition which, at its most basic, involves you gaining more power in warfare the more you undertake it. Along with this new concept there are now spies to further add to the complexity of the game. These can be used to create unrest in a neighbouring province, or to undertake more involved tasks, such as assassinations.
The soon-to-be released iteration of the game has had a visual makeover to add to its appeal. The maps look great, with the options of a great deal of information or otherwise. Topographic information, allied states and town info is all customisable on the maps, allowing for the player to examine closely the state of affairs and to plan their next move effectively. Towns can be zoomed in on to be looked at what has been built, and all of this is laid out fairly well. The interface on the other hand looks as if it will take some getting used to for newcomers to the series. It appears that some of the complexity of the game will affect the interface design, making for a plethora of options. It will be interesting to see if this affects Europa Universalis III in a negative way, or if the game can work out a way to introduce you slowly into what each menu option is for.
Zooming in on the map lets you look at your tiny, tiny little towns.
Alongside the single player mode there will be multiplayer modes. One of these, and the most interesting, is co-op mode. In this, players will have the ability to control a single nation together which should make for a complex political situation on its own.
For fans of serious and involving strategy games, Europa Universalis III looks to be a winner. Not a game that is a quick pick-up-and-play, it may not appeal to more casual or action-focused gamers, however it is clear that this has never been the target audience for the series from its inception. With more of the in-depth gameplay that we have plunged headlong into in the previous two games, along with a new gloss of paint, Europa Universalis III looks as if it may be worth a look.
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