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Took a while for me to like

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: March 14, 2003
Author: Amazon User

At first I approached the game with a fast and furious mindset. To become the richest and most powerful country (like the USA) asap. I was severely penalized for this. By speeding up the time clock to reach a particular goal, I missed all the little decisions that needed to be made to achieve this. Falling behind in land and naval technology is not fun. Not hard to understand why. So only after I slowed the game down to the lowest level did i see its full potential.
And like another reviewer stated, it is possible to win without fighting a major war(s). But you have to raise forces to defend key positions on the map from rebels and pesty pirate fleets. Who your friends are become evident after a while. You can ally yourself with them in their conquest or sit on the sidelines growing stronger. It can get messy if you don't take enough things into consideration.
At this time Im 5000+ points ahead of the next country. Continuous stream of ally praposals. Leading in the tech race across the board. The largest land mass. Military all over the place. Huge annual income. You get the picture.
I recommend for any history and LARGE scale military fan.

Not for evenryone - but I keep going back

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: October 03, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Play one of well over one hundred countries. Give orders any day, day to day, for four-hundred years, or rip through a year in under a minute. Worry about how many religions your Empire has, how many different cultures. Decide whether to go strait at the Inca and Aztecs, or try for the far east and build a trade empire.

The variety in Europa Universalis, once you've gotten used to the game (try Russia, France or the Ottoman Empire to get used to things, lots of fighting)(best to start in 1492 not 1419), then things get really interesting. I've played global conquest as Austria, pushed into historical territory as Russia, and built a trade Empire as Portugal. I still haven't exhausted more than a small fraction of the possibilities of this game. Why not play the Iroquois and unite the American tribes before the Europeans arrive? Why not defend the Aztecs (they certainly had the money)? Start in India and conquer Europe, that will show them.

The game is deeply historical. When Marlborough arises you simply cannot stay at peace. If the Treaty of Tordisalis is trouble, maybe you shouldn't be Catholic anymore. Religion is central to the game: become the defender of the faith, but which faith? Catholic, Protestant or Reformed? Muslim, sure, but Shia or Sunni? EU2 forces you to think and plan ahead as well. Take on too many enemies and war exhaustion will wreak havoc with your empire. Conquer too quickly and you will be hated throughout the entire world, which is fine, if you have the army to match your ambition, and the income to support it.

Most games start off interesting the player a great deal, but one's interest gradually wanes. EU2 is the opposite. It can be difficult to grasp at first (the tutorials help a good deal), and I still learn new tricks after all this time. However, once you get accustomed to the game, which takes some time, but is not that difficult, your interest will grow. This is especially true if you love History. Can you save Byzantium? What if Venice grew powerful rather than declined? Wouldn't Henry V have made a fine King of France?

Now, you'll have to excuse me, Savoy, Munster and the Palatinate are challenging England's position on the continent, my American colonies grow restless, and India awaits...

WARNING - In my opinion the 1.07 patch sacrifices fun at the altar of historical reality. The developers greatly increased troop support costs (playing as Poland I could not support the troops I started with!), and made other changes to prevent player conquests. Find and download version 1.05 (it's available but not from the developers). Try 1.07 if you like, but if you want a fun game, go back to 1.05. Oh, and try playing as Poland, it's lots of fun.

Great. Absoulte best game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 15
Date: November 22, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game is a truly great game. It expands upon the work of EU and brngs it to a great new level. The music is the best I have ever heard on a game. The AI is great and the historical accuracy is one of the best in a game. I would highly recommded this game for any one who loves history and wonders about all of the what ifs.

FANTASTIC

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: November 02, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This game was great. I have been playing it for almost a year and I'm still not board with it. I really like history and this has a lot tied in with it. The goal is to have the highest score by 1819 and many things go into that score. You get scored for winning battles,winning wars,having a strong economy,and for succesful diplomatic negotiating. The game is slow for people who like fast action games but is great for people who want an fun game and a small education to go with it. There are not a lot of graphics and the world screen is like a Risk board. You don't have control once you attack someone but you decide where to attack next.

Good Game but with unimpressive AI

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: April 21, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I stopped playing this game after a while because the AI should be called artificial stupidity. I was easily beating the next most powerful country (on my first grand campaign) by out colonizing and conquering the new world. On the discussion boards everyone says the AI is easy to beat. Since I don't have time for a multi player game, which in my opinion would be the ultimate strategy experience (and the only real way to play the game to its fullest), I'm left on the short end of things. Also one game takes forever to play, especially the grand campaign. I'm not sure how you could coordinate a multi player game when it takes so long.

Some of the rules of the game, such as not being able to take over the capital of a country unless the capital was the only province when you declared war on them, get in the way of game play. I should not have to make peace with an enemy and then declare war on them again 5 years later when the truce runs out in order to gain their capital (especially since I'm occupying it already). Also, certain countries can not be eliminated from the game as they are the focus of certain events in history.

Also bad is how you are funnelled into a specific time line which sometimes makes no sense in the current context of the game.

There are numerous subtlties of the game that aren't explained very well in the manual. Luckily the discussion boards fill in most of the details. To play this game well you should spend a lot of time reading the discussion boards.

If you liked playing Risk but want a more realistic style of game play this is it, but be aware that it takes forever to play it from start to finish.

Ear Candy!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 11
Date: November 19, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Maybe this game isn't much eye candy, but it's some of the best ear candy ever published in a game. The game covers the 15th thru 19th (early) centuries and the music is appropriate to the time periods. You get the ever present anonymous (mainly in the 15th century), then Susato, Morley, Couperin, Dowland, Schutz, et al. In the 18th century you hit the jackpot! Vivaldi, Handel, Bach and Mozart. Alas no Haydn! When you've heard the cut of Emma Kirkby's superb soprano voice singing Handel's Gloria, you just have to get the CD.

You can immerse yourself in the strategy - the manual and tutorials are much better this time. But then you can just sit back and *listen* to the game!

Nothing is Perfect...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: January 11, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is probably the game I have played the most of all games I have owned. While it doesn't rely on flashy graphics or fierce combat it lets you emerse yourself in the real world. Which for people who'd rather be a god, or not interest in history may be a turn off. The soundtrack, historical detail, and ability to watch the world change over time are very immersing and fulfilling. Though the game is not for everyone those who want a simple, easy to pick up game may be turned off, as well as those looking for a click fest.

One of the Best

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: June 03, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This has to be one of the best and most engrossing historical strategy games ever. While the graphics won't win any awards, the game play is excellent. A must buy for anyone who likes history or strategy.

tempus fugit

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: August 15, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Life passes you by when you escape with this masterpiece. Few games deserve the title "Epic" but Europa Universalis is heads above the rest.
The ability to play ANY nation, Republic, Kingdom (etc..) in the world (200+) alone is EPIC. The amount of mathematical variables involved in the economy (that thankfully is automated by the AI) is also on a GRAND SCALE.
Europa Universalis II builds oupon Europa I and adds more depth and decision making and plenty of random events that make the game flow like real life and gives the player a true sense of ruling, or at least attempting to rule, the WORLD.
I just hope Crusader Kings can live up to the standard that has been set by this terrific game.

Very cool game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: May 25, 2005
Author: Amazon User

If you like history and computer strategy games then EU2 is for you. In this game you take control of ANY nation that existed between 1420 and 1820 (that means the big ones, like England, France, Spain, etc. - and also strange ones like the Manchus, Cherokee, and the Byzantine Empire) and guide it to great power status through war, diplomacy, politics, economics, religion, and culture.

Now, the graphics aren't the flashiest, and the controls and menus might take a little while to figure out, but once you master the controls this game becomes very addictive. Easily one of the best historical strategy games I've ever played, and quite replayable, too.

Just make sure you get the latest patch, to fix any bugs that might be lurking in the game.

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