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The Greatest Game ever put to the screen

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 38 / 40
Date: December 02, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I suppose my title says it all. The first Europa was a magnificent game, and anyone who has a brain would agree. EU2 only expands on the original, and only in good ways. The levels of war, diplomacy, trade, colonization, and religious tolerance are amazing to work out. The game moves fluidly through 400 years of history, while you lead a nation, any of about 100, through the trials and tribulations of war and peace.
Do not be mistaken, however, this is not a game of world conquest. Unless you have the cheats (not that YOU would need them, right?), I find it is impossible to conquer the world. Naked agression will be met by alliances of other nations that will knock your country back into the Middle Ages.
The time period is excellent. It starts with the Hundred Year's War raging in France, the Ottoman Turks rising rapidly, the Byzantine Empire crumbling before them, the Spainish wars between Christians and Muslims, wild Indian Wars, and massive conflicts in Asia. In scenarios you will be met with the violent religious wars in France and Germany, the American and French Revolutions, and the Age of Napolean.
There are a couple problems, however. There can be some problems during peace treaties, like allies of yours taking provinces from the enemy that YOU actually conquered, the AI still does really stupid things, like declaring war on you without preparing in the least (then again, that's not really YOUR problem, it's their's); but the game is excellent despite these minor problems. If you ever wanted to play a truly strategic level game, this is IT.

Europa Universalis 2: The culmination of brilliance in games

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 29 / 29
Date: January 01, 2002
Author: Amazon User

As a big fan of the original "EU" (which broke my Civ2 addiction), I was not sure they could improve an already superb game using the same engine and a somewhat modified map.... I was mistaken..big time!

EU2 massively surpasses EU and any other 'civ/strategy' game to date. It is possibly one of the most complex and vast games, in which you may be facing over a 100 AI competitors, as well as up to 7 other human competetors.... in a struggle for economic, exploratory, military and political dominance! Perhaps..dominace is not the right word.... "survival" is more appropriate. No one playing will find this to be a 'world-conquering' game... you are the "grey eminance" guiding the leaders of a nation over 400 years... it is hard to survive and the odds are aainst most nations.

Perhaps the most valuble feature about this game is that the event-engine is still being added too, and will be added to for some time to come... interested in the history of any nation btwn 1419 to 1820? This is the game... soon a full timeline of events will be done for every nation you can imagine, as they are already for the major nations of the world. Bengal, Assam, Ashanti, Dai Viet, Holstein, the Dutchy of Athens....

Also... the online community at ..... is the best on the net! it is clean, resource laden, and full of friendly enthusiasts who can help you learn to navigate this complex game.

You control domestic policy, worry about national stability & the budget, decide what centers of trade your nation wants to compete..what kind of armies or navies you will raise, offer royal marriages and guarentee the independence of your friends... it will take a long time to explore the uniqueness of every nation in EU2 throughout the different scnarios.... simply said, "More fun than one can handle!"

A Grand Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 13
Date: December 31, 2001
Author: Amazon User

EU2 is not a game for everyone. But it is a game that does everything it tries to do well. If you like simple games, EU2 wil overwhelm you. If you like detail that rewards careful attention and examination. If you like complex gameplay, and you would like a game that models historical events without making you a slave to history. This is it. EU2 is my favorite game out. Easily.

The first person who reviewed referred to the forum. It is exceedingly helpful, and I have not experienced any "nastiness" on it. You can find answers to strategy questions, even full "historical fictions" based on the games played. It is sad that that reveiewer let some personal matter color his review of the game. The only bad thing about this game is what it will do to your social life.

Civilization and then some...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 20 / 20
Date: June 12, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Let me begin by saying that I have enjoyed a great many strategy games, ranging from the original Civilization, Master of Orion, Warcraft, etc., and this game is by far the best I have ever played. This is the kind of game that can find you losing touch with your friends and relatives - it is incredibly addictive.

A few high notes:

1) The gameplay offers extraordinary depth, with many different approaches that can all be successful. You can conquer Europe as France, diplomatically dominate as Austria, conquer the Americas as Spain, or colonize your way to the top as England.

2) Replayability is amazing. If you get tired of playing the large countries in Europe, try to dominate the globe as Zimbabwe or the Inca Empire. All countries on earth during the time period covered by the game are available, and it is possible to do well playing any of them (much harder with countries like the Inca, but still possible).

3) This game really requires you to THINK! There are consequences for each of your actions in the game that may not surface for another 100 years, and you have to bear these things in mind constantly.

4) There is a marvelous balance between being boring and having too much detail.

A few gripes:

1) Even after all the recent patches, the game still crashes too frequently. Technical support is very responsive, but there's not a whole lot they seem to be able to do about it, so save often.

2) The copy protection on the disk sometimes prevents it from running at all on some computers (no error message here either).

That said, I believe this is the best computer game I have ever played. Even better than Civilization.

Holds great promise to ruin your social life

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 19 / 23
Date: November 08, 2001
Author: Amazon User

EU1 is a classic. EU2 is EU1 with many more features. Do not buy this game if you like eye candy (though the graphics are decent, they are not eye-popping) but if you like a hard and rewarding slog through war, peace, diplomacy, economic development, colonisation, conversion to the True Faith (whatever that might be) while 180-odd other countries around the world try to beat you, go for it.

The game starts in 1419 and end in 1820 (though you can play other scenarios) and you become the eminence grise of one of the c180 countries. You then guide various monarchs (some already brilliant, others hopeless) through history, beset not only by the conflicting aims of other countries, but by events good and bad.

This is a subtler and more difficult game than most strategy offerings. Conquest of the world is possible, but difficult, and you may find that holding onto a global empire is pretty hard.

And a bonus is a very helpful game developer and a very supportive online forum.

Addictive and educational

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 17 / 19
Date: October 09, 2002
Author: Amazon User

If you like strategy and history, this game is completely enjoyable. It presents constant challenges, sometimes irritating (just like real life) and you can overcome them as you learn about the game, but also about history and geography.

I thought I was knowledgeable about history and geography, but have learned much from this game. The maps, provinces, cities and ethnicities are detailed and accurate. The authors have made a worthy effort to include summaries of historical events, political crises, etc. albeit in broken English. Best of all, playing EU2 makes you want to read and learn more about some of the people and events in the scenarios.

Also, the musical soundtrack adds to the sense of time travel that is so hypnotic in this game. I hope future editions will add even more musical choices and depth.

A few suggestions for improvement (hope the manufacturers also read these reviews):

1. The smaller nations don't get exceptional leaders (explorers, conquistadores, military).
2. The technology disadvantage of the non-European nations is perhaps historically accurate, but limits the "what-if" opportunities the game could offer.
3. A future EU3 could extend the time line more (ancient world, modern era).

As anticipated as Civ III and NWN

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 22
Date: October 10, 2001
Author: Amazon User

After playing the first one to death, I can honestly say I can hardly wait for the sequel to be out. ...

If you played the first one you probably found yourself thinking of ideas that could make this game better, and from that you probably downloaded the IGC. Well the designers listened to the gamers and added many of the features included in the IGC as well as an overhaul of the AI and other feature found within the engine.

Overall the graphics will remain the same, but with new features, strategies, nations, and lands to explore it will seem like an entirely new game.

Greatest Strategy Game Known To Man

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 16
Date: October 27, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This is undoubtably the greatest strategy game known to man. Its greatness is derived from four essential components to any strategy game. First off, it has an outstanding AI, that doesn't sacrifice manpower and resources for no apparent reason. The Game also has great options available to the player, and allows for control over many aspects of your chosen county (of which there are many to choose from). You can control technology finances, military strength, and the focus of your government. The game also has outstanding game play. Being based in real-time, allows for attacks and counter attacks in a timely and efficient manner. A component lacking in Civilization. Finally, the game follows history brilliantly. Being a European History buff, I found not only the game play aspect of the game enjoyable, but the deep history added to the game. From the 95 Thesis and the Edict of Nantes, to the regicide of King Charles I of England, this game has every important historical event throughout history. Not only do the historical events occur, but you can decide the outcome, or change your policies so they never happened. The Revolution in England never happened in one of my games, but occurred in another. The Protestant movement came to a sudden halt in one game, and yet in another flourished. It is a great game where the history is accurate, yet shapable. This is the single greatest aspect of this game that separates it from the rest. No game can even hold a light to Europa Universalis.

Outstanding

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 15
Date: December 31, 2001
Author: Amazon User

If you are into strategy gaming, this game is a must have. The diplomacy and war models are all excellent, and the customer support from Paradox is great.

The forum mentioned above is very helpful and one of the more professional I have seen. The average age and average education are much higher than most gaming forums, so this certainly helps. It is an excellent resource, the poster above likely ran into one or two bad members or bad discussions. The difficulty is also adjustable even on the very hard setting, if you begin finding major states such as England too easy you can always trying playing other states such as Ireland or Tuscany. The recent patch has also fixed what may of led to an Ethiopa ruling the world, although this still would not of been common even in the pre-patch game.

If you dont have EU1, and enjoy strategy games, especially historically based strategy games, get this game. If you have EU1 and are wondering whether EU2 is worth it, there are enough new bells and whistles to make this a new game.

My only concerns have been alleviated by the recent patches by Paradox (the original game release was released a couple of weeks too early).

Extremely fun when it works right --- get the patches

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 13
Date: April 12, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Paradox is now up to Patch 1.07 on Europa Universalis II, which can be interpreted two ways --- it means that Paradox is quite attentive to the needs of its customers, and responds to them. However, it also means that there are so many bugs in the game (and Paradox is justly infamous for extremely buggy games) that it has thus far required 7 patches.

Trying to play the game without any patches? I wish you the best of luck. Save early & save often, and be prepared for frequent crashes. There was a point, after one crash too many, where I simply put the game away and refused to play it for many months. Also, without the patches, you will find that you cannot use your diplomatic strategies to their full extent.

Assuming that you have updated the game with the 1.05, 1.06 or 1.07 patch, you will find an extremely fun and addictive strategy game. At first glance, one may be tempted to take a purely military approach and carve out a massive empire for yourself. However, you may then find yourself teetering on bankruptcy and facing continual revolts throughout your domain. You may also find the rest of the world suddenly ganging up on you. The option of hacking your way across the world generally will not bring success.

Of course, this means that the game forces you to look at the picture --- managing a budget, allocating your resources, managing your domestic & religious policies, and wielding diplomacy as a weapon just as effective as your armies --- and that all adds up to a pretty steep learning curve. It will take more than a few tries before your national engine is firing on all cylinders. Paradox has a great forum, with a very active posting community. Just about any question you may have has been addressed on one forum or another.

In theory, you can play a couple of hundred nations --- ranging from the major powers of Europe, the pipsqueak principalities of Europe (sometimes simply surviving is a victory in and of itself), or a 3rd world nation such as Mali, Dai Viet or Chimu. The reality is that this game is heavily Eurocentric. You can play a New World nation such as Cherokee & Creek, but you will lack the resources and wherewithal to make any significant improvements in technology. Centuries will whiz by as you stare at the same dozen provinces, with barely any improvements in technology. Then you will get the pleasure of watching the English, Spanish or French swoop in and gut you like a fish.

If you aren't going to play Europe, stronger non-European nations such as Delhi and China will give you a fighting chance. Playing Persia, the Mameluks or the Ottomans will also give you the chance (possibly) of sweeping across Europe, leaving havoc in your wake. Few things provide more pleasure.

The game is extremely open-ended. You can play the exact same nation a dozen different times. Random events and the sometimes unpredictable nature of the AI opponents guarantee that your game will unfold a dozen different ways.

Obviously, this is not a game for the shoot-em-up crowd. The graphics are a minor part of the games (although the music is quite delightful --- the patches will add some new music), and the game's pace will prove frustrating to those yearning for a lot of action. However, as a strategy game, this has to be up towards the top. Just make sure the game is fairly up to do date, so that you can maximize the strategic possibilities.

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