

You might also want to try to achieve trade hegemony by using your merchants and navy to make your empire rich off the backs of others. Like in past EU games you have control over your military with which you can use to fight your enemies on land and sea or, if force does not work, you might use your diplomatic clout to organise grand coalitions or attempt to vassalise weaker neighbours through peaceful means. Taking the role of a nation within this era of history it is your goal to remain independent and work your way towards becoming a global superpower. But if you get over that hurdle, there's really nothing else that compares. This game isn't for everybody, and it can take a lot of time to get past the initial learning curve. This, plus the unique political situation in any given region, a robust and dynamic AI taking control of every non-human nation, countless events, a whole slew of unique mechanics, as well as regular content updates, means the game can feel very different with each new playthrough even after hundreds (or often, thousands) of hours. While some regions (especially those with dedicated DLCs) have more to them than others, nearly every nation in the game boasts at least its own unique national ideas, a set of bonuses modeled after its history that affect how they play. Every country on the map is playable, and the possibilities range from giants like the Kingdom of France and the Ming Dynasty of China, all the way down to tiny German city-states nestled away in the heart of the Holy Roman Empire, embattled Japanese daimyo, or even native tribes in Alaska.

Running from 1444 to 1820, the game spans the globe in intricate detail, allowing you to take the reins as one of over 400 possible historical nations and set them up for greatness through diplomacy, colonization, and (most of all) conquest, over the course of this dynamic period of history. First released in 2013, Europa Universalis IV is newest iteration of Paradox Interactive's acclaimed grand strategy series.
