I was fortunate enough to buy this version of the game when it US store shelves about a year and a half ago. It is easily akin to those amazing movies that never hit mainstream, are released against other hits that purely out advertise it, whatever. This is easily one of the best games to have been released in the past few years. The reason it barely recieved press was the fact that it was released from a publisher with (sorry to say, in my opinion anyway) a terrible track record. But this was a hit from 4head, a software company based in Germany. To give you an idea: you begin the game creating your character like you would in an Role Playing Game. You choose what your parents did in their occupations, and then you choose the occupation you would like to take in life. After designing your appearance and a few other details, you are treated to a cinematic of your parents sending you off to the "big city" that you chose, with the amount of money they were able to provide. From then on you're on your own. It's up to you to carve your own destiny with your business, extend your bloodline, your political career. All in the span of your lifetime, then you can pass your amassed business and trade empire on to one of your children. All of this takes place in true medieval Europe in the year 1400 onward. For its time, the graphics were great. And this is only almost 2 years old, so it matches up to many present day competitors. What sets it apart and will set it apart for many years to come is the incredibly unique style of gameplay it gave its players. The graphics still hold enough to immerse you in the gameplay, and gameplay is what Europa:1400 is all about. Sound is VERY well done. The music score is a delight to listen to throughout your experience, and the effects as far as ambience to the atmosphere are fantastic. The gameplay is an example of a masterpiece! It clearly illustrates that there are untested waters and new ideas to be brought to life in the world of flooded genres of FPS's, RTS's and RPGs. I have not had this much fun with a game, nor come back to a game this much, since well before the age of pentiums and video cards, when graphics could not play a role and gameplay had to shine for all it was worth. I can promise you that read this, if this sounds remotely interesting to you, give it a shot. You will NOT be disappointed.
I could not wait to get this game once i heard about it. Once I got it I felt like a kid again. The tutorial is very well done, only it does not tell you near enough about how to play in depth, just enough to get by. Yo... Read Full Review
Europa 1400: Gold is a very special game. It has amazing graphics, and a superb sound. The gameplay is unusually unique. The reality with which the buildings are made and your bloodline is build makes this title one of t... Read Full Review
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