Europa Universalis Preview
The PC adaption of the strategy board game is coming to US shores, and we've got first details.
Europa Universalis seems like a game that could have been created only in Europe. Probably the biggest difference between North American strategy games and their European counterparts is that the Continental games seem to place a greater emphasis on a sense of atmosphere and presentation. This is something that goes beyond mere graphics and encompasses everything about the game, from visuals to pacing and gameplay. With Europa Universalis, Swedish developer Paradox Entertainment has set out to do nothing less than encapsulate 300 years of European history into a complex yet playable simulation that virtually transports you to the age of colonization and then translates that historical era into a compelling game. If that sounds like an impossible task, then you haven't played Europa Universalis.
Europa Universalis is actually based very closely on a specialty board game of the type that takes a day to set up and usually lasts for half a turn (which nonetheless takes five hours) before everyone packs it in, all the while remarking what a great design it truly is. The computer version aims to capture the tremendous scope of the original while making it possible to actually finish a game. While the gameplay is incredibly deep, the conversion to the computer has streamlined certain bookkeeping functions and created a game that plays well and has a smooth flow.
The board game version of Europa Universalis was turn-based, but for the computer implementation, Paradox has switched to a real-time model. While die-hard strategy gamers might think this is sacrilege, the adjustable real-time engine elegantly solves certain problems, such as having to hit the "next turn" button 30 times to get through particularly slow periods. In the computer game, you can simply turn up the time compression until weeks and months are flying by, then slow it down as the hard decision-making points arrive. You can also pause the game and give orders that way. Europa Universalis actually requires a lot of preplanning, so pausing every so often to assess your situation is not a bad idea.
The graphics in the game are not 3D accelerated or unusually good looking in and of themselves, but they are attractive enough and are done in a style that evokes an old cartographer's map of the world. This helps create the atmosphere that gives the game its unique character. The unexplored world (outside Europe) is blacked out (actually "whitened" out) and marked as terra incognita. Only exploration will reveal what lies beyond. The map itself is divided into provinces and sea zones, which regulate movement. The structures in the various provinces are depicted as period buildings, and the soldiers on the map are sprites that have different animations depending on the action they are performing, such as fighting a pitched battle, besieging a fortification, or marching to a new destination. The interface is functional and allows the map to be displayed in modes that show diplomatic and trade relationships as well as political boundaries.
You don't have to know anything about history to play Europa Universalis, but after playing it several times, you'll undoubtedly come away knowing more than you did. The draft manual features an explanation of the rules and a historical commentary that elucidates how the game and its rules reflect the realities of the European continent at the time.
Europa Universalis Quick Links
Summary | Reviews | News | Previews & Features | Images | Videos | Downloads | Answers | Hints & Cheats | Forum | Check Prices
- Strategy First
- Paradox Inter.
- Strategy
- Release: Feb 2, 2001
- ESRB: Everyone
Games you may like…
-
Europa Universalis II
(PC) -
Europa Universalis: COTN
(PC) -
Europa Universalis Collection
(PC) -
Europa Universalis III
(PC) -
Two Thrones
(PC)
Users who looked at content for this game also looked at these games.
See More Similar Games
1 Comments