Europa Universalis II (PC)
	Developer Paradox Entertainment Publisher Strategy First Version Patched 1.02 Reviewed by Christopher Lipski [Feedback] [Author Bio] Review Date March 5, 2002

Rating (out of 5.0) 3.5 out of 5.0*

Judge for yourself

Strengths Highly detailed Rich in history Weaknesses Tiny manual Random crashes to desktop

* Notes Gaming Voice ratings are based on the technical and/or gameplay merits of a given product as well as the developer's choice of features and delivery of same. Our rating is not an endorsement of the thematic content of a given title. Gamers and parents are cautioned to determine if such content conflicts or coincides with their values and beliefs.

It is a bit sad to see how some publishers handle their products. Europa Universalis II was released a bit too early (In the file properties, the version still shows "Beta"). Both it and its predecessor were released in the same year, presumably to get the new version out by Christmas. A glance at the manual hints that they tried to save money by reducing it to the width of the CD case. With the small type and a map-like background, this will make the manual difficult for some to read. An advertisement in the box mentions a scenario editor, but it seems not to have made it in the shipping version. They do give you a nice paper map of the world though, suitable for putting up on your wall.

Europa Universalis II expands the time played from the original, this time spanning 400 years, starting at about the time of Joan of Arc: from the hundred years war to the age of nationalism. If you don't care about playing one of the major powers, you can just right click and select any of the dozens of smallers countries in that scenario. This allows you to test yourself and see what you can do with something smaller. Victory points are gained by winning wars, keeping your population happy, creating diplomatic alliances, exploring unknown territories, building colonies, establishing merchants, and other tasks.

Europa Universalis II can be seens as either a real-time strategy game or a turn-based strategy game with very short turns. The game can be manually paused at any time or you can set events to either automatically pause the game or just notify you. Additionally, the system can just record the event to a log or completely ignore it. You can set things in motion and then accelerate time and watch how your actions play out.

Above all things, you must strive to keep your country stable. Stability increases slowly with direct investment, art institutes, leadership, and certain choices with events. It can decrease through random events, bankruptcy, breaking treaties, changing policies, declaring war without cause, and declaring war on those that share the same religion as you. These are cumulative too and so it can be a challenge for the player to actually have a country when all things are done.

Ships behave better this time around -- with much less attrition at sea -- and they will automatically return to port when they lose too many of their numbers. Added are a domestic policy board that lets you change such things as freedom for the people and trade. You can nudge domestic policy a little every ten years but at a cost of stability. Over the course of centuries you can wind up with a country very different from the historical one that you started out with. Religious conversion is also something new. Depending on your state religion and domestic policy, you may acquire missionaries who can be sent out and try to convert one of your provinces.

This is definitely no conquer the world game. Attacking and annexing your neighbors tends to upset those remaining. Large standing armies are impossible to maintain everywhere, and they tend to be needed mostly to suppress revolts in newly acquired territory and to defend against the other powers in Europe who seek to take you down a peg. Still, there are interesting events that happen all the time. Castile may decide to push the Moors off the Iberian Peninsula, and annex Portugal too, becoming Spain, while Aragorn remains independent. It is the dozens of neighbors, each with their own agenda that makes things interesting. In one game Denmark decided to go to war against the province of Mecklenburg, only for Mecklenburg to repulse the attack, and capture Iceland. In the peace that followed, it was decided that Mecklenburg would keep Iceland, doubling the territories it owned. There have been games where Sweden and China established trading posts in southern Africa.

Along with the European intrigue, there is an entire world to explore, even though you know what territories you will eventually find. Events will result in explorers who can sail into the unknown, or technology will progress so that you no longer need these specialists. Technology tends to bleed across borders, so it is unlikely that even if you were to gain a great advantage over your neighbors that you would keep it. Things seem to be set up for balance, and only the very skillful will be able to conquer and hold territory of any size.

The number of diplomatic options is great. You are able to make peace treaties or force a defeated enemy to accept your terms. You can form alliances or join existing ones, allow countries to march through your lands, have diplomatic marriages, extend loans with favorable rates, give gifts, guarantee the existence of a state, and you can declare yourself the sole defender of the faith.

Europa Universalis II is a detailed game, rich in history. Even without the editor, there is the ability to change the text files and base new scenarios on the ones provided. The game also has a thriving community which includes not only fans, but the game's developers.

Unfortunately, even with a fresh install and the latest 1.02 patch, EU2 suffers from stability problems. It crashed to the desktop occasionally when I attempted to use the pause key. Autosave is turned off by default, but the brave player should turn it on and have it save at least every two years -- if not more often.

The music includes beautiful period pieces that change with the centuries. It is at a volume that does not distract, but the only options are to turn it on or off outside of the game.

I really like the history and detail that is included in Europe Universalis II. The number of countries involved is large which is a good thing, but sadly the game isn't all that stable. It looks as if yet another game was released not ready for prime time...which is too bad.