Europa Universalis IV inbound for 2013

Paradox Interactive’s Europa Universalis series has been one of the most comprehensive and highly regarded medieval strategy games of all time. What it lacks in visual appeal that other games like Medieval II Total war possess, it makes up for with its immense detail and grand strategic realism.

The development team at Paradox Interactive spoke to the media saying that the new game had to “feel right”, especially since the last instalment “Europa Universalis III” came out way back in 2007 and set the standard high for strategy games. The studio learned from what it had done in previous games and also borrowed a few ideas from Crusader Kings 2, another “grand strategy” game by Paradox.

“Another feature we’ve done is the concept of letting the ability of the ruler matter much more in what you do,” he said. “We’ve taken a fair amount of inspiration from CK2, and want to create the concept of ebb and flow in the game play. Who is your monarch should matter a lot … A Peter the Great should be a great period for your nation.”

Other features include a more visual appealing map, although the Europa Universalis series has never been about the graphics. The tutorial has been improved to make it more friendly to beginners and the trade route concept has been dramatically improved too.

The game is not due until next year but it will be shown off at GamesCom later this month.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONWTGEZKzn8[/youtube]

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