Europa Universalis II FREE on GOG October 20th

[Paul Rudd]

Europa Universalis II is FREE right now on GOG.

[Dedayog]

3 minutes ago, Paul Rudd said:

Europa Universalis II is FREE right now on GOG.

Any good, or no opinion?

[manikyath]

11 minutes ago, Dedayog said:

Any good, or no opinion?

probably about as good as a strategy game from 2001 can be?

 

ratings overall seem to be decent from a quick google.

[Sakkura]

27 minutes ago, Dedayog said:

Any good, or no opinion?

It's a slightly polished/updated version of Europa Universalis I. It's an absolute classic among Paradox strategy games, but it is very old. I think the only reason you'd play it instead of the later games in the series would be nostalgia or, I guess, for a simpler game that's closer to a board game.

 

If you want an affordable grand strategy game, I would recommend Europa Universalis III Complete Edition. It's hugely improved over EU II, without being as overwhelming as EU IV. Confusingly, it's not actually the complete set of expansions, there is an upgrade pack with the last couple expansions (which are worth it, but you can check out the basic "complete" edition first to see if you like it).

[Paul Rudd]

2 hours ago, Dedayog said:

Any good, or no opinion?

No opinion really. I would provide some heavy insight on the game but it's not on Steam for me to do so. I've also never played it and I'm not into the genre at all. However...

 

@Sakkura has a good take on it.

 

And if you go by a few GOG reviews and it seems there's only 10 in total, here's the best ones to describe a little of what you're getting into(to an extent)...

• "Great... Best"
• "When I first found the EU games, I fell in love with them. They were strategic, they were historical, and they were different. They aren’t perfect; a full game takes a long time to play through, and I’ve usually gotten what I want out of the game long before it’s over. But there’s always something new to do, someplace new to be. Redmond Simonsen once called wargames “paper time machines”, and Europa Universalis is a very good electronic time machine, and satisfies those cravings very well."
• "Wonderful... After playing a few games with leading nations of the time, enjoying the history unfolding and making my own changes along the way, I had a good enough feel for the game mechanics to embark upon the adventure of leading a smaller nation; one at the brink of being swallowed by a rising power at the time the game begins... ...That's right, I chose GRANADA! Never before or since have I enjoyed a grand strategy game save! Plotting to change the course of European history, I challenged myself to help Granada stand firm against the impeding 'Reconquista' as my first objective. Once achieved, I set my sights on greater ambitions, expanding to conquer the Iberian peninsula and then Europe. It took time, it was very difficult, but became entirely possible with careful planning and strategy. A thoroughly enjoyable game and at the time I bought Europa Universalis II from GOG, I hadn't realised that 'For The Glory: A Europa Universalis Game' is essentially an expanded and complete version of this. Already on my wishlist, I will be buying that when it's next on sale and maybe, just maybe, try to recapture my glories with Granada again!"
• "Want to begin to dip your toe in the deep warm waters of Classical music? Forget the many audio CDs out there, and just buy this as your starter. EU2 features the most tightly segmented crash course of the best of baroque and more modern compositions in gaming. All apropos to the game's long time period. Oh, it's and good game as well. EU4 may be the bells and whistles version, but this is the purist's version. Maybe a little too mittleuropa-centric for its own good, despite the title, though."

And then there's the two overall most helpful reviews...

• "Some sequels are happy to simply build and improve upon their predecessors. Others insist on changing things up with every iteration. Paradox did a bit of both. There is no question that Europa Universalis 2 is a strict improvement over EU1. However, it is almost impossible to compare it to its successors. To capture a broader audience, Paradox made them quasi-sandbox affairs, with plenty of random events and a more-but-not-really-realistic 3D engine: good for a Civ-like romp, but awkward if you're looking for historical scenarios. EU2, in contrast, feels like a quaint amalgam of a board game and a king's map. A gorgeously illustrated map, with a familiar pattern to the world, and a period orchestra setting the tone (no A. Waldetoft here, but an exquisite selection of period and classical music - it's actually better!). The mechanics are mostly simpler, more rigid - makes for that board game feel - yet that is not a bad thing. Your units don't get miraculously reinforced - you need to raise new levies yourself. Money is VERY tight and wars cost dearly. The scenario history is governed by event-chains, in lieu of random ones popping up. There's still the occasional random flavour event, and the sporadic insult will throw a wrench in your carefully-laid schemes, but it's all tempered. If you add in a mod like AGCEEP, you end up with giant sequences of history and alt-history, meticulous if-then-else patterns, and rich and flavourful descriptions. I learned more history from this game than in some university courses, all the while guiding my tiny German principality through the perils of French, Habsburg, Polish, and Swedish expansionism. The event-chains don't railroad the player, they empower you to guide your state through a history that, hopefully, remains largely familiar. And in the end, battles still hinge on a roll of the dice. There is nothing quite like EU2 out there, and even Paradox knows that. They made different games, but none that surpassed this one."
• "A number of people will tell Europa Universalis II isn't as good a game as its sequels, and they are probably right. Numbers and events triggers are hidden, you need to play 20 hours before even getting your way around... Yet this opus in the series is, to me, the one which captures the best the historical flavour of the periods it is trying to revive. Maybe because it keeps things hidden and restrains the randomness found in the later titles, it might feel more limited to some people, but to others, it will deliver for those same reasons a vibrant and familiar world still filled with surprises and turnovers. If you are looking forward to literally surfing history and don't mind the occasional crash to desktop, this is a game you cannot miss. Also, its per-century music playlist is a sorely missing feature in the later titles!"

[Paul Rudd]

2 hours ago, Sakkura said:

If you want an affordable grand strategy game, I would recommend Europa Universalis III Complete Edition.

Surprisingly enough, just 5 minutes ago, Europa Universalis III Complete hit a new historic low price of just $1.49(90% Off) on Steam. I think you're right with the recommendation, it has 80% positive Steam ratings. 1,371 positive to just 280 negative. You simply cannot go wrong for just $1.49 for a $14.99 game if you're into the genre.

[Sakkura]

3 hours ago, Paul Rudd said:

Surprisingly enough, just 5 minutes ago, Europa Universalis III Complete hit a new historic low price of just $1.49(90% Off) on Steam. I think you're right with the recommendation, it has 80% positive Steam ratings. 1,371 positive to just 280 negative. You simply cannot go wrong for just $1.49 for a $14.99 game if you're into the genre.

Awesome!

 

There's also the EU III Collection for $3.24. That's the actually complete version with the last 2 expansions.

[superwolfkin]

snagged. thanks.

[SpaceGhostC2C]

It was my gateway to Europa Universalis. Fans of the series will have different opinions on what's the best, not always siding with newer=better, they hate some versions, love their expansions, etc. 

I'm not as hardcore, loved every installment I played (can't say which version of each I played), but I never went back in reverse to see how the older version felt after playing the new one.

If you never played a EU or similar (likely Paradox') game, I'd say this is as good as any other to get into it, because there isn't much else you could have played that would make it feel dated, other than newer EU games, if that.