User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1463 Ratings

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  1. Aug 13, 2013
    10
    WOW! For about ten years Paradox Development have been a small team of nice guys working hard to give us good games and mostly failing. Their games have been for the most part tedious, pretentious and ugly, with cluttered mechanisms, and hideous micromanagement. Most of the Paradox efforts suffered from terrible tutorials and ridiculous learning curved that discouraged any vaguely casualWOW! For about ten years Paradox Development have been a small team of nice guys working hard to give us good games and mostly failing. Their games have been for the most part tedious, pretentious and ugly, with cluttered mechanisms, and hideous micromanagement. Most of the Paradox efforts suffered from terrible tutorials and ridiculous learning curved that discouraged any vaguely casual gamers. But beyond inaccessibility, the games were finally not that good, because even when you figured out the mechanisms they were still too MECHANICAL: not even really worth learning in the end because they were all variations of a sausage machine. However something miraculous happened with Crusaders Kings 2, and echoes of the good things we saw in earlier games (Hearts of Iron 2) reappeared: Better looking graphics. Simpler, yet DEEPER gameplay. The machine kept churning away but Paradox learned to save us from the worst of it, and the gameplay began to blossom. Europa Universalis IV seems to demonstrate that Paradox has really turned the corner. The game is beautiful. Gameplay is fluid. The depth and complication is welcome, but it has been softened with a more thoughtful and gaming friendly structure! GREAT WORK PARADOX! Good things take time, and your grand ambitions are finally bearing fruit. I'm very excited about where this will lead with the Hearts of Iron series, because all the design wisdom that we can see in CK2 and EU4 is leading in the absolute correct direction. If you love strategy gaming please go and buy this game and support this developer! This is a FAR, FAR superior game to Civilizations 1-5 as well as anything put out by Creative Assembly. It's been a long wait but worth it. Can't wait to see what we get when the final few pieces of the game design puzzle fall into place. If they get the budget to build something with a more solid multiplayer experience we will see the PERFECT game. Expand
  2. Aug 13, 2013
    10
    Best Paradox game to date. Multiplayer hotjoin added makes it the easiest grand strategy game to play with a friend.

    Full of depth and history it will make CIV5 seem like child's play.
    With over 250 nations to play you will never be bored.
  3. Aug 15, 2013
    4
    It may be a good game however there is one critical flaw. The text in the game (and this is a text heavy game!) is difficult to read at a resolution of 1900x1200 (native monitor resolution).

    Until UI scaling is implemented the game its unplayable for any prolonged period of time. It will give you serious eyestrain if you have a high DPI monitor.
  4. Oct 14, 2017
    9
    Although the difficulty curve may be very steep for those new to paradox game, EU4 is most certainly the cream of the crop of grand strategy, and you'll find it very hard to go back to games like Civilization after it, thanks to its deep gameplay and replayability. Sadly, I do have to penalize it somewhat for its DLC policy, which makes it ridiculously expensive to get properly started off with,
  5. Aug 20, 2016
    9
    You can hardly find another cool nerdy game like EU! Building empires, crushing revolutions, vassalising smaller nations... tons of stuff! Although I admit it's a hard task for newbies to get into this game.
  6. Feb 26, 2018
    9
    I'm playing through this game currently with a friend and it is an absolute joy to play! Despite having massive difficulties learning other Grand Strategy Games such as HOI3, I was able to very easily learn the base mechanics of the game. However, despite easily learning the base mechanics the systems go far deeper than they appear.

    Despite my generally positive experience there are a
    I'm playing through this game currently with a friend and it is an absolute joy to play! Despite having massive difficulties learning other Grand Strategy Games such as HOI3, I was able to very easily learn the base mechanics of the game. However, despite easily learning the base mechanics the systems go far deeper than they appear.

    Despite my generally positive experience there are a few issues with the game, namely Paradox's DLC policy. I currently don't own any of the DLC however, due to the high price and extensive nature of the DLC I don't plan on buying any either. As well as this a decent amount of relatively basic content (e.g. manual improvement of provinces) is locked behind this incredulous pay wall.

    Even though this DLC policy is ridiculous I personally believe you don't need the DLC to have an extremely enjoyable time while playing the game. (Especially for a history geek like myself!) I do personally believe that this game is best suited to play with friends and if possible would recommend that you buy this game in tandem with a friend!
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  7. Apr 10, 2017
    9
    With almost 1000 hours put in this game and the flexibility it allows you to play in one of the most interesting times in history. However, it does have quite a steep learning curve, which can put off the new player for a grand strategy game. It has a lot of number crunching, which personally I'm not a fan of but it doesn't stop me from having fun and dominating as a one nation minor. ItWith almost 1000 hours put in this game and the flexibility it allows you to play in one of the most interesting times in history. However, it does have quite a steep learning curve, which can put off the new player for a grand strategy game. It has a lot of number crunching, which personally I'm not a fan of but it doesn't stop me from having fun and dominating as a one nation minor. It is a game of which has a diverse play style. You can be a military world power, or king of the sea and trade, it is totally up to you, the player, to follow history or create your own. The only reason it doesn't get its perfect score is because of how overwhelming it can be, even with 1000 hours, but this can be a pro for some players. I would recommend. Expand
  8. Oct 7, 2017
    10
    The best strategy at the moment if to reject casual Civilization. Not in one game there are no so many opportunities and game mechanics for such big historical term. The entrance threshold at the games Paradox is very high, but if you have overcome it. That you receive the sea of emotions and pleasures.
    PS. 1000 hours, a game release me.
    PSS. The price policy of Paradox is awful. Paradox
    The best strategy at the moment if to reject casual Civilization. Not in one game there are no so many opportunities and game mechanics for such big historical term. The entrance threshold at the games Paradox is very high, but if you have overcome it. That you receive the sea of emotions and pleasures.
    PS. 1000 hours, a game release me.
    PSS. The price policy of Paradox is awful. Paradox you are ****
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  9. Jan 18, 2017
    10
    One of my favourite strategy. The developers made a great job. The game sends me to the deep medieval world. One week I could not move away from my computer. I think this is the best historical strategy from Paradox.
    After I start to play Europa Universalis IV I couldn't play the sid meier s civilization.
  10. Feb 19, 2018
    10
    There isn't much bad to say about this game. They keep updating it and improving the game further, thousands of different avenues and countries to play as, replay ability is very great in this game. The only downside to this game is the learning curve, expect tens of hours just learning how the game works and most of its different mechanics and possible even 75+ hours becoming efficient atThere isn't much bad to say about this game. They keep updating it and improving the game further, thousands of different avenues and countries to play as, replay ability is very great in this game. The only downside to this game is the learning curve, expect tens of hours just learning how the game works and most of its different mechanics and possible even 75+ hours becoming efficient at it. long learning curve but the result is so satisfying when you manage to form the countries of today through long wars and crucial and extensive planning, the reward and satisfaction is one of its gems. Expand
  11. Feb 24, 2018
    10
    It takes a long time until you learn to play the game efficiently. But once you do the possibilities are endless! This game offers a lot of content compare to other games and you can keep playing this for years. This game have given me more value for my money than any other game and it's definitely one of the best games I’ve ever played!
  12. Apr 16, 2018
    9
    Choose the Ottoman Empire and capture the world.
    but remember, if you do not select that , Ottoman chooses you.
  13. Nov 18, 2018
    4
    One of my most played games ever. I have over 2500 hours in this game, putting it behind only Diablo 2 as my second most played game of all time. However, I can not recommend the game in its current state. Each patch since 1.19 has felt incomplete, and has left the game feeling hollow and half built. The changes to the mission system and addition of government reforms seem to also indicateOne of my most played games ever. I have over 2500 hours in this game, putting it behind only Diablo 2 as my second most played game of all time. However, I can not recommend the game in its current state. Each patch since 1.19 has felt incomplete, and has left the game feeling hollow and half built. The changes to the mission system and addition of government reforms seem to also indicate a development trend towards shoveling out low effort DLC and slapping a $15 price tag on it while not addressing serious underlying issues with game mechanics (most notably naval combat and subject AI, both of which have been major requests of the community for years). At this point in the game's life span, it seems to be best to wait and hope for an EUV rather than invest the $200+ to get all the gameplay changing DLCs Expand
  14. Apr 25, 2023
    9
    A Decade of Grand Strategy Excellence - 9/10

    As a dedicated player of Europa Universalis IV for the past 10 years, and having experienced every expansion along the way, I can confidently say that this Paradox title is a true gem in the realm of grand strategy games. With the perfect balance of depth and breadth, as well as historical accuracy and playability, EU4 offers an unparalleled
    A Decade of Grand Strategy Excellence - 9/10

    As a dedicated player of Europa Universalis IV for the past 10 years, and having experienced every expansion along the way, I can confidently say that this Paradox title is a true gem in the realm of grand strategy games. With the perfect balance of depth and breadth, as well as historical accuracy and playability, EU4 offers an unparalleled experience for both history enthusiasts and strategy gamers alike.

    One of the key elements that sets EU4 apart from other grand strategy games is its focus on both micro and macro gameplay. The game allows players to dive deep into the intricacies of diplomacy, warfare, and economic management, while also offering the opportunity to guide an entire nation through centuries of historical events. This combination of detail and scope creates a captivating experience that has kept me hooked for a decade.

    The historical accuracy in EU4 is commendable, as it manages to stay true to real-world events and geopolitical situations while still providing players with the flexibility to forge their own paths. This balance ensures that the game remains engaging and exciting, offering countless possibilities for alternate historical outcomes.

    Moreover, the consistent release of expansions and updates has kept EU4 fresh and exciting over the years. The developers at Paradox have shown a commitment to improving and expanding the game, adding new mechanics, regions, and historical events that have only served to deepen the already impressive gameplay experience.

    As a passionate fan of both history and strategy gaming, I have found Europa Universalis IV to be the ideal blend of these two worlds. With its near-perfect combination of depth, breadth, historicity, and playability, EU4 truly stands out as an exceptional grand strategy game. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for a rich and engaging experience that will challenge their strategic skills and satisfy their historical curiosity.
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  15. Jul 28, 2021
    6
    It's good game but I guess it inflated over the time and requires refreshment. The resolution is way to low for 2021. Plus I have never figured out how the trade worked.
  16. Jun 28, 2021
    7
    Massive game thath you can enjoy for infinite hour. The problem is always the same: with all dlc, from the release of the base game to the addiction of the monthly subscription, we have paid more than 200€. I don't like the moneygrabbing policy of paradox.
  17. Oct 29, 2022
    10
    Best Paradox game to date. Multiplayer hotjoin added makes it the easiest grand strategy game to play with a friend.

    Full of depth and history it will make CIV5 seem like child's play.
    With over 250 nations to play you will never be bored.
  18. Ed_
    Sep 6, 2013
    10
    A fantastic, enjoyable game! I haven't noticed any bugs, smooth gameplay, great songs, not as complicated as some people would say. You have the opportunity to lead any country and make decisions which can be fatal or profitable for your monarchy or republic. Keep up the good work Paradox!
  19. Feb 20, 2014
    8
    After sinking (way too much) time into this game, I can say that I absolutely LOVE it.
    However, be warned that this style fits a particular kind of strategy gamer, not all of them. For example, if you enjoy Total War games (which I also love), EU IV might not necessarily give you the right thrill.
    For one thing, it has a steep learning curve for newcomers (such as myself), who didn't
    After sinking (way too much) time into this game, I can say that I absolutely LOVE it.
    However, be warned that this style fits a particular kind of strategy gamer, not all of them. For example, if you enjoy Total War games (which I also love), EU IV might not necessarily give you the right thrill.

    For one thing, it has a steep learning curve for newcomers (such as myself), who didn't play EU III or similar installments from Paradox, but if you have the patience to learn the details (and there are many of them), you get to play a game that covers a fascinating historic period, on an unsurpassed scale - the entire span of the globe, no less, from East to West.
    It has a deep diplomatic model, which can be very satisfying to use. Wars, in particular, are not a matter of extermination, but can rather serve as a means to weaken an enemy, gain some territory, or (my favorite) force enemies to grant independence to countries they had annexed earlier.

    On the other hand, the satisfaction EU IV provides is mostly cerebral. There is a lot of satisfaction in seeing your carefully laid plans bear fruit, but your time is spent gazing at the map which, as pretty as it may be, is still a map; and at numerous icons, texts, and information sheets. EU IV might be a very complex board game, but that's what it is, basically. In regards to audio-visual entertainment, the cover image is the most exciting part of the game, so if that's what you're after, I suggest looking elsewhere.

    Still, if you enjoy strategizing, outwitting foes, and growing a country that you picked to scary proportions, I believe you will love Europa Universalis IV almost as much as I do.
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  20. Oct 29, 2013
    9
    Paradox at its best. Civilization V is nothing in front of Europa Universalis IV.The deepest game I've ever played. Haven't checked the multiplayer yet...100 hours and I'm still hooked up.
  21. Feb 15, 2014
    10
    Paradox Development Studio has done it again with another great grand strategy game, EU4 puts you as a country and you have to take over the world or become number one in the world you play,
    that sounds easy but it is not as easy as you my first think depending on what country you start with.
    if you enjoyed CK2 you will enjoy this
  22. Oct 29, 2015
    5
    Europa Universalis is nearly brilliant. Nearly.

    On the grand strategy level, it is beautiful; make alliances, arrange marriages, control trade, pirate your rivals' trade, colonise the primitive lands and more. But where it fails spectacularly is on the TACTICAL level. Which, if you plan on expanding by conquest, is major. The inherent problem with combat is that you have zero
    Europa Universalis is nearly brilliant. Nearly.

    On the grand strategy level, it is beautiful; make alliances, arrange marriages, control trade, pirate your rivals' trade, colonise the primitive lands and more.

    But where it fails spectacularly is on the TACTICAL level. Which, if you plan on expanding by conquest, is major.

    The inherent problem with combat is that you have zero control over it. You send in some armies and then everything is handled automatically. The problem with this is that the combat is SPECTACULARLY complex. And despite being complex and difficult, the only control you have is how many men you send into battle and whether or not they have a general leading them.

    This means that you win or lose battles for entirely unknown reasons or by total random chance. The battle system is so complex that the only way people actually know anything about it is by delving into the code. Despite this, again, you have ZERO control. Worse yet, random chance can easily screw you over when you otherwise have an overwhelming advantage.

    Unless you study the battle system like you study for your college exams, you have no chance of understanding it or how to win. This completely takes away from the rest of the game to the point where it just gets frustrating and no longer fun unless you have a strange obsession or literally have no life other than working and this game.

    Of course, the combat becomes much easier when you get cannons. The secret to cannons? Get a **** ton of them. The more you have, the more likely you are to win. So have as many cannons as you have men in melee and you'll nearly always win. But until then, combat is spectacularly difficult without doing an immense amount of research and asking for immense amounts of help from people that have delved into the code.

    Either pick a start date where cannons are already available or only fight when you have overwhelming numbers on your side.
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  23. Oct 23, 2013
    10
    Excellent continuation of Europa Universalis series. I started as my hime country, Bohemia, and the level of historical details authors introduced is really excellent.
    Oh and a small notion to all of those complaining about hard to get UI. Please, go back to you consoles or tablets and leave PC games to people with brains. Thank you.
  24. Aug 19, 2013
    7
    This installment of the europa universalis series has improved alot of features about the game, making the game easier to play, keeping complexity but making the game less complicated. What I don't like is that the AI is still pretty bad in the EU series. While the opponent wont send troops to random suicide missions like previous installments it's basically still broken. For exampleThis installment of the europa universalis series has improved alot of features about the game, making the game easier to play, keeping complexity but making the game less complicated. What I don't like is that the AI is still pretty bad in the EU series. While the opponent wont send troops to random suicide missions like previous installments it's basically still broken. For example during a long war the enemy had stacks of 20 troops which they were just moving between the same provinces for the entire war. This ended up with me winning against a enemy that had a vastly superior military than me. By killing of his weaker stacks first and then going for the big one.

    Allies are also abit stupid and they usually end up standing around at a corner of the country that you are trying to invade instead of actually helping in the battles. This, coupled with a warscore system where the death of 1000 soldiers is about equal to the death of 10000 soldiers, kind of breaks how war works in the game. Alot of the times you will see big territories on the AI map that has been conquered by rebels due to the AIs inability to handle wars properly.

    Another thing that I found disturbing is that the game is also somewhat too european centric (yea i know its called europa universalis).
    http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?657309-IS-Europa-Universalis-3-somewhat-racist
    Where anything that isn't western is deemded as technologically backwards. This clearly ingores the fact that alot of discoveries in the 1400 where made in the east (for example gunpowder and muskets). I know that this is the world from a european point of view but it still seems to be abit baltant to devide countries into technology gropus where some are just "worse" than others. Also making poland a eastern technology group is in my opinion historically incorrect in that case.

    But im really focusing on the bad bit the game has alot of positivies also, if you are willing to spend hundreds of hours on this game then you will probably have alot of fun (and also neglect work and family).
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  25. Dec 1, 2015
    4
    Europa Universalis 4 is a game that I want to like, but that I just cant due to a number of different issues. From a severe reliance on RNG to inconsistent AI competence, the game just irritates me whenever I try to play it to the point where I don't enjoy it. The large amount of DLC with features that have large effect on the base game don't help either.

    By far the worst problem with
    Europa Universalis 4 is a game that I want to like, but that I just cant due to a number of different issues. From a severe reliance on RNG to inconsistent AI competence, the game just irritates me whenever I try to play it to the point where I don't enjoy it. The large amount of DLC with features that have large effect on the base game don't help either.

    By far the worst problem with the game is the AI. Like others have said, the multiplayer is barely functional, so this is a primarily single-player game. What does a single-player game need? AI that is both intelligent and consistent. Instead, it ranges from being near-brain-dead to nonsensically clairvoyant. The AI will frequently march armies back and forth between two provinces while their country gets occupied by a tiny force in comparison to theirs. They'll sign peace deals for idiotic things. I've seen Brittany force a Burgundy that annexed France to release France only to have France declare war on Brittany to vassalise them immediately after. Then there's attrition: AI are completely unaffected by attrition caused by troops that are not their own, frequently resulting in doomstacks of 100K+ men. The AI is unaffected by naval attrition entirely. They'll stupidly colonise provinces with no value while high-value ones are unclaimed. Then there's the flip side. Several small nations will manage to act as a single, cohesive force and win against impossible odds because their large enemy splits its armies into tiny chunks and never changes its strategy in reaction to its losses. The AI will know exactly when armies are coming and exactly when a country is in a weakened state, resulting in a dogpiling effect that destroys otherwise strong nations. Paradox decided to try and fix this by adding in a feature which gives bonuses to a country which is suffering, which offers massive benefits to large countries while giving small ones nothing.

    Speaking of massive benefits to large countries while completely ignoring small ones, Paradox loves to do this. Larger countries get free diplomats, a no-upkeep general, and are somehow able to manage their larger administration more effectively than a small country can manage their smaller one. Larger countries also get benefits that change with their government type, such as conquered lands being more susceptible to pay taxes and contribute manpower. What do small countries get? Nothing. Worse, the larger countries get bonuses that specifically make it easier to peacefully vassalise and promptly annex the smaller countries without giving the smaller country a chance to become powerful. Then there are "lucky nations", which are significant bonuses which get applied to countries which were historically successful, just in case their overpowered "idea" bonuses, or the bonuses from their rich lands, or the bonuses from tailored missions and events weren't enough.

    Then there are more general annoyances. The rivalry system for example, forces the AI to have as many rivals as possible even when it is completely against their strategic interests, resulting in things like Scotland fighting an independent Ireland rather than cooperating with them and leaving England to just show up and annex at their leisure. As mentioned, the heavy reliance on RNG in combat constantly results in losses that should have been victories. Then there's development, which rather than increasing slowly in a somewhat uniform manner with exceptions to areas of plenty such as large cities and trade centers, increases based on the expense of magical "monarch points" to conjure taxpayers and soldiers wherever one wises. This results in metropolises next to dirt hut villages and in ridiculous places like Shetland.

    Finally, the DLC. Imagine if Bethesda released Dawnguard in parts: For $30, you can have the mechanical changes: such as vampirism, the quests, and crossbows. For $12, the dawnguard and vampire armour would come with the new models and textures rather than just looking like the base game's leather armour. For $4.50, you get the music from Dawnguard. Oh, and by the way, the game's mechanics were changed to be balanced around having crossbows and vampire attacks with the "free" patch shipped alongside the DLC, meaning the game is unbalanced if you don't have the mechanical changes DLC. If you choose not to update though, you won't get the included bug fixes or sparse optimisation and gameplay improvements. That's a total of $46.50 for the DLC included with ONE patch, for a $60 game. To top it off, mix in a hearty serving of game-breaking bugs, incompatible saves, crashing, and problems ranging all the way to being unable to even launch the game for at least a week after the patch. That would be Skyrim's Dawnguard DLC if it were made by Paradox.

    Overall, I'd give the game a 4/10, because it shows potential, but nearly $240 (and counting) to play the full game leads me to believe that that potential will never be more than just potential.
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  26. Sep 18, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Very detailed and enjoyable gameplay, fantastic in-game dynamics, and elegant graphics absolutely prove that this game completely deserves to be called grand strategy. Expand
  27. Feb 19, 2015
    5
    Good strategic game with lots to take care of. But way to much negative point, the tutorial mission are useless which make it really hard to understand that complex game. There is a lots of grammar mistake in the French version, and the text is way to small in 1920 p .
  28. May 21, 2014
    9
    A great grand strategy game with great width and depth. A successful combination of war, diplomacy, economy, colonization and more. A numbers game to a large extent with great level of detail for the one interested.
  29. Sep 18, 2013
    10
    2nd Review: Giving it a 10 (+1 over 1st score). The 1920x1200 resolution small text has been fixed now too.

    After 226 hours played, still playing got most the Ironman achievements with England. It really needs 100 hours just to get the hang of it all. Game gets more and more amazing, the complexity the random factor means never will you have the same game twice (and I started
    2nd Review: Giving it a 10 (+1 over 1st score). The 1920x1200 resolution small text has been fixed now too.

    After 226 hours played, still playing got most the Ironman achievements with England. It really needs 100 hours just to get the hang of it all.

    Game gets more and more amazing, the complexity the random factor means never will you have the same game twice (and I started Ironman about 20x until I got it just right).

    Yes, one needs to speed time up when things are slow, but that's why there is a time shift. The complexity depends on starting nation. England has it easy on their little island, but try stopping Ottomans with Serbia for instance, or playing Native American tribes in Ironman.
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  30. Aug 21, 2013
    10
    Love strategy, Gal Civ, Civ, TW, but it's the first time I've played a paradox game. It seems I really missed out on some of their earlier titles. If you like strategy, buy this game. It makes TW and Civ 5 seem like they are aimed at 6-10 year olds.
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 34
  2. Negative: 0 out of 34
  1. Dec 12, 2013
    80
    Once players overcome the initial learning curve, Europa Universalis IV will prove a memorable strategy experience that provides as much fun stories as it does sheer tactical complexity.
  2. PC PowerPlay
    Oct 28, 2013
    90
    Somehow retains the series' trademark braininess and complexity while being clearer, simpler and far more fun. [Nov 2013, p.92]
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Oct 24, 2013
    100
    The ultimate strategic simulator of an early modern history state with wide options for both success and failure. Do you want to unite Britain under Scotland, thwart the Spanish Reconquista or maintain the Inca empire? Suit yourself. [Issue#234]