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Victoria II
PC/STEAM
Game reviewed on an
Alienware system
Check out Alienware at
www.alienware.com
Victoria II is the sequel to Paradox
Interactive Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun. Keeping of course in the
same vain, Victoria II is another detailed historical strategy game. It
is much like some of those classic tabletop board games but with OUT the
huge set up time involved. The game has a rather user friendly
interface, so players will be friendly rulers and tyrants in no time.
Playing as head of state for whatever
nation the player desires. Well over two hundred countries can be
played. The era the game covers is from around 1835 on to the start of
World War II. Do you think your country has been doing a bad job with
the economy? Well here is your chance to prove you can do it better. The
game map is huge it covers the whole world. The player controls
everything all about that nation’s production, technology research,
budget, population, political standings, diplomacy and military growth
and action. The economy in this game is no joke; there are well over
fifty types of goods and production factories. This will increase or
decrease production in any given commodity.
Boil down deeper and each of the menus has sub menus. Each of these sub
menus are filled with information that the player needs to decide how
they want things run. Decide what department get’s the most money…from
social services on to the military. The player can raise taxes, lower
taxes. Not stopping there it can be narrowed down further to the
classes, lower, middle and upper classes. It is an interesting way to
learn the trials and tribulations that any nation has to go through to
even survive and thrive. Keep things well balanced, the budget, and the
nation will take care of itself. If not the country, your running is
going to crash and fail in a big way.
This is a deep game, and requires some
actual thinking to be of any success in it. My biggest tip here for
players. You know those tutorials that I always talk about in other
reviews. You would do well to play the tutorial scenarios in this game.
Wars are hard fought in this game, long drawn out affairs. Much like the
real life counter parts, war is never fast and clean. The armies take
time to prepare, they take time to move…mirroring the real world in some
ways. Battles take place represented by two soldier icons, as they stab
away at each other with rifled bayonets. Little numbers show the total
number of units declining. Later in the game, it becomes a bit more of a
challenge, as countries that are smaller and without great power
countries are within the influences of the more powerful ones. You may
find a country you have allied with slinking away as a larger more
powerful country goes head to head with you.
Which brings me to this, playing the game
at one instance as a more powerful nation will of course give the player
a different experience than playing as a smaller country. Moving through
the game as historical wars erupt, the over all course of the history
that we know can be changed depending on the player’s actions and the
allies they take.
There is always an uneasy piece during these trying times of the 18th
and 19th centuries. Expansions and working to grow your countries
borders and global reach and economy are all things that are taking
place, from every country so there are bound to be AHEM confrontations.
My hat’s off to you if you play it as a smaller country and expand to
become a great power. Pushing forward through growing your country, both
political and military choices must be made. Each of these choices may
just have a global impact as well. The people react to the choices also.
These reactions are based on the people’s social class, political views,
or even willingness to play along, or worse revolt against the
government.
The player micromanages just about every
aspect of the country, decide on what things are researched which in
turn opens up new aspects and different things to advance the countries
greatness. Import and export is also part of the grand scheme of things.
Without international trade, nations would be limited to the goods and
services produced within their own borders. International trade of goods
also fills the countries coffers for further advances.
The player also controls the taxes, over tax and you may just be looking
at revolt. Under tax and your country may well be limping along and just
out and out die, after the people revolt.
Not a game for the faint of heart at all and not a casual sit down and
walk away from game. It is deep and grand in its scope. Make sure you
play the tutorials, or drop by the forums for some pointers.
Victoria II is a Grand Strategy game, feel
the heady power of running a country.
Have fun, play games.
Edwin Millheim
Impulse Gamer |
