Help! I have spent too much time on this game over the 7 years that I have had it and need to get it back! Maybe then I would have done something productive with my life...

I got this game at 13 years old (purchased October of 2013), and let me tell you, I don't regret it. Thousands of hours worth of content for a what was only a $40 game at the time of purchase. Now it has grown and changed, with new content being added as I write this review. Not only has the game changed but so has the price, due to the endless list of DLC that is pretty important for enjoying the game once you have had enough of the barren game that is EU4 without DLC. I hope whoever is going to buy this game counts themselves one of the lucky ones for having all the DLC right now instead of having to wait for them all like I and others have.

All that being said, this is a fun game only for those who are willing to learn. Before I played this game, I already knew the mechanics. I saw all these Youtubers like Arumba, Quill18, and Northernlion playing this game. I would watch their multiplayer series over the summers I did not have my pc. I was already somewhat into geography and history, and this game had both of those. A whole map to conquer in less than 400 years (I still have not got that wc achievement btw).
I learned the history of Europe and Asia, only through the events though. I learned where all these modern day countries came from. I was introduced to other Paradox games like Crusade Kings 2, Victoria 2, and Hearts of Iron 3&4. I have found thousands of hours of content in Paradox games. They all forced me to recognized the complexities of the games, mainly through mutiplayer.

Multiplayer is where this game shines in the most competitive way possible. Stack all your bonuses; France and Brandenburg is better for fighting wars; Form the Netherlands and you get a trade empire; Go Great Britain and nobody can fight you in the sea. Throw in alliances and you got yourself a political war. A true WWI scenario simulator. Throw in your merchants and you got a trade war. War over land taken 200 years ago, war over land that your ai took at one point when you were gone from a session (they had to fight me to get it back), wars for nationalism or imperialism, no CB best CB. Defend yourselves with a professional army or the freedom fighters of your realm (otherwise known as rebels). Accidentally don't form a personal union with Lithuania as Poland. Give money to other countries so that they may fight your wars for you. Dedicate your entire country to destroying the enemy. Build tall on single province and have your vassals and allies work for you. There are so many ways you can play this game in multiplayer. At one point I had a personal union over one of my friends who played the Kongo as Russia. That is not even the whole list of things that I have seen happen in multiplayer EU4.

I made friends playing this game. Some stayed and some have gone, but the ones who have stayed I have known for years. Once you get the mechanics of the game down, play multiplayer with a group of people. You (probably) won't regret it.

All in all, I rate this game a 1/10.

Help! I have spent too much time on this game over the 7 years that I have had it and need to get it back! Maybe then I would have done something productive with my life... I got this game at 13 years old (purchased October of 2013), and let me tell you, I don't regret it. Thousands of hours worth of content for a what was only a $40 game at the time of purchase. Now it has grown and changed, with new content being added as I write this review. Not only has the game changed but so has the price, due to the endless list of DLC that is pretty important for enjoying the game once you have had enough of the barren game that is EU4 without DLC. I hope whoever is going to buy this game counts themselves one of the lucky ones for having all the DLC right now instead of having to wait for them all like I and others have. All that being said, this is a fun game only for those who are willing to learn. Before I played this game, I already knew the mechanics. I saw all these Youtubers like Arumba, Quill18, and Northernlion playing this game. I would watch their multiplayer series over the summers I did not have my pc. I was already somewhat into geography and history, and this game had both of those. A whole map to conquer in less than 400 years (I still have not got that wc achievement btw). I learned the history of Europe and Asia, only through the events though. I learned where all these modern day countries came from. I was introduced to other Paradox games like Crusade Kings 2, Victoria 2, and Hearts of Iron 3&4. I have found thousands of hours of content in Paradox games. They all forced me to recognized the complexities of the games, mainly through mutiplayer. Multiplayer is where this game shines in the most competitive way possible. Stack all your bonuses; France and Brandenburg is better for fighting wars; Form the Netherlands and you get a trade empire; Go Great Britain and nobody can fight you in the sea. Throw in alliances and you got yourself a political war. A true WWI scenario simulator. Throw in your merchants and you got a trade war. War over land taken 200 years ago, war over land that your ai took at one point when you were gone from a session (they had to fight me to get it back), wars for nationalism or imperialism, no CB best CB. Defend yourselves with a professional army or the freedom fighters of your realm (otherwise known as rebels). Accidentally don't form a personal union with Lithuania as Poland. Give money to other countries so that they may fight your wars for you. Dedicate your entire country to destroying the enemy. Build tall on single province and have your vassals and allies work for you. There are so many ways you can play this game in multiplayer. At one point I had a personal union over one of my friends who played the Kongo as Russia. That is not even the whole list of things that I have seen happen in multiplayer EU4. I made friends playing this game. Some stayed and some have gone, but the ones who have stayed I have known for years. Once you get the mechanics of the game down, play multiplayer with a group of people. You (probably) won't regret it. All in all, I rate this game a 1/10.