A masterful historical simulation which rewards players who have the patience to learn all the ins and outs of the game. It realistically portrays European power politics (both great and small) during the late middle ages thru to 1900. Playing as a giant such as Spain differs almost entirely from playing as a small principality. EU3 encourages you to set your own goals, for instance unifying Italy or settling a local score by unifying with a neighbor while avoiding the domination of one of the major powers.

Europa Universalis 3 is one of the best strategy games i´ve ever played. At first glance the graphics look not very impressive, but the game compensates for this with great strategic depth. Almost every nation offers a different way to play this game. I also recommend buying the add-on "Heir to the throne" that expands this bundle by different profound features.

EU III is by far one of my favorite paradox grand strategy games ever and i have every DLC/expansion down to divine wind.

i still play this game a lot and have already got hundreds of hours out of this game.

if you want to get EUIII i would recommend waiting until u can get every expansion down to divine wind because paradox is still actively patching divine wind and they just recently added a tun of new features to divine wind as well.

One of the greatest games I have ever played. It completely changed my idea of stategy games and forever made me a paradox fan for life. Amazing game

It seems like a fun game that I would enjoy, I have yet to get this to work on my computer. According to the tech specs, my older computer should be fine, but the game freezes while loading certain portions of the game.

One of my top 5 games, along with civ4, and portal2.

Not as complicated as HOI3, with a little effort you can learn how to play. VERY rewarding...

Incredible Historical Simulation.

This is one masterpiece of Strategic historical games. One can defintely feel part of the History. Countless hours of enterntainment and as many different games as you can think of. Play as a colonial power or as a small trading Duchy

As a fan of EU2, I was reluctant to buy the third part of the series, especially after hearing about all the add-ons. But boy, what a great game EU3 is.

At first it may be a bit intimidating to newcomers, but the good user interface and the tool-tips help you to get fast into the game and if you still have questions, just go the Paradox Interactice-Forum where you will find a very nice and helpful community. There are a lot of different countries to play and because of this you can choose what kind of challenge and which difficulty you want.

Conclusion: A great and unique game which everybody who likes strategy games should at least have a look at.

This is in my opinion the best game of the group of Paradox Strategy games, the core game is solidly balanced, and interesting. The expansions make the spread of history terrifically fascinating.

The fancommunity is terrifically fun, and regularly posts interesting AAR's.

If you get this definitely pick up the HttT as it fixes some silly exploits and adds increased dimensions to the game's diplomacy model.

Along with expansion HTTT, this one of my favorite game of all time. Very epic and addictive. Mostly it has the right level of micromanegement on all gameaspects (war, trade, colonism, etc.) and the AI is actually not that dumb, even though an experienced player could take over the hole world.

The upcoming expansion "Divine Wind" also looks very promising, with more focus to the asian countries, better graphics, more realistic trading, etc.

Easily my favorite game of all times. If you like any strategy game at all, you should try it. After 2 Addons EU3 has been the best game I have ever played and the game I still play most.

If you buy it, be sure to get HTTT and preorder DW also ;)

As a veteram of EU1 and EU2, it may be surprising that I only bought this version (with HTTT) in the 2010 sale. I've regularly tried the vanilla demo in the years since it came out and TBH, never been impressed enough to buy it.

EU3 has been out so long now, everybody must know what it is. I'll just add a slightly different angle by pointing out hwo much better the game is now, 4 expansions later. EU3 original struggled to better EU2 - I preferred For The Glory to EU3. But after however many years of added development, I have to say this game has now evolved into something like the ultimate historical sim game that EU always promised to be!

It has the right mix of thinking required, goes at a good pace and there is always something to do, something that needs urgent attention. And the possibilities to pause and contemplate taking your nation in a totally different direction. I haven't enjoyed a strategy game so much for many years.

I'd just like to add that I've been very wary about Paradox business model, which seems to be to release a game early - often far too early - then develop and expand it over time until it achieves it's potential a year or two after release. But for me, a late joiner, EU3 complete + HTTT totally justifies this approach. Compared to Civ5, which totally undoes all the organic improvements of Civ4 -> Civ4 BTTS, and too many people is a huge step backward. As a major rewrite, EU3 on release was also a step backward. Maybe it's better after all to build on a soilid foundation rather than totally rip out the foundations every 3 years? And with Divine Wind due soon - I shall certainly get that as the Vic2 map style is the best Paradox have ever done - no other strategy game is going to get a chance on my PC for a long time yet!!!

This is a great game. I have spent many nights awake telling myself that I will quit once a war is over, only to continue playing through multiply wars. To start of this game is not for everyone. It takes a lot of detail and management to get enjoyment from EU3. However, you can start off with a large and powerful country right off the start which will make the game easier. The game plays in real time but for the most part you try to keep it on slow or pause it during war times. The graphics are not the highest, but they do not need to be in a game like this. I actually enjoy the simple graphics and the fact I can run EU3 on my laptop. This is by far the most in depth game I have ever played. It is the closest most will ever get to running their own country. 9.5/10

Europa Universalis 3 or EU3, is one of the best strategy games ive play.

You can start as a major power like Castille (Spain) or England and you grow to become the greatest nation of all time.You end up with a massive empire stretching from Alaska to austrailia and south africa to japan.

I have spend more hours playing this, then i have Call Of Duty. Its great value for money.

Europa Universalis is a Grand Strategy game that allows players to lead a country from 1453 to 1789, with each expansion increasing the year to 1399 and 1820. With that being said, the game does what the name implies.

It creates a deep and complex political, economical and military system to Europe. Ranging from strong wealthy nations such as Castille, France and the Holy Roman Empire, all the way to small city states such as San Marino. It includes it all.

It must be stated however that this in turn is also a disappointment. With most attention focussed on Europe, it's painfully obvious not much has been invested in Asia or the native Americans. The Europe part delivers, the Universalis part not so much.

Still, aside from that, playing as eastern civilizations or native American ones can be fun and definitely challenging as players find themselves often ending up at war with a European powerhouse looking to expand.

This game is definitely recommended to people who love deep and complex strategy games.

You would think that the best cannot be beaten. Wrong. Paradox was able to release two fine expansions with lots of improvements and soforth making the ultimate game. Lemme give you a piece of advice: if you're thinking of buying Europe Universalis III, than you gotta buy this package. It's only a couple of bucks more than the original game - but it's far, far, better.

Best video game I have ever purchased. Just beware if you are using integrated graphics. You will need a stand alone video card for this game. I recommend this game to everyone I know, strategy gamer or not.

The steep learning curve of EU3 for me was part of the challenge of the game. I considered it part of the challenge. I enjoyed learning it and felt a sense of achievement when I had my economy balanced which is just the beginning of the game. This game is very mature with a lot of information and MODs on the Paradox forums I would recommend it to anyone who likes changing all the colors on a map to your color.

This game is a must for all strategy fans! To be honest the learning curve isn't as steep as others have said, so don't let that put you off. That being said though, EUIII is a game where you really need to be patient and put some time into, as there is just so much you can do. For example, many other strategy games let you play as a handful of nations, whereas EUIII let's you play as EVERY nation that exists in game (and there are quite a few hundred...) EUIII was a great game stand-alone, but it's expansions Napoleon's Ambition (and particularly) In Nomine are big improvements so even if you've tried the original EUIII before and found it wanting, I suggest you pick up EUIII: Complete and prepare to change your mind!

PS: This doesn't include the latest expansion Heir To The Throne, which is worth a look in it's own right.

Europa Universalis 3 is easily the best grand strategy game there is. Pick one nation from countless of ones and lead it to the glory. Forge alliances, declare wars, invent new technology and expand your realm. You can even search the uncharted lands and colonise them. Can you change the course of history? The sky's the limit!

It's as epic as it could get!

EU3 Complete is not complete yet. But I think it would be worth your money and time, even without HttT (Heir to the Throne) and newly announced Divine Wind expansions, if you like strategy games. ;)

Steep learning curve, but worth perservering with. Would advise you to save the game periodically as things can go very wrong, very quickly with a couple of bad decisions. You may need to go further back than just the autosaves to fix your mistakes, especially if you are playing one of the weaker nations. Like me being the patriotic Scot that I am, makes for a challenging game.

This should be a staple in any strategy gamer collection. It has a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the idea of how the game works, you'll find yourself playing this one for hours!

Far too easy to lose a lot of time playing this game. It's complex and rewarding while not being so overly complex to scare off anyone who enjoys the challenge, nor so rewarding that any sense of accomplishment in 'winning' (however you wish to define it for yourself in this game) is lost.

As a package, this is good value, although you'll probably still want to buy Heir to the Throne in addition to this.

I have spent more hours playing this than I would care to admit! I re-bought this game on GG because I lost my old box, and it was worth every penny the second time around too.

Although some people will tell you that you need to own Heir to the throne so you can experience the full potential of this game, give it a try with this complete version and consider it a tutorial before you upgrade it with HttT. It is a grand strategy game, one which rewards your patience and careful planning. Great thing about this game is that it's essentially a sandbox game, although there are some fixed historical decisions and events almost all the other things that happen are random and different every time you play it. Also, being able to select almost eny nation on the world is something that adds tons of replayability to this game. Excellent single player and nice multi player mean that there will be sleepless nights and angry wives/girlfriends. Warm recommendations!

An amazing game. Having never really played a grand strategy before this one, it seems I started with the best. No other game has been able to draw me back, game after game, year after year. A top notch game and a definitely worth while purchase for anyone who enjoyed historic strategies with such depth and replayability.

wow if you want grand strategy then this is where to go, be aware it does have a steep learning curve

A great strategy game that focuses more on economics and technology then actual warfare. Which is a pretty interesting change when it comes to this genre. My only real problem with the game is that the learning curve can be pretty steep with one wrong move meaning your entire country is overrun by rebels. Also the fact that enemy troops can retreat forwards into your country is pretty annoying.

Although i was a bit disappointed after playing the game for the first few times i realized that it was not the fault of the game. It is really amazing and full of options and detail. I stubbornly tried to conquer the world with bavaria and failed .... due to a lack of patience and neglect of the manual. I realized that this is a whole different game than HOI ( which spoiled me somewhat) but the next time i will repent and try to use the vast potential of this great game.

EU3 is the best Strategy game I know!

It took me years to find a game, that I really enjoyed.

The things I like most about EU3 is the good interface and that it's not too simple and not too hard on any area that it covers. Trade, Economy, Warfare, Treasury are all very easy to understand and complex enough to personalize the country you play. I tested Supreme Ruler 2020 and Superpower 2 too, and both had problems that they had areas they they cover very good but some fields have been covered by them badly. EU3 is in that view a very balanced game. What I didnt like very much about EU3 was, that once you play this game for years, it becomes too easy and simple so you want more depth in the game. This is also very good handled by the mods for EU3 which enhance it in every area. But also the eurocentricness may annoy you, which isn't very well solved by the mods too. I think that EU3 Complete was worth its money!

Wa my first attempt at the superb Euseries s. It t is thoroughly addictive it became my morning ritual with coffee,. While lacking the mods of earlier versions wfich give historical events. E U3 is a sandbox game with random events and the rest is up toyou.it is a wonderful relaxing game tand the EU3map and interface is by far the best to use and digestI highly recommend this game.

Wanted more alternate endings possible through conquest namely for the Americas. The American Indians as well as the Aztecs, Myans, and Inca have no chance with the Spaniards no matter what you try. Very disapointing.

Played EU3 when it came out. Lost the CD and that was that.

When they came out with this EU3 Complete I got it and loved the new expansions with it.

New content,makes it feel like a more balanced game.

Plus being able to download it as opposed to keeping a CD around is so much more convinent. 10/10

To properly review EU III Complete would take hours upon hours, for the vanilla game alone would take eons... and while Napoleon does not vastly improve the game, In Nomine truly reinvented it all; I shall, however, do my best all the same to quickly summarize what EU III is about and my overall opinion of the game.

EU III Complete is a game in which you control a country between 1399 and 1822 as you battle it out for supremacy on the world. You are in command of every aspect of your nation: political, military and economical.

The gameplay is awesome, no other grand strategy game will allow you to shape history as this game does; from colonizing distant lands, to fighting religious wars, this game allows you to experience the Renaissance like never before!

Graphics are OK, but then again, this game is not meant to be a looker.

As for music and sounds... the soundtrack is fine, but gets boring quickly. Sounds too.

Score: 9/10 . If you have yet to grab it then, by all means, do it expediently! You won't regret it! =)

Strategy, trade, colonization, war, and the list goes on. Definitely not a easy game to master even with a big nation. The mods are great as well. There are other

games with better graphics but not compares in depth

gameplay and detail. EU3 complete is a History lesson featured in a fun game! Worth the money and the time!

When I first purchased this game, I was amazed by the amount of content available. This is a fantastically designed game that I have spent countless hours playing. If you're fan of strategy or empire building games, this game will blow your mind away.

I'd definitely recommend it to a friend, the only issue that may arise is the steep learning curve but by following the tutorial and being patient, it will be a rewarding experience with many hours of fun.

A stunning and highly acclaimed title which fully deserves its status as one of the best rts games ever produced by anyone, anywhere. Thats how good it is.

Buy it NOW! Need i say more? 10/10.

The game's dynamics are amazing and flow together well and i can guarantee that you will never get bored of this game, it just keeps on giving!

Absolutely fantastic game. Paradox has produced another brilliant grand strategy - they are simply the best at them.

EU III has a great mix of everything in it - a dynamic tech system that is surprisingly simple to control; a ton of countries to choose from and an excellent diplomatic system to give even small countries the ability to survive

Most impressive of all is the economic system which is far more complex than the simple you make this much a month. Players have to manage inflation, debts, research, and upkeep by paying monthly but earning yearly. Needless to say players have to be very aware of their bottom line.

The combat system is also interesting; though a little too simplistic for my likes - which just reflects how grand - this grand strategy game is.

Europa Universalis III is not my favorite Paradox game, I'll get that out right away. Even with two expansions the game has considerable AI and balancing issues, and the lack of a unique national flavor makes you feel like you're merely playing in a historically themed fantasy game.

Thankfully, this fantasy game is great fun to play, and the lack of any real historicity wont really bother you unless you are a die hard history nut(as I am). Managing your economy, military, diplomacy, and colonization is utterly enrapturing during your first few playthroughs, even if the game has it's share of annoying quirks that continually frustrate your efforts in these areas.

Mods exist for this game, such as Magna Mundi, that greatly enhance the historical plausibility of EU3, and put history buffs like me at ease. Overall, I'd say that you'll greatly enjoy this game unless you are as uptight as I am. And even if you are as uptight as I am, you can always download the Magna Mundi Mod.

4/5

Hours of enjoyment. History students, or those who love reading up on their history will enjoy this game, particularly the rich tapestry of historical events and decisions, but the game doesn't stagnate by holding rigidly to historical events: every game is different.

This allows you to explore the what ifs of history; can you recreate the British empire through naval supremacy? Can you create the modern Russian state? Can you stop the reconquista? All possible, but you can also persue ahistorical plans as you see fit.

Military power is central to the game, but diplomatic solutions are possible, you can expand your empire without resorting to violence. Trade is also crucial, allowing small trading states such as Venice to become powerful far beyond their size and military capability.

EU III complete is a much deeper game than a simple historical wargame and as such has no real competitors on the market barring other paradox titles such as EU Rome and Victoria, but these have differeing mechanics and time periods. Expect to spend some time becoming accustomed to the game as there is a bit of a learning curve.

With the two expansions EU III has to be one of the largest grand strategy games of all time. You can take virtually any country of choice from the late medieval period all the way up to the early modern era.

There's a wealth of events and choices to make, a lot of tinkering to be done with your kingdom and government and of course an entire world to dominate, conquer or survive.

The main issues however are the same as EU III itself. The learning curve is steep, and it's easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of data you are presented with. Micromanagement can still get a little unwieldy, and despite all there is to do I still find myself occasionally twiddling my thumbs with the game in fast forward waiting for something to complete.

It's definitely a game which will give back according to how much you put in, but the sheer size means that's a return you can get for years to come. Longevity is assured with plenty of countries to choose from, whether you want to see if you can recreate France's power in the colonial era or change history by leading a relatively minor nation to a global power.

One of the true classics, I love really epic strategy games and this is easily one of the greatest of all time. There is so much to do and every game is different. You can challenge yourself the way you want which I love. If you go in thinking this will be a fast paced action packed game, you would be wrong. Its all about long term planning and strategy, you have to build yourself up for the future. This pack is awesome value and its a must buy, and once you buy this go out and buy the new expansion which turns this game into a near perfect experience.

Eu3 is an awesome game!! You get to develope your country from the start of the game (1399) all the way up to the end (1821) giving you plenty of time to create your own empire but you can start at any day between those two years. You can also create the Holy Roman empire once the german states are united or be the Papal States and speard your religion or start crusades agaist the infadels! Eu3 has no limits as every game is different from another maybe one time the Ottoman Empire expands its empire into Africa or maybe in another game they will focus on the Balkins. Eu3 is a must buy! Also another great game would be the Eu3 newest expansion Heir to the throne.

An absolutely amazing game, much improved by the expansions. Learning the ropes does take time and patience, and learning the little tricks that help a bunch takes even more, but it's worth the experience. One can follow the course of history or choose to change it, and each path is amazing. And on top of all that, the game has a wonderful modding community. The only thing that stops me from calling it the best in the genre is the experience with the demo of the expansion to come out Dec 12th. Worth every cent.

Fantastic Series! As a newcomer to the world of Europa Universalis, the learning curve was rather moderate, considering the sheer amount of depth that this game offers. Want to take control of Burgundy and emerge victorious against France? Go for it. The game still isn't over. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of events that thicken the plot, even once your main rivals are nothing but ink on the pages of a history book!

This is the gold standard for strategy games. Paradox has made a near perfect game here if you love micromanaging and history and don't mind simplified graphics. Nearly unlimited replayability as well!

Began playing EU3 a couple of weeks ago. VERY high learning curve. I still haven't gotten the hang of the battles and what types of unit(s) I need to succeed. If you like a lot of statistics and in-depth Risk like game, you will enjoy this one. You must read the manual to get any type of understanding of all the different components. If you don't like learning from reading, the tutorial does an admirable job of covering the basics. I personally read the manual before playing a single player game. Have not tried the multi-player, yet. When I learn more of the strategy and little details of the game I will post another review.

Probably the best strategy game I have either played, and will certainly play again for a long time.

For any history-conscious gamer this is a must, as long as you do not forget to use the Magna Mundi Add-On.

The game installed without any serious problems on Windows 7 (administrator account was needed). The game runs fine, without crashes. No serious bugs found so far (a minor graphical peculiarity, but it does not hinder gameplay). Graphics is nice, but nothing to make you scream of joy. Sound consists of classical music and is well-picked. It didn't become disturbing even during those 10 hour sessions but merged nicely to overall emotion of the game.

The gameplay itself is basically a sandbox for managing a progress race of a country in medieval world. It is not the kind of "build base, throw units to battle, repeat", more closer to civ-like "eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate" but with much more control and strategic planning and much less predictability and repetition. Also, those X's are not mandatory in any way, since world domination is just one (boring, unrealistic and luckily not easily achieved) goal of the many you can think of. The historical starting point and many real-hisotry-like events make it more fun, and also have an educational moment from time to time.

There's lots of critic words about the learning curve in internet reviews. Actually, this is not a bad thing! Yes, you should spend some time to read the manuals and forums to understand your options, but considering the time you can amuse yourself with this game, this is a small price to pay (unless you like games easy as shooting a zombie).

Due to the multiple measures of success, strategic challenges and every country's different position and goals, this is a game you probably just need to play through more than 1 time. Probably more, 10+ times, I guess.

This is a fantastic addition to the historical grand strategy genre. It is the complete package: replayability, depth, "just one more turn", and satisfaction in bringing an enemy to their knees. You can take literally any country that has existed between 1399 and 1820 and turn it into a world superpower. And I mean any country. I dominated the world from Japan to Saudi Arabia after starting out as the one province nation, Makassar. The decision system and mission system are great, and are a great feature for goal-based gamers who are uncomfortable with the open-ended nature of the game. All things considered, this is probably one of my favorite games, and you don't need a ridiculously powerful system to play it. A great buy at any price.

If any of you had tried the original EU3 and were dissatisfied by it, I strongly recommend trying it again with NA and IN. It is truly a well-rounded game. As is expected from Paradox, the level of historical detail and possibilities is unmatched. EU3 is the only game where the Duchy of Brabant can become a world power. Rather than limiting you to certain huge countries, you can be any country you want, including the Archbishopric of Trier or the French vassal of Provence. The game is rather intuitive and micromanagement has been reduced. Make sure you read the manual cover and cover four times or else you will miss something crucial. Also the review by telanthar has an error in it. The province decisions ledger can be accessed by the clicking the button that shows up at the top of your screen when they are available. This game is a must for anyone who is into alternative history or just history in general. You can even link it up with Victoria and Hearts of Iron II for one super long epic game. 5/5 Fantastic.

I'm in love with this game, able to fulfill my dreams and my nights. The AI is nice, understanding when peace is the only solution. Not having to micromanage merchants is a delicious improvement. The last boring thing to do is having to find able staff as advisers... spending tens of minute waiting that someone suitable stand out for a theologian job is really boring, especially when the computer is instantly taking it back for another country, as you are too slow to hire him...

Everything else in the game is, for me, pure fun. Crushing the world with The Ottomans, with the Mings dynasty or with... Morocco, that is just the funniest thing you can do of your days and nights :)

Great game for a good price. For those strategy gamers with a lot of patience, this is a great and deep game. Graphics are basic for multuple reasons, but a true gamer can look beyond it. The strategical and tactical options seem endless. You can play with pretty much any nation that existed bestween 1399 A.D. and 1824. This is for the fans of games as Hearts of Iron and Birth of America. For those who can take it to go through an almost endless lurning curve, there is a great reward of endless gameplay!

This is an excellent game! It is completely customizable and has an excellent variety of mods available to play, which enhance its replay value. EU3 was my first Paradox game. It seemed very intimidating at first because of the steep learning curve, but once you get the basics down, it is extremely fun. I would recommend it to anyone who loves strategy or world history.

I had purchased the original EU3 and found it was filled with a lot of irritating features like having to micromanage merchants. The two expansions do away with a lot of irritation I originally experienced with this game and made it far more enjoyable. The National decisions and missions also give some goals for people like me who do like to have a little direction rather than pure free form play. The province decisions however reintroduced excessive levels of micromanagement, particularly as there is no ledger page (that I could locate) allowing you to make decisions from a single screen but instead had to individually select every province to even find out which options were available. Given that the complete EU3 is only $8 more than buying just EU3 it is definitely worth it, and I just wish I hadn't purchased EU3 when it first came out. The only warning I have to offer is that if you already have EU3 installed you need to completely uninstall it before installing EU3 complete.