This game feels like I'm roleplaying in Microsoft Excel. There is no flavor, no initiative to do literally anything. It's all graphs and numbers. Want to please your peasants? Build farms and wheat. Want to please your rich folks? Get some luxury furniture and clothes. Unlike other paradox games there is simply no reason to start as a nation that isn't well off. If you do, you spend the first 15 hours staring at a dead screen, tirelessly building factories and farms, just for some major power to come in and take that one province you really invested in. Diplomacy? For a game with an emphasis on economy and diplomacy, the diplomacy is absolutely garbage. It's bare-bones at best. Roleplay? I'd have more fun watching paint dry. There are minor pop ins every now and then that *attempt* to offer some sort of immersion, but are ultimately lackluster. I mean, they aren't even worth reading, truly. Want to play militarily? Don't. The military aspect of this game is asinine. From games like Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis, and Hearts of Iron, Paradox absolutely dropped the ball on the military aspect of this game. If you want to conquer that nation next to you, just hope you have enough numbers and watch your generals conquer in the most ridiculous path ever, extending your war longer than necessary.

Not to mention the optimization of this game, post release, is still as horrible as ever.

I mean, it has it's (and I say this loosely) redeeming qualities. It looks nice, has a good soundtrack, and the information screens are cool. But this game is extremely incomplete. You would be better off buying Victoria II or simply not spending money at all.

This game feels like I'm roleplaying in Microsoft Excel. There is no flavor, no initiative to do literally anything. It's all graphs and numbers. Want to please your peasants? Build farms and wheat. Want to please your rich folks? Get some luxury furniture and clothes. Unlike other paradox games there is simply no reason to start as a nation that isn't well off. If you do, you spend the first 15 hours staring at a dead screen, tirelessly building factories and farms, just for some major power to come in and take that one province you really invested in. Diplomacy? For a game with an emphasis on economy and diplomacy, the diplomacy is absolutely garbage. It's bare-bones at best. Roleplay? I'd have more fun watching paint dry. There are minor pop ins every now and then that *attempt* to offer some sort of immersion, but are ultimately lackluster. I mean, they aren't even worth reading, truly. Want to play militarily? Don't. The military aspect of this game is asinine. From games like Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis, and Hearts of Iron, Paradox absolutely dropped the ball on the military aspect of this game. If you want to conquer that nation next to you, just hope you have enough numbers and watch your generals conquer in the most ridiculous path ever, extending your war longer than necessary. Not to mention the optimization of this game, post release, is still as horrible as ever. I mean, it has it's (and I say this loosely) redeeming qualities. It looks nice, has a good soundtrack, and the information screens are cool. But this game is extremely incomplete. You would be better off buying Victoria II or simply not spending money at all.