Steam sale: Grand strategy giant with nearly 90K positive reviews now $5 instead of $50
In Europa Universalis IV, players lead one of hundreds of nations through the years 1444 to 1821. The game unfolds in pausable real-time on a detailed world map, accurately reflecting historical conditions at each starting point. Unlike Total War, developer Paradox Interactive forgoes real-time battles and instead uses a simpler graphical style.
What Europa Universalis IV lacks in visual spectacle, it makes up for with incredible depth. A blend of trade, warfare, diplomacy and technological progress makes it one of the most complex strategy games on the market. However, this depth comes with a steep learning curve, requiring players to invest significant time to master its mechanics. With over 40 expansions, the game offers massive content and easily hundreds of hours of gameplay.
Europa Universalis IV was released in August 2013 but has continuously evolved through regular patches and DLCs. On March 9, the German magazine GameStar released a video discussing the game's current state, which has been regarded as fully developed since summer 2024. The video is available in English and German:
Scope can be off-putting for newcomers
In the video, GameStar highlights the game's historical depth and the dynamic evolution of its world. The vast scope, varied AI interactions and diverse mechanics contribute to high replay value. However, the steep learning curve can be daunting for newcomers, especially due to the lack of helpful tutorials. Additionally, with so many DLCs, experiencing the full game can become quite expensive.
Since its release, Europa Universalis IV has received nearly 90,000 reviews on Steam, with 87% being positive. On Metacritic, the strategy game holds a Metascore of 87 and a user score of 8.7.
90% discount on Steam
Europa Universalis IV usually costs around $50 on Steam, but during the spring sale, it is available for just $5 with a 90% discount until March 20. The Starter Edition, which includes ten key DLCs, is discounted by 80%, bringing the price down to $12 instead of $60. For those looking for the full experience, the Ultimate Bundle offers all major expansions at a 41% discount for $104. However, even this edition does not include all cosmetic DLCs.
As with many Paradox Interactive titles, much of Europa Universalis IV’s content comes from expansions. This makes the base game feel somewhat limited at times. For those unwilling to spend over $100 on DLCs, a subscription model is available. For $7.99 per month, subscribers get access to all previously released content, though the base game must still be purchased separately.
Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.
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