Yes. While we love the latest, third installment of the Victoria series (Victoria 3), we’d love to turn our focus on the previous two grand-strategy games. Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun and Victoria II. Two of Paradox Interactive’s most intriguing series. What are they all about? What’s so special about them? And what is their legacy? Find out more with a simple scroll down.
Hey. It’s not like it’s our first article about a strategy game. Just this spring we did a nice ranking of all of the Dynasty Warriors games. You can read that article here. And yes. I even did a Filmaholic Gamer Review on Crusader Kings III. Check out my rookie review here.
But First… The 101 On Victoria 3
What’s Victoria 3 all about you might ask? Paradox Development Studio invites you to build your ideal society in the tumult of the exciting and transformative 19th century. Balance the competing interests in your society and earn your place in the sun in Victoria 3, one of the most anticipated games in Paradox’s history. Lead dozens of world nations from 1836-1936. Agrarian or Industrial, Traditional or Radical, Peaceful or Expansionist… the choice is yours.
Detailed population groups with their own economic needs and political desires.
Reform your government and constitution to take advantage of new social innovations, or preserve the stability of your nation by holding fast to tradition in the face of revolutionaries.
Research transformative new technology or ideas to improve your national situation.
Victoria 3 is available for purchase here. But so is the Victoria Grand Edition here. Get them while they’re still hot.
And What’s The Word On The Game?
Well… “Victoria 3 succeeds at rendering a tumultuous chapter in world history with a straightforward grace that educates as much as it entertains”- says Rock Paper Shotgun.
While the guys’ art IGN adds: “Victoria 3 is the kind of game that sucks me in and doesn’t let me go”
And how about some of the user comments? What are they saying about it?
The reason why I’m recommending this game is because, at its core, it’s quite fun. It is immersive and offers additions to the economic system, which Victoria 2 didn’t feature at all. Says Pivot-Storm.
While Mr. Tsubodai adds: I am really enjoying Victoria 3.
Victoria 3: A Look Back At The Previous Games
Let’s start with the game that started it all. The first game in the series. Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun. A grand strategy game that got a 2003 release, An Empire Under the Sun was an interesting project for the Swedish publisher Paradox Interactive. A company that was founded just a few years prior as well. But what about the game itself? What’s so special about it? Well, it covers its namesake the Victorian period, specifically 1836-1920. And runs on a modified version of the Europa Universalis engine. The lead game programmer was Johan Andersson, while the lead designer was Joakim Bergqwist.
Unlike previous Paradox Interactive, which either focused on exploration and colonization (like Europa Universalis) or warfare (like Hearts of Iron), Victoria focuses on internal management. It covers the industrialization and social/political changes in a country. Not to mention, it gives a lot of importance to the economy of a country, with its complex market system. Which is even today considered as one of the best economic simulators ever made. The main goal is to end the game with the most Victory Points. To get victory points, you must score in three categories. Prestige, Industry and Military.
The economic system in Victoria attempts to simulate the flow of resources in a world market. And the game has 47 separate resources. But when it comes to the reception among the critics, Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun, got mostly mixed reviews from critics. Yes. Victoria received largely indifferent reviews on release, averaging only 60.4% on GameRankings. For instance, IGN commented that the game had unique potential, but was crushed by its “bugginess” and lack of tutorial.
Victoria II: An Improvement Worth Waiting For?
Victoria II did things a little bit differently. Published in 2010 was a solid sequel for Paradox Interactive. And like its predecessor, Victoria II has the player control one of approximately 200 states of the world between 1836 and 1936. The player is in charge of a number of tools for managing the economy, science, domestic politics, diplomacy, army and navy. However, the sequel proved to be an improvement, when compared to the original movie. A lot of the fans loved the deep storytelling and the engaged characters as well.
Not to mention, the significant emphasis on the details of internal processes occurring in the state. And the developed system of diplomacy available to the great powers. The game also offers the ability to colonize places that, at the time, were not under the control of any European power. Such as Sub-Saharan Africa or parts of Asia. Johan Andersson was the producer of the sequel (yet again), and it resulted with better reviews. GameSpot said that there was much less micromanagement than in its predecessor. While Gaming Nexus gave the final product a verdict of 8.5 (“very good”). The outlet commented that “after some patching and a couple of expansions, Victoria 2 is rounding into shape.
But Are You A Fan? Of Victoria 3 And Its Predecessors?
Let us know in the comment section if you are. Tell us what you love the most about the game and the game series in general.
