In news that nobody saw coming, especially considering the recent teasers, Paradox Interactive today announced that Project Caesar, its next historical grand strategy game, is actually Europa Universalis 5. The next entry in its flagship franchise gives us five centuries’ worth of time to guide the destiny of a nation from the Late Middle Ages onwards.
Developer Paradox Tinto has been working on the game over the past five years and discussing it in a series of developer diaries that began more than a year ago, under the codename Project Caesar. Fans were, of course, already speculating that EU5 was on the way, but now it’s official. I even had the chance to go hands-on with a preview build, and it’s safe to say that changes are afoot.
Europa Universalis 5 Announcement
At its core, Europa Universalis V still revolves around managing multiple aspects of a nation chosen from a massive pool that includes hundreds across various regions of the world. But whether you choose the Papal States, Japan’s Ashikaga Shogunate, or a tribe in the New World, its framework feels different right off the bat.
That’s because EUV steps away from its predecessor’s boardgame-style “mana” mechanics, placing heavy emphasis on simulation across all facets of gameplay.
It takes inspiration from Victoria 3’s socio-economic layers, tasking us with fulfilling the needs of pops that belong to different cultures and religions. We’ll also need to keep track of “dozens of goods and crops,” some of which we can produce ourselves, others which we’ll need to trade for.
Here is a breakdown of the title’s key features, as shared by the publisher in an emailed press release:
- A New and Larger Map: Using a more accurate map projection to better reflect the size of the continents, Europa Universalis V lets you choose from any of hundreds of different societies. Start as a mighty emperor or a local chieftain or warlord anywhere on earth. A more detailed map allows for a greater number of nations and more varied topographical features.
- A Longer Time Scale: The game’s campaign starts in 1337, the year of the opening of the Hundred Years’ War - the great struggle over the French crown that marked the zenith of the late Medieval era. Lead your nation through the Renaissance, the Enlightenment and other historical ages, choosing how you will adjust to an ever changing world.
- Population Based System: Departing from the familiar province-focused system of earlier games in the series, Europa Universals V represents the population of each province in detail. Manage cultural and religious tensions in your realm, deal with estates as they wax and wane in power, and meet the basic and luxury demands of this varied population.
- Thousands of Historical Events: Watch history unfold before you as the great moments of the past make their mark on your game. Dynamically responding to the game situation, these historical events challenge players to repeat or improve on the great accomplishments of the past.
- Detailed Production and Trade System: Build farms, plantations, crafting buildings and factories to provide goods to satisfy your economic and military needs. Or, if your nation can’t provide the things you need, trade for them from neighbouring nations. Some buildings require specific goods to be in supply, so you either invest in new industries or make a deal with your neighbours. Use roads, ports and fleets to expand your trading region and enrich your nation by managing the wealth of the world.
- Design a Nation to Suit Your Situation: Adopt policies and laws to adapt to your situation as you discover new technologies and ideas. Move towards greater centralization or a looser power sharing arrangement. Build an army based on masses of manpower or a more elite professional force. Will you be tolerant of other faiths and cultures, or advocate for a single faith and single culture? A world of possibilities awaits you.
- Deep Military and Diplomatic Systems: Dominate the world through either sword or pen. Rally mercenaries, levies or professional soldiers to your flag as you cut a blood path through history. But be careful! A bloody war fought with levies has a direct impact on your population. Consider a lighter touch, using royal marriages, trade treaties and alliances to expand your power and preserve peace.
Europa Universalis V is in development for PC. While it does not currently have a release window, you can find it on Steam.
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