Europa Universalis 4 will become free on the Epic Games Store starting on September 30, 2021. This will also mark the first time that Paradox Interactive's 2013 title comes to the storefront. In fact, none of the other Europa Universalis games have ever been on the store, so the title debuting for free next week will mark a big step for the franchise in terms of distribution. New Epic Games Store titles often debut for free on the store, especially if they are older legacy titles like Europa Universalis 4.
Although the game is now over eight years old, it still has a thriving fanbase and stands as one of the highest-rated games in the series by a large margin. This is partly due to its huge wealth of rules and mechanics, and the high level of polish on release (bucking the trend of Paradox's games up to that point, which were often seen as buggy at launch). Europa Universalis 4 is also still actively being worked on, with its most recent expansion Leviathan releasing in April 2021. This makes it a great get for Epic Games Store users.
What Makes Europa Universalis 4 Unique?
Europa Universalis has always been Paradox's flagship grand strategy series. It spawned numerous similar titles that were incredibly successful for the studio, most notably Hearts of Iron and Crusader Kings. Paradox's renown for these grand world-building strategy titles comes from the Europa series, and it's not hard to see why.
Underlying each of these games is a sense of player freedom; they're sandboxes in the truest sense of the word. Any combination of different power mechanisms can be used to achieve victory, and Europa Universalis 4 boasts more of these than any previous entry. It takes place over a much larger time frame than previous titles, giving players maximum time to thrive and build empires. The rich and diverse set of options make for a lovely level of possible tactical depth, set among hyper-realistic historical accuracy.
Europa Universalis 4 released seven years after Europa Universalis 3, which was the first Europa game to make the leap to 3D. The fourth instalment follows this trend, using the same Clausewitz Engine with a few visual enhancements. While it might be less pretty than contemporary grand strategy titles like Sid Meier's Civilization 6, its visuals still mostly stand up. More important than visual improvements is how the game innovates on the Europa franchise. It adds a new trade system, the use of coalitions, royal marriages, and rebel groups.
The State of Europa Universalis 4 in 2021
Unlike other older free Epic Games Store titles, the fourth Europa game is still being actively developed in 2021. This means Epic's free offering will work out well for both consumers and the company. New Europa players get access to a game with an active playerbase for cross-platform multiplayer, and Epic get a chance to sell the available DLC to a new market.
Unfortunately, Europa's latest DLC might not be all that attractive to new players. Europa Universalis 4's Leviathan DLC was panned due to its buggy mechanics and broken save states. Players saw corrupted save games in the expansion, and Paradox Tinto manager Johan Andersson called it the "worst release we have had." The Leviathan expansion was named after the famous Thomas Hobbes treatise, which described the state of human nature as "nasty, brutish, and short." While it's not the first video game based on philosophy, the DLC did seem to live up to Hobbes' description.
The developer has since fixed some of the worst game-breaking bugs, and is working on fixing further legacy glitches in Europa Universalis 4. If players pick up the game free on the Epic Store, they will only have access to the base game, which is worth around $50.
Playing Europa Universalis 4 Before The Board Game
New updates, DLC, and mods are not the only Europa Universalis 4 content in 2021. Europa Universalis: The Price of Power is also set for release at some point this year (providing COVID-19 supply chain issues do not rear their heads again). While it might not rank as highly as Kickstarter successes like Yooka-Laylee, the board game still raised an impressive amount on the fundraising platform. The game was announced in 2018, and since then has garnered over five million Norwegian kroner (just under $605,000 USD). This was magnitudes more than Paradox's modest 250,000 kroner initial goal, backed by 4,233 grand strategy fans.
The Europa series was originally based upon a French board game of the same name. Unsurprisingly, the original is just as comprehensive as the game series, offering an unprecedented degree of freedom in the board game space. On the downside, this makes the average game last 15 days, which is understandable considering the 1,000 markers and 72 page rulebook. It's one of the most ambitious grand strategy games out there, but the 2021 counterpart lowers the playtime. The new board game is set after the 1440s, mirroring Europa Universalis 4.
As recently as August 2021, the game was still being worked on, with a release window of late 2021. This is far later than its initial August 2020 release window, and these delays have largely been due to the difficulty of releasing physical media during COVID-19 lockdowns and supply shortages.
Like the Dark Souls and Skyrim board games, there is a difficult balance to strike in translating the game back into a modern-facing board game. However, the gorgeous artwork, frank and transparent Kickstarter updates, and a dedicated solo mode certainly look promising.
Europa Universalis 4 will release free via the Epic Games Store on September 30.