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Victoria II Review for PC

Victoria II Review for PC

Victory for You and Victoria Too

We all know people who don’t like, or understand, video games. It’s typically older people, and I can say that because I’m not exactly young. These outsiders tend to lump all games into one category: ridiculously stupid time wasters. What a lot of them don’t realize is just how sophisticated and complex these games can be. Case in point, Victoria II, a nation-building sim and straegy game. The difference between this game and Kirby is so vast it would require a wormhole to traverse it. I am absolutely convinced some members of the highest levels of government would fail miserably at Victoria II, and perhaps Kirby.

Victoria II screenshot

Victoria II is not just for nerds. It does take some time to learn, but I can almost guarantee the rewards are worth the effort. Yes, there were times I would have rather been whacking a mole with a mallet than negotiating religious rights to an irate mob, but with patience and perseverance, what you can do to that mole you can do the entire world, over time.

If you’re a little apprehensive about this version because of the first one, Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun, don’t be. Although I dodged a bullet by not having to review it some seven years ago, I heard all about it from the unlucky sap that did. Apparently, plenty has been changed since, but it’s not important to compare, this game stands solid on it own merit. I am not the most fervent of sim fans, but I do enjoy a good game when I play one, and I can certainly recommend Victoria II to all gamers who enjoy a challenge.

Plenty of tutorials, hints, and automations help keep beginners’ heads above water. Even seasoned vets can relegate some of the tedious micromanagement to the automation and still enjoy an exciting and complex game.

We begin in the 1800s during the Victorian era. It’s the dawn of the industrial revolution. If you’re beginning to think this is boring, think again. This is the beginning of our present day society. It’s a time when the masses stand up to be counted. Freedom, democracy, dictatorship, disposable income, luxuries, oppression, and new technologies are emerging. The Dark Ages are vanishing in the light of enlightenment, and you’re at the center of it all. Communism and fascism are not necessarily bad concepts if you’re playing from these perspectives. This is an age of ideas and ideals.

Victoria II screenshot

A word of advice, start small. Choose a small country and learn the ropes. You’ll gain lots of knowledge and experience by getting your butt kicked by larger and more powerful countries. But not to worry, time is on your side, you have 100 years to raise your nation. Like all economic and civilization sims, the key is balance, and Victoria II is no exception. The main categories you must attend to include commerce, military, and the population. Each of these categories has many subgroups, which are easily accessible from the menu. Picking a category and clicking on it will reveal many options. For instance, the population needs to be kept happy, so you’ll have to give them some freedom in various areas such as laws, religion, and time off from work. At the same time, you have to make sure they’re productive, and you’ll have to tax them to generate revenue for you to spend in other areas. Don’t get greedy because if they don’t have some spending money for recreation, things can get revolting, . and that’s when things get ugly.

Fortunately, aside from a few freeze-ups, the game is almost bug-free. That is until the population revolts and starts making outrageous demands, many of which you can’t meet. These incidents occur randomly and, at times, frequently. You can’t plan for them, and you can’t always deal with them. Paradox may have a patch for this annoyance by the time you get your copy of the game.

Victoria II screenshot

Put away that mallet and stop looking for weasels, there isn’t a lot of combat in this game. World domination comes through more diplomatic means, but there are some battles, and you’re going to have to have some kind of military presence to defend yourself. Warfare is automated, although you do have a hand in many decisions such as where to position your infantry and naval units on the world map. Your military grows exponentially with the population so your army will always be balanced.

Another aspect that is automated is trade. You don’t want to know how complicated this is, but you can always try it manually. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Trade is not limited to the resources that are indigenous to your area. This is the age of factories, assembly lines, mechanization, and mass production. Whatever items you need for manufacturing can be imported from other countries. There are some 50 different items that can be bought, sold, traded, stolen, and manufactured, it’s overwhelming. Not to mention there are employees to recruit and train, factories to build, trade routes to establish, and tariffs to impose. That’s another game in itself, so just automate it and get on with your life.

Victoria II screenshot

If you like feeling important, like getting all kinds of texts in real life, you’ll definitely get your ego stroked in Victoria II. Instead of texting your friends back about Lady Gaga’s new outfit on Fallon, this game will continuously seek your wisdom in matters such as approving a new technology, appeasing an offended world power, and how best to quell an impending communist uprising. It’s all in a day’s work and no roaming charges.

Oddly enough, a game such as this doesn’t have to rely on graphics, yet it is actually a great looking game. The maps are nicely detailed with topographic features and colorfully blue bodies of water. Historic scenes are presented in a classic, sepia tone that gives it an authentic vintage look. Ironically, it’s the text that suffers with small print that doesn’t always stand out. The icons are also tiny, and even when you can make them out, it can be confusing as to what they actually represent. Musically, the tunes are period specific, so expect a lot of regal, pompous classical music for the first half of the game. The soundtrack does cut out from time to time, but I didn’t feel as though I was missing anything important.

Patience is a virtue in Victoria II, and if you have it in abundance, then you may want to try the multi-player component. The single-player is basically one huge campaign, and with so many choices and variables, how much longer do you want to drag this out? Enter the multi-player mode. It then becomes a board game, not unlike Life. Against the right opponent, under the right circumstances it works, but it’s long, involved, intense, and largely unrewarding. I much preferred playing against the A.I.

Victoria II incorporates challenging strategy and sim elements with enough flexibility to satisfy any weasel-beating gaming goof.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.1 Graphics
Victoria 2 has nice details with vintage looking photos and topographic maps. 3.7 Control
The interface is easy to navigate but text and icons can be difficult to read and understand. 4.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The period music is accurate, if boring, . and the audio cuts out at times. 4.8 Play Value
It’s a different game each time. 4.3 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Victoria II is a deep engrossing political simulation, with dozens of different types of governments.
  • Manage a detailed economy with over fifty different type of goods and factories.
  • Experience historical game-play on a large map covering the entire world.
  • Make use of an Advanced Technological system with thousands of inventions to be discovered.
  • Utilize the automation of various tasks, including trade and population promotion.
  • Gunboat Diplomacy means no need for negotiation, as a fleet outside a port may be a more persuasive argument.
  • Instigate the overhaul of education, where clergy educates people of the same religion, and each population has their own literacy levels.
  • Complete historical and dynamic missions, guiding your country through the history.
  • Partake in thousands of historical events and decisions.

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