Europa 1400: The Guild

JoWood scores yet another hit with the excellent Europa 1400: The Guild. A strategy title that encompasses over 200 years of history, Europa 1400 allows the player to control a family dynasty from humble beginnings to the heights of power and prestige in one of 15th century Europe's five major cities.

Gameplay is solid on all accounts. The built-in tutorial is a must, as there is a bit of a learning curve in the control set. Once controls become familiar, though, gameplay is a snap, and very intuitive. The obvious purpose of the game is to grow, and Europa 1400 allows extensive options in how you would like your character (and later generations) to grow. Interested in a trade? There are many options, from woodwork to money lending, or you can be on the outside of the law as a robber baron or master thief. Join the clergy, or involve yourself in intrigues of city life, the options are all there.

Europa also breaks the mold of strategy as far as multimedia is concerned. Graphics are excellent even for a FPS title, let alone a strategy game, and sound and in-game clips are fantastic, with all graphics unequalled in any other strategy game to date. All the multimedia does is add to an already immersive and intense experience.

There are only a few minor issues in my mind. Though the game strives to recreate a 15th Century Europe, many things are removed for enjoyment and, frankly, political correctness. Women and men have equal abilities in Europa 1400, and while not exactly historically accurate, works well for the 21st Century world. Only a few minor glitches were evident (mostly refresh rate issues) and the game requires all of the hardware your computer can muster. My PII 550 was barely keeping up to processor and memory demands, making for a sometimes slow gaming experience.