Victoria 3

Is there a “grander” grand-strategy game than Victoria 3? The second game was huge, but developer paradox interactive claims that this is their biggest game to date and I am inclined to believe that. I do not actually think that there is a strategy game bigger than this one here being released in 2022! Today, I am taking a closer look at some of the more interesting aspects of the game and why I think that strategy game fans need to be interested in this game.

Leading Through The Ages

Taking place during the 19th century Victoria 3 truly is the ultimate society simulator as their PR states. You can pick from a ton of different countries to try and lead to prosperity. You can be a more agrarian or industrial type of country; you can try and be more peaceful and diplomatic or you can be more aggressive and be willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that your nation is the one that flourishes. This is your nation to grow, from the government, what kind of technologies you use, and much more!

Money Makes The World Go Around!

A huge part of the gameplay in Victoria 3 is establishing yourself on the world stage as something of a financial superpower. You need to have a steady influx of cash which of course comes in the form of taxing your people, which is a delicate balancing act in itself. You can work trades with other nations to get materials from them which you can then turn into something else which you can then sell for profit. There are many ways to make your finances grow in the game, but it can be a very tricky thing to balance. You try and exploit workers too much and you may have a revolution on your hands!

The World In Your Hands

A huge part of what I like about this series and a huge part of what I think Victoria 3 is doing better than any other grand-strategy game out there is by having you play on the world stage. You can make all kinds of “diplomatic” ties with other nations some may be sturdier than others, you can be friendly, use military might, or just wage war on those you feel may stand in the way of your nation becoming the worlds superpower. Playing this kind of game by doing things like offering help or showing strength by threats is something I think is a great deal of fun. Of course, if you try this with the wrong nation and you could have a major war on your hands!

Beauty Through The Ages

Spanning 100 years of history, Victoria 3 is a very interesting looking game. Actually, in the last few months, I have read a great deal about how deep, fun, and engaging the gameplay is, but not many people are talking about what a gorgeous looking game this is. It has the same kind of “top-down” style to the visuals that you would expect from this series, but there is a real sharpness and level of detail here that truly is quite amazing and helps get you more invested in your quest for world domination.

Pros:

• I love how it is set during this time period
• The game has some deep political/diplomacy gameplay
• You can pick from many different nations to lead
• I love the way you can make money from many different sources

Cons:

• This is the kind of game that will have a steep learning curve
• It is not for those that do not like strategy games