14 DAY TRIAL // What’s the best strategy to make Persia resilient and nimble? Should the wise ruler embrace Islam and try to spread it as widely as possible? Is the Zoroastrian path better for the people? Once religious matters are settled, should our empire focus on art and culture, or should we try to conquer more rich land around us?
The Ottomans have already swallowed all their smaller rivals. The Mamluck rulers of Egypt might pose a challenge, but they are refusing to join us in an alliance. It might be a good idea to build up until a war erupts between the two and then strike when the winner is weakened. Let’s hope other events don’t wreck our stability when that happens.
King of Kings is DLC, classified as an immersion pack, for Europa Universalis IV. It is developed by Paradox Tinto and published by Paradox Interactive. The focus is on the big powers that battle for lands in the Middle East, Egypt, and Anatolia.
What units them is the need to, sooner or later, find a way to deal with the Ottomans, a big and powerful state. The Byzantines start on the back foot and need both allies and luck to survive and regain their lands. The Mamlucks dominate Egypt and can build an empire in Africa but that requires a secure northern flank.
A number of states, including Qara Qoyunlu, Aq Qoyunlu, Ardabil, Ajam, and the Timurids, can claim the mantle of Persia. Once that happens, players have the freedom to decide whether the new power will follow Islam or Zoroastrianism. Persia also comes complete with a new set of National Ideas, its own unique estates, and an interesting set of government reforms.
All the major players, as well as Armenia, Georgia, Yemenite, and Arabian countries, also get new national mission trees and events. This is the kind of DLC that often sent me searching online to learn more about the major players and the big historical crises.
The mechanics of Europa Universalis IV haven’t changed. Gamers have full control over a country, from internal politics to diplomacy, from warfare to economics. Players will choose idea groups to boost their capabilities, shaping strategies that also need to take into consideration rivals, historical moments, and geography. EU IV has added a lot of mechanics over its history, which interact with one another in complex ways.
For nations showcased in King of Kings, the big obstacles are the Ottomans and the Timurids. They tend to back coalitions that can stifle expansion and often bully their smaller neighbors. Regardless of the country gamers choose, it is important to be patient, secure internal stability as much as possible, and only attack with strong partners and when the enemy has already been weakened.
Europa Universalis IV was launched in 2013 and its longevity is impressive. The new DLC arrives alongside a patch that deals with a lot of bugs and tweaks some mechanics. More updates will be delivered as the community finds issues with the new content.
Europa Universalis IV remains a decent-looking grand strategy game, with an interface and map that both convey a lot of information efficiently. King of Kings adds new unit models and some beautifully illustrated missions’ trees and events, but the game often looks its age. The game’s soundtrack continues to be impressive, and the 12 new tracks are a pleasure to listen to.
Conclusion
The DLC is a Yay for any players interested in the featured nations. It is a Nay for gamers who tend to focus on other areas of the world for their campaigns because it adds no big new mechanic. King of Kings shows that Europa Universalis IV still has plenty of historical situations to explore and can craft some cool content based on them.
Review key provided by the publisher.
