We tried Victoria 3: Paradox’s new and impressive grand strategy

After the huge success of Crusader Kings 3, Paradox Interactive has reached out to one of its most popular series: Victoria 3. The gameplay style is similar to other Paradox games, at first glance the various Europa Universalis may seem indistinguishable from Hearts. Iron etc., but the differences between these products are significantly greater. Victoria does not simulate the conduct of a World War in detail and does not dwell too much on individuals as the Crusader Kings are fine to be done in a medieval context.

Set between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the protagonists of this series are nations, not families, with everything that comes with them.

But we tell you everything Victoria 3 tried.

rewrite history

We won’t have to worry about marrying a high-ranking man in Victoria or constantly counting bullets in the arsenals, and of course that will be our focus in Victoria 3. make our nation prosperous. To do this, we must forge alliances, threaten with weapons, and prosper economically, while keeping at bay the diverse social backgrounds and various political alliances that will divide our empire’s population. As with Paradox’s other strategy games, there is no classic ending or clear victory in Victoria 3: You play for the experience itself, to test yourself, relive history and rewrite it in an epic and believable way.

Empires on a human scale

The two most important points are economic and social. Every nation consumes and produces goods that can work to make them even more valuable. Creating trade routes is crucial to population growth and prosperity, and in Victoria these can take on the complexity of a large, tangled web. A good economic situation gives peace of mind, not only because it allows you to enlist important people in the military, which is a major deterrent in some parts of the world, but above all because it makes citizens more docile and makes it easier for us to get together. certain living standards.

Victoria simulates very well subsection of the population and a simple farmer will be cataloged on the basis of numerous factors such as faith, culture of belonging, education and political preferences. Remember that a farmer does not remain a farmer for life, the demographic situation of Victoria 3 is indeed in constant turmoil and will react according to the decision you make as a leader and what will happen in neighboring countries. , to a greater extent, to the people with whom you will connect more.

They can arise from this human magma. charismatic leaders and figures that can guide millions of people with their ideas, depending on the situation befitting our trust or threats to the established order.

All this and much more must also be borne in mind for a greater and nobler purpose than simply living well: transform society Unlocking and adopting the myriad of civil, military and economic policies the game will propose, slowly shaping the present and therefore the future of our nation.

As the genre dictates, as the depth dictates, Victoria is played in a single scene. tactical map Interacting with dozens of menus and submenus, representing a large part of the then known world. By the developers’ own admission, this third game was developed by trying to bring many of the innovations introduced by Crusader Kings 3 to the Victoria series, notably its revamped clarity. In Victoria 3 you will find the same cascading “tooltip” system which is very useful at any time to understand the effects of a selection or the details of a function; In addition, more attention than usual has been given to the graphical aspect and the way the map responds to simulated events. During the game we will see railways, mines, factories being built; We will see small towns emerge and eventually evolve into cities and megacities.

More understandable than ever

While the graphic aspect may seem a bit honest to us, it’s a very welcome addition without a doubt, a first for Victoria. gloomyabove all, compared to the lively elegance of Crusader Kings 3, which, thanks to the charisma of its “actors”, managed to win millions of players in record time for a Paradox game. However, we are still in the development phase and it would be right to differentiate your products chromatically. Instead, there’s little doubt about the gameplay: A new Victoria is simpler than the second game in the series has been in years, but with the right expansions, it can reach depths that previous episodes couldn’t.