Victoria 3 for Windows

Create your own Victorian utopia

Victoria 3 is a grand strategy game from Paradox Interactive and is the sequel to the cult classic Victoria 2. This historical game puts you in charge of a unique state in the 19th century. You are tasked with leading the way toward political, economical, military, and technological supremacy. Its huge scale lets you choose from over 100 playable nations, inspired by the global map at the time.

Victoria 3 is a more time-specific contemporary to the hit game Civilization 6, with the graphics and audio to match. However, this Victorian experience is a lot more historically grounded and detail-specific.

Prepare for a long and deep game

For starters, Victoria 3 sets itself apart from other grand strategy or 4X games with its lack of focus on warfare. As in real life, war is not easy and is mostly a last resort. What it focuses on, however, are diplomatic and economic aspects. This makes the game unusually long and complex; each of your decisions can have a profound impact on the game even without you noticing them.

Still, the game saves you a lot of micromanaging by letting you automate tasks such as trade and population. However, its AI has been updated in such a way that your people react to changes within their territory with greater sensitivity. Not only should you be wary of your neighbors and competitors, but you should also take greater note of your own subjects.

Of course, the game’s complexity also makes it off for certain players. Since it places heavy emphasis on diplomacy and nation-building, chances are you can complete the game without any action taking place. Also, don’t expect to have futuristic weapons or any barbaric forms of engagement, again due to the game’s focus on nation-building, but also because of its timespan of 1836 to 1936.

Made even grander

To fully immerse yourself in Victoria 3, you can purchase the new Grand Edition which comes with the base game and the expansion pass. The expansion pass includes several upcoming releases such as a music pack, art pack, immersion pack, and expansion pack, all of which have yet to be given specific release dates. Additionally, the Grand Edition includes the American Building Pack as a bonus.

The American Building Pack is a small DLC that gives you unique building models for the United States of America starter nations pack in the game. It is not available for a separate purchase, so players who want the specific design special have to spend a couple of bucks and get the Grand Edition. Nevertheless, this unique expansion pass can be a great purchase for avid fans of the game with its inclusions.

What is a DLC?

DLC is short for downloadable content, which refers to extra content developed for a previously released video game, and is disseminated online by the game's publisher. It can be available for free or as a way for the publisher to generate further income from a game after it's been sold. It is typically sold using microtransactions through various game purchasing platforms such as Steam, or within the game's personalized store for in-game purchases.

Too intricate and strategic

In its attempt to accurately represent the real world, Victoria 3 has established the bearing of diplomacy, trade, and technology as equally powerful avenues aside from military strength. This leads to making warfare difficult to achieve as well as making the game long, which could be a pro or a con depending on the player. Still, the race for global supremacy is well-mixed with the tediousness of governance in this game. Recommended.