Realpolitiks

I really can't recommend this game. The user interface (UI) is ugly, unintuitive and due to the small fonts a sore to the eye (on a 32" screen, mind you). Apart from the loading screens, the art style of this game hails back to Victoria I standards, meaning small icons without much information value. While the world map is at least scrolling quite smoothly, there is nothing really going on at it, so that they could as well have used bitmap graphics instead of a 3D engine. The music is dull, not dynamic and actually rather something you want to turn off after the third loop. The gameplay mainly consists of waiting: Go to the projects tab, click one of the policies and wait until it is implemented. Forein policy consists of clicking a country on the world map and then selecting a few interactions, which will play out as another status bar. There are very little provinces, even for the major countries. Which is probably for the better, as there is nothing useful implemented there. World events unfold in a single line of a newsticker on top of the screen, which you'll get tired of reading through quite quickly, if you actually even notice it. Occasionally an event window pops up, forcing you to make a decision which doesn't really feel making an impact at all. And that's the bottom line of it: The player is watching, but never really has the feeling there is something like cause and effects. You could as well just watch a round of Progress Quest and at least wouldn't have to bother with the bad UI. If you are searching for an easily accessible, fun and quick to master world strategy game, this is not it.

Once again I rage quitted a playthrough. Here is a description of one of the many bugs I've been encounering since I got the game: I won a war against the US and tried to demand Callisto. I could select the planet but not confirm the selection. Just to be sure I started a war with India which owned Ganymed with the same result: select planet and no confirm button was available. The game in general has some good ideas but imo is held back by mechanics that make no sense in a modern world scenario like claiming a neighboring province as a core. For me this feels more like an easter egg referring to Europa Universalis.

Wonderful! This game has everything that someone who likes geopolitics can expect, wars, treaties, formation of commercial blocks, economic development and prosperity. I had a lot of fun playing in the available scenarios. Looking forward for the second title on the series.

The menus sometimes bug out, but otherwise this is a very unique take on grand strategy. Less minutia, more fun. I can recommend it, but probably not to someone who is looking for an upgrade from Paradox.

I got Realpolitiks and the New Power DLC when it was on sale and that was my first and only experience, so I will be leaving the same review on the main game page as well as the DLC page. I suppose I think I'll be the first person to give the DLC itself a review since nobody seems to have done that yet. I just want to say that I really had a lot of fun with the game. It does have its pros and cons. Pros: wonderful atmospheric sounds that make you feel like there are lots of really intense tiny battles happening in the distance. I really felt the game nailed that spot on. That was really cool. I really loved how the game was a good balance between some of the other more "overly-complicated" games of this similar type, but not too simple either. It landed in a very special "Just right" kind of good spot that other games seem to miss, so this was very special for me since it was not simple, but also not complicated to the point where I went crazy. It was just flat out simply just a good FUN game and I would recommend everyone grab it on sale some time in the future and play it for days and days, I REALLY enjoyed this. Cons: The clicking. So much clicking! ahhhh! This game is VERY fun but you need to click and click and click and click, click to do every single action and make everything happen. My hands and wrists did get kinda sore, but they're okay. Game speed is also a little weird, some things happen too fast, but sometimes the game makes you wish there was an 4X or 5X speed button. Another thing I notice is that even after all the financial related upgrades and opening those little stock market things with everyone, I can never stop my "GDP" from going down into the red zone forever, never to be saved from the depths of doom ever again. I just don't know how to save that from happening. It does get a little tedious and grindy because of those cons. Otherwise, this is an excellent game that I'm really happy I was able to experience. Loads of fun! :)