This is a proper tank simulation. They don't make those any more. Maybe they don't have to, because this one is as good as it gets. Sure, the graphics are dated, but the mechanics are rock solid. One of the best things about this one is the modding community. Over the years these people created graphics updates, a whole host of additional scenarios, vehicles, sound sets (great stuff, get them. Enemy fire ricocheting off your vehicle's armour is a terrifying sound). Of course the learning curve is steep, this is a simulation after all. To help you with this you can adjust the realism pretty smoothly with various options. If you're into tanks, if you're into ww2 tank simulations you have to get this one. It's the king of kings in this genre. P.S.: If you ever see or played Panzer Elite Action games, forget about those. They're trash. This one is a proper simulation and brilliant.
The whole Europa Universalis series is excellent. Every single game is. That being said, the series gets better with each consecutive title and they very, very much build up on each other, i.e. each game is the previous game including all the add-ons AND THEN better, so instead of getting EU1 I would go straight to EU3 including all the expansions or, if you've got a stronger computer, EU4. You can't go wrong with either of the games, but this series is the rare thing in which each incarnation of the game is better than the previous one. The Europa Universalis series is like a perpetuum mobile of goodness. So the newer the game you get the better (and believe me, I'm NOT the kind of guy who generally says that a game is better because it's newer or because it's got newer graphics).
I bought this a while ago and I have to say that, despite my best intentions, I just couldn't get into this thing. It does have a very nice soundtrack, it does have a good mood (unless it's completely wrecked by popculture refernces that shouldn't be there) but I had a hard time liking the characters you play. I guess the humour just didn't click with me because it's a very particular kind of jokes. (I'm having a hard time avoiding the term "hipster" here) From a storytelling perspective: Very powerful. However, from a gameplay perspective I can hardly take this for a video game. It's on par with mario is missing in this regard. I don't mind slow, character-driven roleplaying games. I do love me a good story. To the Moon has all of this but it lacks in every other department in my opinion. I just don't think that this is a game. It's an interactive story.
