The series has been referred to as being akin to a real-time version of Risk, but that is a woefully inadequate description. You can pause the game and change its speed at any time, and instead of having you command real-time battles, combat is resolved with dice rolls influenced by modifiers such as terrain, weather, and generals. In keeping with previous incarnations of the series, EUIV plays like a real-time version of a tabletop board game, which is appropriate since the series is based on one. Others will have no clue what is going on. Some see Constantine XI leading his cavalry in a final battle against the Turks. In many ways, EUIV is the pinnacle of the series however, it is also plagued by numerous bugs that can ruin an otherwise outstanding experience. Europa Universalis IV succeeds at this balancing act by simplifying the series and making the hundreds of playable countries feel unique without dumbing it down or adding too many special rules.

The Europa Universalis series has always struggled to be approachable to newcomers while offering a deep strategy game experience that accurately depicts the colonial period's social dynamics without becoming too deterministic.

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