The best of it's kind, no other words needed.

If you have any interest in history, this is basically your 'take 1 game to play on a deserted island' pick.

Somewhat overwhelming to start but a few hours of figuring out the basics rewards with endless hours of absorbing nation building. Honestly staggering replayability, not only are there 100s of nations to play as giving a unique experience, but play the same nation 5 times and you'll have 5 unique experiences due to different circumstances unfolding in the world around you. Spread your colour on map = brain happy.

This is probably the game that has the most content to encourage one to replay ever made. A more accurate representation of my total hours is about 6,000 on multiple platforms and Steam. I don't really know how to feel about that number ;)

What I can say is that over those thousands of hours, I still learn new ways to min/max my playthroughs by using different mechanics in more effective ways each time. You can be an able conqueror, diplomat or merchant without mastering the game. But... you can always do it differently or just objectively better.

What is likely to draw you back again and again over the years is the knowledge that you can choose the same path you've once tread but go down it more effectively and securely, or go down a completely insane or ridiculous road that noone has thought of before. There really are few limits in this game.

TIM most fun faction imo.

EDIT: PSA - imo it's best to start with the base game and buy the DLC ***SLOWLY*** over time as you learn new game mechanics. I don't advise buying the whole collection at once and I'm kinda iffy on the whole every-game-requires-a-subscription-thesedays gimmick. Give it a test run, the odds are pretty good that if you're even viewing EU4's store page you're going to enjoy the game due to it being niche in the first place. Great devs, great content!

the $350 ultimate bundle still doesn't include all DLC. Paradox is a garbage company

this game is my favourite by far of all games i have played. It not only reflects history but has also made me realise my full potential of what i could be if i stay true to myself at all times. I have come to realise through the progression of this game that i am strongly attracted to males and that i am gay i will be asking this guy out soon and hope we can spend the rest of our lives together thank you to this game .

Great.

All my friends & family left me, but at least i got to restore the mongol empire

Approaching 6000 hours and i have to say this is my favorite game in the paradox interactive catalog.
-EU4 covers the early modern period bridging the gap between the late medieval age to the Napoleonic era stretching from 1444 to 1821 allowing you to play as any nation.-

learning curve- (harder than Hearts of iron, easier than Victoria and Crusader kings) I have found myself learning new advanced features thousands of hours into the game that while not essential added to the experience and kept the game feeling fresh, these features while not hidden are not covered by the basic turorials but i think the game benifits from holding back on a exaustive turorial in its current state in order to keep it from being overwelming (EU4 is a titan of a game).

replay-ability- The most re-playable of modern paradox games as its the last game in the paradox library to include truly free date selection and not just bookmarks (on the start menu you can change the date manually in the bottom left below the bookmarks to allow for any day, month, or year) even without this i would say the base 1444 start date holds a greater level of replay-ability due to the amount of free updates to the map and nations that have been added over the years.

DLC Value- Paradox interactive does not pump out games year after year like most other developers and instead supports thier games long after thier launch through free updates and DLC (which is why there is so much) which I recommend if on sale as full price can be steep even in a bundal, alternatively since launch they have made DLC more accessible through monthly subscription. (if you are on the roap about DLC paradox interactive is one of the few developers that allows you to play with friends even if you dont all have the same DLC, the game works off of the hosts DLC so if your friend has the DLC and is hosting a multiplayer game you can effectivly use that as a free trial to try the DLC for yourself before you buy.) While the quantity of DLC is intimidating the quality of the products that paradox interactive puts out has gotten me to pick up all of them (even the cosmetic ones) as a kind of tip jar to support the developers as the kind of love seen in this game has become a rarity in the industry.

Rating summary- 9.5/10 I highly recommend EU4, The only point i can really knock it on is the learning curve but this is almost universal with games of this scope as a result EU4 is as close as possible to a realistically attainable perfect score.

This game requires no explanation