It has some big disadvantages, but it is definitely a great game.
The major problem for me was initially that the game has a very steep learning curve. It takes a lot of time to really understand the basics of the game. "So look for a tutorial on YouTube then." Yes, that is an option, but most of these are just waaaaay too long. So good luck with that. You could always check out the one I made here (https://youtu.be/y5x06ddeQWo), which goes over all the most important mechanics as fast as possible with the least amount of down-time.

So, anyway, there are, generally speaking, two things you can do in this game: conquer your neighbours or nations that are near you and/or colonize the New World. However, some of the mechanics of the game are greatly dependent on the DLC's you have. For example: without the El Dorada DLC colonizing is a real pain in the ass. Second example: If you want to play as a nation that is the subject of another country (a vassal or junior partner, like Sweden, Holland, and a bunch more) you will need a special DLC to use the "Support independence" option, that asks other nations to help you get your independence. If you don't have this one, you will just have to HOPE that nations will offer this to you (which mostly doesn't happen).

Summarizing: expect to play at least 80 hours before you really have an idea on how to play the basics of this game. I'm currently at around 700 hours, and I still have trouble understanding how the trade system and swapping the culture of your nation works. But anyway: great game if you're willing to buy some DLC and invest some time in it.

It has some big disadvantages, but it is definitely a great game. The major problem for me was initially that the game has a very steep learning curve. It takes a lot of time to really understand the basics of the game. "So look for a tutorial on YouTube then." Yes, that is an option, but most of these are just waaaaay too long. So good luck with that. You could always check out the one I made here (https://youtu.be/y5x06ddeQWo), which goes over all the most important mechanics as fast as possible with the least amount of down-time. So, anyway, there are, generally speaking, two things you can do in this game: conquer your neighbours or nations that are near you and/or colonize the New World. However, some of the mechanics of the game are greatly dependent on the DLC's you have. For example: without the El Dorada DLC colonizing is a real pain in the ass. Second example: If you want to play as a nation that is the subject of another country (a vassal or junior partner, like Sweden, Holland, and a bunch more) you will need a special DLC to use the "Support independence" option, that asks other nations to help you get your independence. If you don't have this one, you will just have to HOPE that nations will offer this to you (which mostly doesn't happen). Summarizing: expect to play at least 80 hours before you really have an idea on how to play the basics of this game. I'm currently at around 700 hours, and I still have trouble understanding how the trade system and swapping the culture of your nation works. But anyway: great game if you're willing to buy some DLC and invest some time in it.