The objective for players of Europa 1400 - The Guild is to successfully build a family dynasty and build their standing within their community to survive an epic 200 years. In one of the most non-linear titles ever made, gamers have completely free-reign on what goals they wish to pursue and how to achieve them.

Europa 1400 - The Guild opens with players deciding upon which of the 12 hugely varied careers they wish to pursue. The rate at which their career develops and the amount of attention they give their career is then entirely the choice of the player; some may look to hire a manager to handle their business affairs allowing them to concentrate on other aspects of their life, whilst others may look to have greater control of their businesses and run all aspects themselves.

Players can increase their standing by seeking public office. Players begin by joining at a low rank with limited powers. However, by fair means of foul players can progress through the ranks to roles as diverse as Archbishop, where players can then perform spectacular miracles or Treasurer where they can embezzle state money. Successful players can even become the sovereign, allowing them unrivalled power and status within the game.

Once their professional life has been organised, players can look towards the romantic goal of courting and eventually wedding a partner. With a wide range of gorgeous potential partners to woo, players will be spoilt for choice, although the higher their chosen partners status, the more expensive presents and the longer time they may take to be won over. After getting married, the player can begin having children and look towards building a strong family unit. The children will then need to be educated and trained in a suitable profession. Eventually, after the parents die, players take the role of the child allowing the family dynasty to continue.

Five superbly detailed and fully-3D European cities from the year 1400, ranging from London, Paris, Milan, Vienna and Madrid have been recreated to provide the breathtaking settings for the players' dynasty, with each city representing different difficulty levels. Players are then able to tailor their experience to match their ability by giving themselves easy or harder objectives, or embark upon a Free Play game.

Commenting on the release, Becky Lindon, JoWooD Productions PR Manager said: "Europa 1400 - The Guild is probably one of the most detailed games ever made. With an unrivalled amount of quality non-linear gameplay this is a truly remarkable game that will leave players spellbound."

On its release, Europa 1400 - The Guild will include the following amazing features:

Absorbing, detailed and non-linear Life Simulation gameplay

Players have the opportunity to create a 200 year family dynasty

No two games are ever the same; new challenges and new events every time

12 hugely diverse occupations

Many skills for the players character to develop

5 huge, fully-3D, real-life cities to explore: London, Paris, Milan, Madrid and Paris

Each city has more than 500 fully-interacting characters

LAN multiplayer mode for up to 8 people

JoWooD Productions UK LTD. of Bushey, Hertfordshire, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Austria-based JoWooD productions Software AG, a publicly traded company on the Vienna Stock Exchange, which is rapidly establishing itself as a leading force in the video games industry. Its strategy is to identify develop and publish internationally competitive, high-quality entertainment software for all existing next-generation gaming platforms. JoWooD Productions has in-house development facilities in Vienna and Ebensee, Austria and a fast growing roster of exceptional subsidiary studios, including Wings Simulations and Massive Development in Germany.