Europa Universalis III delves deeply into the areas of exploration, trade, warfare and diplomacy and is an epic strategy game where players take control of a nation and guide it through the ages to become a great global empire. Unparalleled in its depth and historical accuracy, Europa Universalis gives players freedom to rule their nation from an impressive choice of over 250 historically accurate countries. The Europa Universalis series put Paradox Interactive on the map as a leading strategy games publisher and developer and Europa Universalis III is eagerly anticipated from fans worldwide.

Europa Universalis III includes many different unit types that are based upon both regional and technological differences around the world during the eras covered by the game. All types will all have slightly different combat characteristics and appearances, and this variation will ensure players keep gameplay fresh and diverse.

Each unit type belongs to one of seven categories: land-based units all fall under the classification of infantry, cavalry, or artillery, while naval units will either be transport vessels or one of three distinct sizes of combat vessel.

Land forces are used to defend your provinces, fight battles, put down rebellion, lay siege to enemy cities, and conduct any other military operations that occur on solid ground.

• Infantry Regiments
  • The infantry regiment is the basic foot soldier. In the early stages of the game, they are armed with swords or spears, or sometimes with bows or javelins. Infantry move fairly slowly, and are not terribly effective in combat. As the game progresses and you advance in land technology, these will be replaced with increasingly powerful forms of gunpowder-based weaponry and will become more and more dangerous to encounter.
• Cavalry Regiments
  • These mounted warriors are the most powerful regiment available for field combat at the beginning of the game. Their mobility and fearsome charges will often cause an enemy to break and run from battle. They lose much of this advantage when the terrain or weather inhibits their speed, and they are utterly unsuited for siege warfare.
• Artillery Regiments
  • Early forms of artillery were heavy and unwieldy, making them highly unsuited to field combat. For the most part, this weapon’s function was limited to siege work where the constant bombardment of an enemy’s walls would eventually create a large enough breach for the infantry to pour through. By the beginning of the Napoleonic era, artillery had undergone a drastic technological change and was becoming devastating on the field of combat. This is reflected in the game by the ever-increasing damage caused by these regiments.

Naval forces will be made up of ships that are usu­ally assembled into fleets, each of which will be commanded by an admiral.

• Transport vessels
  • This is the most basic form of ship. As the name suggests, a transport ship is used to transport land forces across the seas, allowing you to conduct military operations far away from home.
• Combat vessels
  • Galleys, the smallest class of combat vessel, carry somewhat limited armaments and cannot withstand very much damage before being sunk. Their advantage is that they are quite inexpensive and quick to build, and are cheap to maintain on a monthly basis.
  • Light Ships are larger ships than a galley, carrying a more powerful armament and able to withstand considerably more damage.
  • Big Ships carry the greatest possible armament and are able to withstand tremendous amounts of damage while still remaining afloat. They tend to move quite slowly at sea, and are extremely expensive to build and maintain.

Features :

• Players can enjoy over 300 years of gameplay by starting at ANY date between 1453 and 1789.
• Nation building is flexible: decide your own form of government, the structure of your society, trade politics and much more. The possibilities are endless.
• The great people and personalities of the past are on hand to support you. Take history in your hands and call personalities like Sir Isaac Newton, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart or René Descartes to your court.
• A lush topographic map in full 3D allows for a rich and complete world view, and contains more than 1700 provinces and sea zones.
• Lead any one of more than 250 countries that originally existed during the game's extensive time span.
• Have more than a thousand historical leaders and over 4000 historical Monarchs at your disposal.
• Manage more than 100 individual unit troops to secure as much power as possible.
• Co-operative multiplayer mode allows several players to work together to control a single nation.
• Customize your game: Europa Universalis III gives you the chance to customize and mod practically anything your heart may desire. Join the constantly growing and incredibly talented Paradox modding community!

Europa Universalis III will be shipping to stores on January 23 in North America and January 26 in Europe.