One of the focuses of Europa Universalis III has been to create a more user friendly interface, making for a smoother introduction to the game as well as get new players into the gameplay quicker. At the same time fans of the series need not fear, these implementations have not affected the depth and richness of Europa Universalis III that spans over 300 years.

In Europa Univeraslis III players will also be able to choose whether they want to keep their play on a more micro-management level or if they prefer a broader overview and spectrum when playing.

The overview screen will go a long way in ensuring an easier summary can be kept. The screen lists the details of the player’s nation, their ruler, their culture(s), their religion, their relations to other nations and their status.

Let’s explore the religion feature a bit closer:

This screen shows the papacy screen. The player is playing as Sweden and has 2 bishops, an indication that the player is currently in control of the curia. As such, the player has certain benefits, and will also gain substantial bonuses whenever a new Pope is elected. New bishops are automatically controlled by whoever control their home province, and are cheaper to be bribed back.

This screen shows the overview of the Holy Roman Empire. Players can easily see who the members of the empire is, who the current emperor is, as well as whom the electors are. The electors also show who they will be voting for in the next imperial election, and your current relation with them. A relationship, players should wisely tend to with care. The screens also visualize how the map of Portugal has been changed, and that they now have defensive depth when fighting a war.

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 is scheduled for a worldwide release in Q1 2007.