europa-universalis-iii posts

Less than two days separate us from our PAX East 2011 coverage. Can you stand it? We can hardly wait:

• Steam has a new automatic patch for Trine available to download that adds iZ3D support.
• Team Fortress 2 meets The Dark Knight. We always thought the Demo was Bruce Wayne.
• Paradox Interactive has announced that Europa Universalis III Chronicles, containing the core strategy game and all four of its expansion packs, will be released on March 22.
• AMD has released an early preview version of its 11.4 Radeon Catalyst graphics drivers that fixes an issue with Dragon Age 2.

As we enter the period of the year where there is only a trickle of new game releases before 2011 comes around, we are scheduled to get a couple of downloadable expansion packs for the next week. We are also scheduled to get a new Civilization V DLC pack which will add two new civs and a new scenario to the game this week.

Battlefield Bad Company 2 Vietnam - Developer Digital Illusions takes a different approach to the typical expansion pack by changing the setting of the game from the modern day to the 1960s and the Vietnam War. Look for four new maps (with a fifth to be unlocked by players) along with Vietnam War era weapons, vehicles and even music.

Europa Universalis III: Divine Wind, the latest expansion pack in Paradox Interactive's long running historical strategy series, now has a firm release date. The expansion will be released via download services on December 14 for $19.95. It's likely that the game will be the last major PC game product to be released in 2010. It will require the original game and the previously released expasion Heir to the Throne to play.

This particular expansion pack takes the series to Asia as the game has the player trying to take over Japan. It will also have expanded diplomacy skills, a number of new building types, more realistic trade options, over 50 achievements, support for up to 32 players in multiplayer and more

Are you ready for yet another expansion pack for Europa Universalis III? Well whether you are or not, developer and publisher Paradox Interactive is going to give it to you. The company announced that Europa Universalis III: Divine Wind, the fourth (yep, fourth) expansion of the historical strategy game, is in the works and will be released in December.

This expansion is primarily set in Japan as you play one of four "daimyos" in that country that are trying to influence the Emperor. Look for a look graphical look for the expansion, support for up to 32 players in multiplayer and more. The game will require both the original game as well as the Heir to the Throne expansion pack.

What do you do when you have a strong fan base for a game that has already released two expansion packs? According to Paradox Interactive you make the fans happy and release a third expansion. That's apparently the case with Europa Universalis III: Heir to the Throne. Announced this week at Gamescom, the expansion is scheduled for release in December.

New features in the expansion include a new system where "wars have specific goals from start to finish". There are also more options for the Holy Roman Empire and Papacy, more dynamic pirates (they seem to be everywhere) and lots more new features and improvements to the original game.

[Via email press release]

Stardock's Impulse game download service may compete with Steam and other similar business and that included giving its customers some price breaks on games over the weekend. This week Impulse has put a number of games from publisher Paradox Interactive on sale.

Most of the games on sale this week have a couple of dollars off their normal prices but Impluse is also offering an new bundle, the "complete" version of Paradox's strategy game Europa Universalis III. The bundle, which contains the original game and its two expansions, is now on sale for $29.99. That's a $30 discount compared to buying each product seperately.

We have some more weekend PC game download sales to tell you about today. Stardock's Impulse service has put their own game Galactic Civilizations II on sale this weekend only. The Ultimate Bundle pack contains the original space strategy game along with its two expansion packs for just $39.95 compared to its normal $49.95 price. Also this weekend, Impulse has Paradox Interactive's Europa Universalis III and its two expansion packs on sale for 10 percent off each.

Meanwhile, Gamersgate has put in Egosoft's space sim game X3: Reunion on sale at its site. This weekend you can purchase and download the game for just $4.99, a 50 percent discount from its normal price.

Next week the latest game from the Sid Meier game factory Firaxis heads to shelves. It's the PC exclusive Civilization IV: Colonization and as we have reported on before it's basically a remake of the 1990's Microprose title Sid Meier's Colonization with the Civilization IV engine. However before you throw down some pre-order money, the Gamersgate download service has a deal they want to talk to you about in the alley.

"Psst...come here, man. You want Civilization IV: Colonization? Of course you do. You are addicted to that Sid Meier gameplay. So how about something in addition to that game? Yeah man. You pre-order that digital download from us at Gamersgate and we will set you up with Paradox Interactive's historical strategy game Europa Universalis III for free. That's a $19.99 game for nothin'. Are ya interested?"

Paradox Interactive's Europa Universalis series of historical strategy games may lack a lot of graphical punch but still have a loyal following of players who enjoy this kind of deep strategy gameplay. Now players of the latest game in the series, Europa Universalis III, have a new expansion to purchase and download via the Gamersgate service.

Europa Universalis III - In Nomine starts in 1399 with the coronation of England's Henry IV. From there the expansion will take the player through another 50 years of history. Will you launch the British Empire or start the East Indian Company or perhaps begin the Spanish Inquisition (because no one expects the Spanish Inqusition)? A new mission system, the addition of pesky rebels and more are in the new expansion pack which can be downloaded from Gamersgate for $19.95.