King of Kings Review (Arizonan Joker)
Buy this full-price if you're interested in the region or you're a diehard EUIV player like me. If not, I'd probably recommend this on sale or via the subscription for newcomers. To Tinto's credit, the mission trees are FAR more unique and interesting than in Domination and several nations do genuinely feel outmatched by the Ottomans early-game, the supposed premise of the entire DLC. My main complaint is this DLC uses recycled mechanics (Russian gov. interactions, Iberian Holy Orders) to stylize nations, rather than creating unique features. This is the fourth DLC in a row we've had without new mechanics for most/all countries. It's disappointing to see PDX encourage formulaic button-pressing in new content rather than provide interesting outlets for strategic thinking, calculated sacrifice, or mechanical mastery (which is what EUIV has normally excelled at). As a longtime fan, I hold Paradox to a higher standard than Firaxis or Creative Assembly, out of respect for veteran developers and genuine love for their games, but this is not the best PDX has to offer EUIV players.