Windows

Europa 1400: The Guild

The story behind Europe 1400: The Guild is my vision of my own future: When I’m 18, I’m going to run away from home and start a new life in Paris with my last money (‘borrowed’ from home). With this money, I’m going to set up a small business, which is of course just the beginning, because I won’t be happy if I don’t become a Baron and with less than the title of ‘Mayor’, I won’t be happy either. How the heck this will end is mentioned in this review …

Ausgangspunkt der Zeitreise ist eine von fünf deutschen Großstädten. "Groß" ist geschichtlich gesehen relativ; während in Augsburg - heute bestenfalls für knuffige Marionetten bekannt - der Bär steppte, war in Berlin die Hose noch ziemlich tot. Komplettiert wird das Quintett von Hannover, Dresden und Köln. Die Städte unterscheiden sich nicht nur in der Einwohnerzahl, sondern verfügen auch über unterschiedlich viele Bauplätze und Konkurrenz-Dynastien.

The only notable drawbacks to this game that I could think of are the frequent crashes to desktop, which make the game pretty damn unstable - and if you don't save your position often, downright frustrating. And the rather slow passing of time when you speed up the clock. One other thing that might kill some of the game's charm is the repetitive design of the cities. All cities in Europa 1400 look pretty much the same, and this makes the game lose some of its luster. Of course, frequent crashes and similar looking cities are objective downsides to Europa 1400. The slow passing of time (when faster time flow is on) on the other hand is really something that I had a problem with. So, it's a subjective issue that should be taken with a grain of salt. Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend this game to everyone. The gameplay is complex, nonlinear and addictive. From where I stand, Europa 1400 presents a commendable effort worthy of your time and money.

Playing Europa 1400 is a frustrating experience. There's so much about it that's conceptually clever and distinctive, counterbalanced by some inadequate execution and sloppy coding. It could have been a great game. As it is, it's the kind of game that either enthralls you for days on end or drives you up the wall to gnaw at the curtain rods. Or both. Yes, definitely both, in my case. I swear at some of the design choices made by 4Head Studios, but only after I've finished a four-hour gaming session.

There's a great deal to do in Europa 1400, and you can choose to take part in all of it or just concentrate on the areas you like best. Because of all the options, it can be a different experience every time you play. Unfortunately, the early game can get repetitive after just a few games. But the mid- to late-game is involving and addictive every time. Europa 1400 has something to offer fans of almost any genre--it's the sort of creative hybrid that computer gaming sorely needs.

Europa 1400 has great depth and the options are very rich. Coupled with an excellent AI, the game does manage to travel many of the highways and byways of the time period. But what is the game’s lure may also be part of its downfall, for some players. This is the type of game that requires players to immerse in the world, to micromanage almost to extremes, to grip tightly the reigns of power and balance them with familial responsibilities. This is not a game for the casual player. It is intense, frustrating, maddening, and can leave you either with an ulcer or a sense of great satisfaction. Long after ending a game session, you may find yourself coming up with strategies to improve your lot in Europa’s cyber-life.

Europa 1400 is een bijzonder leuke en originele sim van een Europese stad in de middeleeuwen. Voor wie eens iets anders wil!

Perhaps something got lost in the translation, but the title Europa 1400: The Guild doesn't exactly scream, "Play me!" So, it was with great trepidation that I booted up the game. Six hours later, when my first character died, I woke up from my trance, found myself in an empty office, and realized all the other editors had gone home hours earlier.

Europa 1400 est une simulation économique et politique de haut vol. Extrêmement riche, on lui pardonnera dès lors ses choix esthétiques discutables et quelques aspects du jeu un peu moins travaillés que d'autres (comme la gestion des combats par exemple). Un titre qui trouvera un public de connaisseurs désireux d'en apprendre un peu plus sur cette période tout en s'amusant.

Supposedly, a patch for The Guild is on the way (it’s been on the way for a while now), and if 4HEAD studios can fix up the AI then I’d probably play the game some more, because there are still some professions I haven’t tried yet. But as it stands now, The Guild is an interesting “near-miss” game. You might want to try it out regardless, just because it’s so different than anything else out there, and since it’s been priced down to $20, but otherwise keep your eyes peeled for a patch announcement, and give it a try then.

Wenn’s im Mittelalter wirklich so träge zugegangen wäre, würde ich meine Artikel noch mit dem Federkiel schreiben und per Postillion verschicken. Die Gilde spielt sich wahnsinnig zäh; selbst bei maximaler Zeitbeschleunigung dauert’s elend lang, bis man neue Gebäude finanzieren kann. Die 3D-Grafik kaschiert, dass Die Gilde nichts richtig Neues bietet. Sondern sogar Bewährtes weglässt: Während ich beim Wirtschaftsprimus Patrizier 2 ständig auf der Jagd nach den besten Preisen und Handelsrouten bin, rollen meine Gilde-Karren meist nur zu einem Absatzmarkt. Fordernde Spezialaufträge fehlen. Höchstens für extrem Geduldige geeignet.

Un jeu de gestion en plein Moyen-Age, ça ne court pas les rues. Si vous n'avez pas peur de vous fader une interface lourdingue, Europa 1400 est loin d'être inintéressant. Peu de chansons moyennâgeuses dans ce jeu aux bruitages répétitifs.

If you haven’t noticed, I’ve used a lot of words like annoying, frustrating, and aggravating in this review, and that’s a pretty good summary of this game. It has tremendous potential to be cool via insidious plots and political wheeling and dealing, and the multiplayer potential is really immense. Unfortunately, I like to see a game that can be played alone as well as online. With my crazy schedule, I don’t often have time to dedicate a couple of uninterrupted hours to play a game. I need to pause and save often, before my kid starts licking the outlets or something. In my opinion, if you like multiplayer games, get it. Otherwise, save your money.