Great historical Strategy Game.
EU2 is one of the few computer games ever to be released which I can call "timeless", not least because it still looks good and is still playable in 2012, on a Windows 7 64 bit OS.
This timlessness has to do with the fact that Europa Universalis 2 has an excellent balance between playability and complexity, and the fact that the final patched version was very stable and very solid -- in a nutshell, it's perfect. In many ways it is better than its later successor, EU3, which seems somewhat watered down and more focused on seeking to impress with its 3D graphics. It makes no sense to dumb these games down.
EU2 is not Total War, where you can go on an almost unrestrained rampage and conquer Europe, micro managing your army's tactics. War in EU2, is abstract, and whether or not you can wage war successfully depends on many factors, including your diplomatic status with other nations. A beligerent policy will anger neighbouring countries, who will attack you at your weakest moment. Even if you are successful in conquering lands and rapid, unplanned expansion seems good when you're doing it, keeping what you've fought for is another matter. Supply lines need to be kept open, reinforcements need to be sent fro elsewhere. Even when annexed, the people in those conquered lands won't settle down so easily and will rebel at inconvenient times (during a foreign invasion). To control this you'll need to invest in stability and make sure you keep armies in provinces that are likely to rebel - armies which need to be paid.
Above all, EUII is about exploration and colony building, about sending out ships and explorers to the terra incognita, step by step setting up trading posts, building cities, manufactories and diplomatic relations.
EU2's timelessness also has a lot to do with the game's appearance which retains the feel and charm of the original board game. I remember when I first got this game back in 2001. I was used to computer games that had nice, slick looking isometric (if not 3D) graphics, like Command and Conquer or Age of Empires. and yet here was EU2 with just a map and dialogue boxes. 3D was still relatively new back then, whereas nowadays it seems seductive 3-D graphics are used as a substitute for stimulating and intelligent in-depth game play -- rather like many modern flims use CGI effects as a substitute for quality in the acting and script departments. />
This in mind, EU2's graphics, which may have seemed dull and uninspired 10 years ago, are refreshing free of any 3D technology. Any 3D game from 2001 will look bad today, with the low resolution textures and absence of shaders and shadows; but EU2 avoids all that and still looks gorgeous with its superb antique 2D map, and other nicely designed decorative features. There is a nice a representation of the buildings in the provinces as they develop; and the animated ships, soldiers and other things create just enough visual interest to bring the interface to life. It's rather like a sumptuous chess set, and the memorable classical music scores compliment the gameplay perfectly.
Playing Europa Universalis 2 is not just great fun, but is also good way to develop one's knowledge of history – since the scenarios, events and people are all based on real world ones. EU2 is certainly the most historically accurate grand strategy game I know, with hundreds of real events cleverly integrated into the game. The events never seem out of place, unlike in the simialr Paradox game "Victoria".
Long live Europa Universalis 2!