I have been playing Europa Universalis 2 for the last couple of weeks and it was a great experience.

+ Use of diplomacy and strategy
+ Sheer number of factors that are being taken into account such as terrain, technology, morale, religion, weather, etc...

- Shoddy and out-dated 2D-graphics
- Buggy at times
- Info boxes are a mess
- 60page manual that you have to download and print
- Long learning curve

I can recommend it to everybody who likes strategy games and is not afraid to use his brain.

Mastering all the aspects of the game is a real challenge.

Watch out for Europa Universalis III that is coming out soon and should take the series - at least graphic wise - to the next level.