Software:Victoria 3

From HandWiki
Short description: 2022 video game
Victoria 3
Developer(s)Paradox Development Studio
Publisher(s)Paradox Interactive
Director(s)Martin "Wiz" Anward[1]
Designer(s)Mikael Andersson[2]
EngineClausewitz Engine[3]
Platform(s)
Release25 October 2022[4]
Genre(s)Grand strategy[5]
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer[6]

Victoria 3 is a 2022 grand strategy video game developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive. It is a sequel to the 2010 game Victoria II and was released on 25 October 2022.

Gameplay

Victoria 3 spans world history leading up to, during and following its namesake, the Victorian Era, from 1836 to 1936, and allows the player to control any one of over 100 countries that existed during that time period.[7][8] The game, however, does not allow players to control all regions in the game, as many of these are made up of what the game calls "decentralized nations", that typically represent regions inhabited by tribes lacking a central government.[9]

The game focuses on politics, demographics and economic development, with gameplay focusing on appealing to and appeasing interest groups, who represent various social groups with different ideologies such as the Devout, Industrialists, and Rural Folk to name a few.[7][10][11] The game presents a Marxist view of history as political affiliation is based on economic status, with designer Mikael Andersson stating, "It's no secret that Victoria 3 is in many ways the Historical Materialism Simulator."[12]

Though it can be considered a sandbox title, the main goal of the game is to modernize the controlled nation through industrialization. This is achieved chiefly through building mines and factories throughout the player's nation and increasing the capacity for construction.[13] Supplemental mechanics towards this goal include trading on the world market, researching important technologies such as the Atmospheric Engine, and introducing liberal laws such as Free Trade and Laissez-Faire.[14][15]

Another system in the game is Diplomatic Plays, which borrows heavily from Victoria II's crisis system. When attempting to force other countries to concede land or open markets, players will present a target country with a demand detailing what they desire, which will result in the target country having the opportunity to demand concessions from the aggressor. Following this exchange of demands, a timer will begin counting down as both sides have a chance to mobilize troops and attract potential allies by offering spoils or obligations. If no diplomatic resolution is reached before the timer runs out, war will be declared.[7] Designer Mikael Andersson explained that this system was designed with the intent to tone down the role of warfare by making diplomacy equally as capable.[16] The aforementioned decentralized nations, however, cannot be targeted by diplomatic plays and are primarily interacted with via colonization, which slowly absorbs the decentralized into the colonizing nation.[9]

Development

In the lead up to the game's announcement, Victoria 3 was seen as a meme by the Paradox fanbase due to players constantly asking about it, only to be ignored, with many joking that it would never see a release or that any mention of the number 'three' from an official Paradox source meant that the game was on the way.[17][18]

Martin "Wiz" Anward served as director of the game's development.[1] In April 2022, a beta version of the game was leaked online.[19]

Downloadable content

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Name Accompanying patch Type Release date Description
Voice of the People 1.3
"Thé à la menthe" 		Immersion Pack 22 May 2023 Voice of the People introduces the "historical agitators" system and overhauls France with new mechanics and decisions based on its history.[20]
Colossus of the South 1.5
"Chimarrão" 		Region Pack 14 November 2023 Colossus of the South adds unique events and mechanics related to South America.[21]
Sphere of Influence 1.7
"Kahwah" 		Expansion 24 June 2024 Sphere of Influence increases the depth and immersion of the diplomatic game with a focus on the formation of power blocs that protect regional interests, investments in foreign economies, and interference in the politics of subjects.Lua error: Internal error: The interpreter has terminated with signal "24".
Pivot of Empire 1.8
"Masala Chai" 		Immersion Pack 21 November 2024 Pivot of Empire focuses on the Indian subcontinent and the events following years of discrimination and suppression by the East India Company.[22]
Charters of Commerce 1.9
"Lady Grey" 		Mechanics Pack 17 June 2025 Charters of Commerce fundamentally reworks the trade, company, and treaty systems.[23]
National Awakening 1.10
"Kaffee" 		Immersion Pack 23 September 2025 National Awakening adds new content related to the Austrian Empire, the Great Eastern Crisis, and more.[24]
Iberian Twilight 1.12 Immersion Pack 11 December 2025 Lua error: Internal error: The interpreter has terminated with signal "24".

Reception

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Victoria 3 received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator Metacritic.[25]

Destructoid enjoyed the new tutorial, feeling it intuitively taught players game mechanics and "nearly all concepts that you [would] come into contact with during your time in Victoria".[26]

PC Gamer praised the new economic systems, saying it led players to use real world strategies, and adding: "You can run a deficit for a few years, then build up a reserve, or nearly bankrupt yourself fighting world wars before entering years of austere recovery".[27]

IGN criticized Victoria 3's new war mechanics, stating: "I respect Victoria 3's decision not to focus on war [...] But that doesn't change the fact that armed conflicts can be very fiddly and confusing".[28]

PCGamesN, among other things, liked the overhauled colonialization system, stating: "Victoria 3's colonisable regions are controlled by indigenous people [...] it allows for colonised people to be granted independence and then played as a sovereign nation for the rest of the game".[29]

Eurogamer felt the economic mechanics stopped players from hoarding too much money, making the later game more interesting. They wrote: "Economies in Victoria 3 are based upon the gold standard, and if your gold stockpiles are too high, it devalues your currency. Hence, you need to find ways to either spend or temporarily lose money, such as increasing construction, reducing taxes, or getting involved in a nice, expensive war".[30]

Kotaku disliked the economic micromanagement, saying "it also started to get a bit dull once the routine of Victoria 3 set in".[31]

Accolades

Year Award Category Result Ref
2022 The Game Awards Best Sim/Strategy Game Nominated [32]
2022 The Steam Awards Best Game You Suck At Nominated [33]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Victoria 3 - Dev Diary #0" (in en-US). 21 May 2021. https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/threads/victoria-3-dev-diary-0.1475078/. 
  2. ↑ Lua error: Internal error: The interpreter has terminated with signal "24".
  3. ↑ Kleffmann, Marcel (2021-05-21). "Victoria 3: Strategie- und Managementspiel angekündigt: Die Führung einer Nation durch turbulente Zeiten" (in de). https://www.4players.de/4players.php/spielinfonews/PC-CDROM/43229/2198103/Victoria_3-Strategie-_und_Managementspiel_angekuendigt_Die_Fuehrung_einer_Nation_durch_turbulente_Zeiten.html. 
  4. ↑ Bassil, Matt (2022-08-30). "Victoria 3 preview – in a promising State" (in en-US). https://www.wargamer.com/victoria-3/preview. 
  5. ↑ Fahey, Mike (2021-05-21). "Paradox Finally Announces Grand Strategy Sequel Victoria 3" (in en-us). https://kotaku.com/paradox-finally-announces-grand-strategy-sequel-victori-1846943627. 
  6. ↑ "Victoria 3 on Steam" (in en). https://store.steampowered.com/app/529340/Victoria_3/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Hafer, Leana (2021-05-21). "Paradox Reveals Victoria 3, A Long-Awaited Sequel To a Grand Strategy Series" (in en-sg). https://sea.ign.com/news/172287/paradox-reveals-victoria-3-a-long-awaited-sequel-to-a-grand-strategy-series. 
  8. ↑ Gurwin, Gabe (May 21, 2021). "Victoria 3 Officially Announced A Decade After Previous Game" (in en-US). https://www.gamespot.com/articles/victoria-3-officially-announced-a-decade-after-previous-game/1100-6491771/. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Decentralized nation" (in en-US). https://vic3.paradoxwikis.com/Decentralized_nation. 
  10. ↑ Brown, Fraser (May 21, 2021). "Victoria 3 will let you conquer the world from the negotiating table". PCGamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/victoria-3-will-let-you-conquer-the-world-from-the-negotiating-table/. 
  11. ↑ Paradox Interactive. Victoria 3. 
  12. ↑ Bolding, Jonathon (2 December 2022). "Victoria 3 designer on why communism is OP: 'We just implemented the mechanics the way we understood them'". https://www.pcgamer.com/victoria-3-communism-op/. 
  13. ↑ Folk-Sullivan, Ben (12 November 2022). "Victoria 3: How to Make More Money (The Fast Way)". https://screenrant.com/how-to-make-money-fast-victoria-3/. 
  14. ↑ Thompson-Bamsey, Ryan (25 October 2022). "Best Technologies to Research First in Victoria 3". https://www.thegamer.com/victoria-3-technology-tree-eras-best-spread/. 
  15. ↑ Selmes, Ewan (8 December 2023). "Best Laws to Enact in Victoria 3". https://gamerant.com/victoria-3-best-laws/. 
  16. ↑ Robinson, Joe (27 May 2021). "Victoria 3, diplomatic plays, and the art of war" (in en-GB). https://www.pcgamesn.com/victoria-3/diplomatic-plays-warfare. 
  17. ↑ Robinson, Joe (May 26, 2020). "It's a meme, but Crusader Kings 3 is why it's time to talk about Victoria 3". https://www.pcgamesn.com/will-paradox-make-victoria-3-confirmed. Retrieved May 21, 2021. 
  18. ↑ Brown, Fraser (2021-05-21). "Paradox has finally caved to the demands for Victoria 3" (in en-US). https://www.pcgamer.com/paradox-has-finally-caved-to-the-demands-for-victoria-3/. 
  19. ↑ "Paradox Interactive's Victoria 3 Has Been Leaked" (in en-US). 2022-04-14. https://gamerant.com/victoria-3-full-game-leak/. 
  20. ↑ "Victoria 3 DLC Voice of the People promises political crises in May" (in en-GB). 20 April 2023. https://www.pcgamesn.com/victoria-3/dlc-voice-of-the-people. 
  21. ↑ "New Victoria 3 DLC is coming, and some players get it free" (in en-GB). 25 October 2023. https://www.pcgamesn.com/victoria-3/colossus-of-the-south. 
  22. ↑ "New Victoria 3 DLC takes you to India, alongside the free 1.8 update" (in en-GB). 22 October 2024. https://www.pcgamesn.com/victoria-3/pivot-of-empire. 
  23. ↑ "After a troubled launch, one Paradox grand strategy game is being transformed with a new expansion" (in en-US). 2025-03-31. https://www.pcgamesn.com/victoria-3/charters-of-commerce. 
  24. ↑ Easby, Ryan (2025-08-05). "Victoria 3: National Awakening Announced For September" (in en). https://www.gamewatcher.com/news/victoria-3-national-awakening-announced-for-september-release. 
  25. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MCPC
  26. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Destruct
  27. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named PCGUS
  28. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named IGN
  29. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named PCGN
  30. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named EuroG
  31. ↑ "Victoria 3: The Kotaku Review" (in en). 2022-10-24. https://kotaku.com/victoria-3-review-paradox-pc-kotaku-impressions-verdict-1849669988. 
  32. ↑ "Best Sim / Strategy". https://thegameawards.com/nominees/best-sim-strategy. 
  33. ↑ "The Steam Awards" (in en). https://store.steampowered.com/steamawards#BestGameYouSuckAt. 

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