Victoria 3

A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage.

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"Victoria 3" is a society simulation game set in the 19th century, where players lead nations through industrialization, societal transformations, and international politics. The Grand Edition includes the base game and expansion pass, with additional music packs, art packs, and an immersion pack. Players can balance competing interests in their society and guide their chosen nation's destiny from 1836-1936.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 33,395 reviews

gameplay1,201 positive mentions

optimization228 negative mentions

gameplay
5,936 mentions
20 % positive mentions
69 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Victoria 3 has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its deep economic and political mechanics while criticizing the war and diplomacy systems as underdeveloped and frustrating. The core gameplay loop revolves around managing production and trade, which can be engaging, but the lack of meaningful military engagement and the simplistic nature of warfare mechanics detract from the overall experience. While the game shows potential for improvement through future updates and DLC, many players feel it currently lacks the depth and flavor expected from a Paradox title.
- “It gets more and more enjoyable as you learn/understand the deeper mechanics.”
- “The game has improved significantly since launch - while issues remain with the relatively shallow foreign policy mechanics, internal trade and military organization are essentially unrecognizable from launch and much improved.”
- “The core gameplay loop of building your economy and society works fine and is fun, and the recent addition of foreign investment has finally fixed a lot of the pain points with the bad AI, and makes the game actually feel like a proper capitalism simulator.”
- “The gameplay is so simple and shallow, a fucking chimpanzee could understand it.”
- “Army units teleporting half-way around the world when you're struggling to hold a front that split in two for no discernible reason is the most frustrating gameplay experience I have ever encountered.”
- “Constantly crashing, horrible battle mechanics, buggy occupation, not many options for puppets, etc. don't buy this buggy half-broken mess.”
graphics
1,016 mentions
40 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of Victoria 3 have received widespread praise for their stunning visuals and immersive art style, marking a significant improvement over its predecessor, Victoria 2. However, many players have noted that the game suffers from poor optimization, leading to performance issues even on high-end systems, which detracts from the overall experience. While the aesthetics are appreciated, some reviewers feel that the focus on graphics has come at the expense of gameplay depth and functionality.
- “If you're looking for a game with great immersion, stunning graphics, alternative history, etc. this game is the cup of tea that you'll most likely enjoy!”
- “The graphics are beautiful and the countries are nice.”
- “The graphics are amazing--I deeply enjoy watching the map change as I build factories and plantations across my nation.”
- “Victoria 3 is still very poorly optimized, causing my CPU to overheat and frequently shutting down my PC, even at medium graphic settings.”
- “Shader caches deleted, game files verified, graphics settings plummeted all to no avail.”
- “I do not recommend this; Paradox clearly spent all their time trying to make the graphics look pretty and put zero thought into the gameplay itself, and war in this is so bad and poorly thought out I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy this game more if the wars weren't even in it.”
optimization
992 mentions
10 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
The optimization of Victoria 3 has been widely criticized, particularly for its severe performance issues in the mid to late game, where many players report significant slowdowns and crashes, especially after the 1880s. While some updates have improved performance, the game still struggles with optimization, requiring high-end hardware to run smoothly, and many users recommend waiting for further patches before purchasing. Overall, the game's potential is overshadowed by its ongoing performance challenges, making it difficult for players to fully enjoy the experience.
- “I cannot overstate that this part of the game, although complex, is super fun if you like optimization and tinkering in games.”
- “Since the release of Sphere of Influence and the accompanying patch, the game has depth, is well optimized, and fun to play.”
- “With the improvements to gameplay mechanics, AI, and the surprise uplift in overall performance coupled with the discounts running with the Steam summer sale at the moment, I think now is the ideal time to jump in if you've been on the fence about Victoria 3.”
- “The mid-late game performance is horrible, the game starts to slow down drastically once the in-game date reaches the 1880s (about halfway).”
- “Victoria 3 is still very poorly optimized, causing my CPU to overheat and frequently shutting down my PC, even at medium graphic settings.”
- “Don't waste your time playing their games until they better the performance of their games, because this issue has been a problem for a very long time across almost all of their games, yet they seem more interested in grabbing your money and adding niche options to the game that they justify for the cost of their DLCs.”
stability
798 mentions
3 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
97 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, crashes, and performance issues even after multiple updates. Many players describe the game as a "buggy mess," highlighting problems with the combat system, AI behavior, and overall gameplay mechanics that render it frustrating and often unplayable. Despite some improvements over time, the consensus is that the game remains unstable and lacks the polish expected from a Paradox title.
- “No glitches, the game functioned perfectly and I can see myself spending lots of time playing this game.”
- “So far, save for an easily fixable error with the launcher, the game seems reasonably bug free after many hours of play.”
- “Bug free experience so far, 7 hours.”
- “The game is a buggy, unfinished, flavorless, directionless mess of a game that future promises and duct tape fixes cannot excuse.”
- “This game is a buggy mess that has every nation play the same and is not worth getting.”
- “The game simply doesn't work, truly a buggy mess that should have been fixed before being released.”
grinding
576 mentions
1 % positive mentions
4 % neutral mentions
95 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for its excessive tedium and micromanagement, with many players feeling overwhelmed by the constant need to manage intricate systems without sufficient automation or support from AI. Reviewers describe the experience as a "time sink" that often feels more like a chore than an engaging gameplay experience, particularly in areas like economic management and warfare, which can become monotonous and frustrating. Overall, players express a desire for more streamlined mechanics and less repetitive tasks to enhance enjoyment.
- “It feels immersive, complex, yet not tedious.”
- “In my opinion, this has better combat than any other Paradox game besides HOI4 because it isn't tedious with insane micro.”
- “There is no tedious micro here.”
- “Essentially, it's a glorified click-to-make-red-green-again simulator with extreme tediousness and barely anything interesting to do.”
- “This game feels like I am at work stuck in a tedious task after another :(”
- “The economic part of this game is tedious and requires an absurd amount of micromanagement.”
music
437 mentions
57 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The music in Victoria 3 has received widespread praise for its beautiful orchestral soundtrack that effectively captures the 19th-century atmosphere, with many players noting its immersive quality. However, some critiques highlight the soundtrack's repetitiveness and limited variety, leading to a desire for more diverse musical content. Overall, while the music enhances the game's aesthetic, it may not sustain long-term engagement for all players.
- “Victoria 3 is a beautiful game, with stunningly detailed maps, elegant menus, and evocative music that perfectly captures the atmosphere of the 19th century.”
- “The music is beautiful.”
- “The art direction and music are easily the best part of Victoria 3.”
- “Even after 3 mechanics DLC and 3 art/music DLC, the game is still in a state that feels unfinished.”
- “As much as I love Paradox, I'm sorry to say this game should have been released with more music in the in-game soundtrack.”
- “The game is completely soulless to play with cookie cutter nations that all play the same, music that grates the ears after it repeats for the umpteenth time with how tiny the music selection is.”
story
391 mentions
15 % positive mentions
77 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over the lack of robust narrative elements and mission structures. While some appreciate the emergent storytelling potential and the focus on economic and political dynamics, others criticize the game for its generic journal entries and absence of unique nation-specific missions, leading to a feeling of directionlessness and a lack of engaging historical context. Overall, players seem to desire more depth and flavor in the storytelling to enhance their gameplay experience.
- “It's an interesting foray by Paradox into the visual novel genre, a very comfy kind of thing full of steampunk industrialization ASMR and, almost no matter what you pick, a feel-good story about how your nation of choice is going to industrialize, modernize, overcome its prejudices, and how the future is oh so bright and excellent.”
- “This game tells the story of the century between 1836 and 1936.”
- “You develop a nation and care about it, you have rival nations you fight to the bitter end, it creates a grand story of nations and geopolitics.”
- “These are storyline failures where you don't achieve something quickly enough or an AI player grabs it more quickly, and at that point your game becomes a highway to nothing. It can be as abrupt as that: switch off, three or four hours wasted.”
- “If you are looking for cool domination style like Hearts of Iron or Civ, you get none of that here. If you are looking for story and role play like CK3, you get none of that here.”
- “The world is lifeless and devoid of any 'story' between nations; critical historical events are simply not shown, and instead, the world is weirdly static.”
replayability
361 mentions
27 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The replayability of Victoria 3 is a contentious topic among players, with many noting that while the game offers a variety of nations and political pathways, it often feels repetitive and lacks the depth found in other Paradox titles. Some players appreciate the potential for replayability due to the unique challenges of different countries, but many express disappointment over the game's limited flavor and mechanics, which can lead to a quick loss of interest. Overall, while there are elements that support replayability, significant improvements and additional content are needed to enhance the experience.
- “The many countries all have unique challenges to them allowing for a very diverse gameplay and much replayability.”
- “It offers a lot of variety and replayability, as you can play as any of the dozens of nations available, each with their own unique challenges and opportunities.”
- “The game offers lots of replayability as every nation plays slightly differently and there is an active modding community.”
- “For a Paradox game, there's very little replay value.”
- “The replayability is shockingly abysmal for a strategy sandbox game.”
- “The game tends to get tedious and repetitive quickly, very little replay value.”
humor
236 mentions
97 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The humor in Victoria 3 is characterized by a blend of dark comedy and absurdity, with players finding amusement in the game's broken mechanics, bizarre AI decisions, and the often ludicrous portrayal of historical events. Many reviews highlight the enjoyment derived from watching "funny numbers" fluctuate and the unexpected, humorous outcomes of political and military actions, despite the game's numerous bugs and design flaws. Overall, the humor serves as a coping mechanism for players navigating the game's complexities and shortcomings, making it a unique experience for those with a sense of humor about its imperfections.
- “Victoria 3 is a hilarious mix of strategy and simulation, perfect for those who love a good laugh at the expense of historical accuracy.”
- “I would like to take a moment to point out how hilarious it is that this game portrays the entirety of the middle class as authoritarian xenophobes.”
- “From hilarious noob mess ups to absolutely destroying entire nations, this game always has something going for it.”
- “Some events have terrible meme-y writing such as 'we shall all dye sooner or later' that fall flat since they're not funny - insulting maybe due to the absolute lack of actual flavor events for even the great powers.”
- “It's not funny anymore.”
- “The AI in this game can't build an economy, making the single-player experience unfunny; they will build at random instead of investing in previous, profitable buildings.”
emotional
52 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional responses to the game are mixed, with many players expressing feelings of frustration and disappointment due to a lack of meaningful engagement and connection. Some describe the experience as emotionally taxing, likening it to "mental torture," while others find themselves drawn back despite the emotional drain, indicating a complex relationship with the game's depth and mechanics. Overall, the game seems to evoke a sense of heartbreak and disillusionment, particularly in its portrayal of diplomacy and character development.
- “Honestly, I could go on for hours about this emotional roller coaster of a game and I'm excited to probably dump another 400 hours into this game after this, trying to master it, but I just had to leave a thumbs up after my first of hopefully many successful campaigns.”
- “There are a thousand ways to screw up and end your run, and all it takes is one misplaced click to go from a utopian city of gold to a severe economic and emotional depression.”
- “This game is mental and emotional torture of the highest degree.”
monetization
46 mentions
0 % positive mentions
4 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many reviewers expressing disappointment in its reliance on small, overpriced DLCs and aggressive advertising tactics. Players feel that the focus on marketing and monetization has overshadowed the game's development, resulting in a product that lacks depth and polish, reminiscent of a mobile game rather than a quality title from Paradox. Overall, the sentiment is that the game exploits its predecessor's reputation while failing to deliver a satisfying experience.
- “Disgraceful cash grab that doesn't work on Windows; do not waste your money on this broken mess.”
- “Paradox had an excellent game in Victoria 2 that could have been modernized, but instead decided to go for the cash grab.”
- “Complete disappointment; the AI doesn't start any diplomatic plays, causing the map to be stagnant for the entire game. The economy system and trade have to be annoyingly micromanaged to the point of spending half the game flicking through menus. It seems like Paradox spent more on advertising and those monthly dev-blog videos than actually making the game.”
atmosphere
36 mentions
56 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in Victoria 3 is widely praised for its stunning visuals, detailed maps, and evocative music that effectively captures the essence of the 19th century. While many players appreciate the game's immersive environment and the focus on social and economic progress, some note that the atmosphere can feel repetitive at times, particularly when disrupted by war sounds. Overall, the combination of art, sound design, and gameplay mechanics creates a compelling and enjoyable atmosphere, though some players feel it lacks depth in certain areas.
- “Victoria 3 is a beautiful game, with stunningly detailed maps, elegant menus, and evocative music that perfectly captures the atmosphere of the 19th century.”
- “A great addition to the Paradox family - great mood and atmosphere of the Victorian era, where wars are just something in the background, and the priority is social and economic progress and global trade.”
- “The atmosphere is perfect and the core mechanic of managing your economy is compelling - watch out for sudden changes in the global economy as your industry either suddenly fills an important economic niche bringing you national prosperity or suddenly is no longer competitive, requiring you to change your economic strategy.”
- “Where the hell are the war mechanics you used to have in your previous games that made me feel immersed in the atmosphere?”
- “Gorgeous and delightful music fits the atmosphere, but it's sadly ruined by the sounds of war and revolt outbreaks.”
- “There is just no atmosphere to the whole thing.”
character development
6 mentions
17 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highlighted as a significant focus, appealing to fans of titles like Crusader Kings 3. However, the character design has received criticism for being unattractive, detracting from the overall experience.
- “If you liked CK3 for the character development, HOI4 for the war/industry simulation, you shall appreciate Victoria 3 for the economics simulation.”
- “The character design sucks and is one of the ugliest I have seen.”