Europa Universalis II vs Ultima Online
Europa Universalis II
Europa Universalis II is what many have deemed as the best sequel to Europa Universalis. Set during the period where the hundred-year war occured, you'll need to lead your country's expansion and guide the growth of its domestic and foreign policies, while engaging in religious battles and sending expeditions to beat the competition and claim large swathes of the new world. Similar to the original game, you'll get to, depending on your decisions, interact with historical figures and momentous events (some of which though are special, random events).However, this time around, the game has a revamped and frankly much improved system for diplomacy, trade, military and overall country development. You can even demand tribute or knock out deals in order to make peace with a foreign nation. As religion is often the cause of war, this aspect has been greatly expanded in Europa Universalis II, requiring you to actually deal with cultural differences between nations of different religions.
In some way, Europa Universalis II managed to not only build on the game design used in the first game; it has also introduced a series of new features of its own. This is exactly why the game has gotten critical acclaimation from both fans and critics alike back when it was first released. So, if you love grand strategy games, you'll want to check this game out.
Ultima Online
Ultima Online is one of the most legendary MMORPGs of all time. In fact, if you were to trace the entire MMORPG genre back to a single game, then you’d probably end up at Ultima Online. Being one of the longest running MMOs has its fair share of perks - a ton of updates to keep the gameplay fresh as well as a solid and loyal player base, and of course, downsides... there is only so much of the game they can update and graphics is, unfortunately, not one of them. That's actually great in some way since the game still retains its classic looks and charm.Ultima Online is a massive game and as you might expect, you can spend years in the game and still be pleasantly surprised to discover new parts of the game that you may not have known before. Aside from exploring the land, you can even set sail on your very own ship and make your mark at the seas as well. Character building is equally as impressive here mainly because you are free to mix and match over 50 different skills to come up with a build you feel comfortable with. However, if you're looking for a casual PvP experience, you won't find it here since your stuff can be looted by your opponent if you were defeated in combat.
As amazing as it is, Ultima Online is not a free-to-play game. That said, the game does offer a 14-day trial for players who would like to try the game out and who knows? You might just end up paying for the game for the sake of being able to fully experience the "founder" of modern-day MMOs.