Empire Earth vs Europa Universalis II
Empire Earth
Empire Earth lets you take the reins of a newborn civilization and nurture it so it'd grow into a formidable empire that can eventually dominate the globe. But of course, your rise to power will not go unchallenged, so expect the need to flex your military muscles from time to time or employ some diplomatic action to ensure the expansion of your empire. As you go through various eras until the final, hypothetical "nano era", you'll need to invest in upgrading your technology both for your normal citizens and for your military just so your empire can keep up with the times and have both military might and economic strength growing in tandem. Multiplayer is also available but only through LAN.Empire Earth may not have been as popular as Age of Empires, but it is still a pretty renowned real-time strategy game back in the day. If you love the genre, you'll definitely enjoy playing this game.
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.