Victoria II has always felt a little incomprehensible to me and it’s not just the time period or the focus on industry and empire. When I play strategy games, grand or otherwise, I tend to prefer taking control of a small entity. I’m no Ozymandias – my pedestal would read “Look upon my works, if ye like, I mean, if ye have a minute to spare” – so I’m more naturally drawn to the small-scale squabbles, exploration and expansion of earlier ages. The next piece of DLC, Heart of Darkness, could be just what I need to give the game another shot. As the title suggests, the expansion concentrates on the ‘scramble for Africa’, but it also promises to make the game more interesting for smaller powers. Details below.

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