Europa Universalis II is the sequel to one of the greatest strategy games ever made - Europa Universalis. It invites you to a global struggle for supremacy from the dark times of Jeanne D'Arc to the flaming wars of Napoleon. As the leader of a country you have to guide domestic and foreign policies. Engage in religious struggles, set up expeditions to claim the New World, lead your country to prosperity and victory. Send your Privateers to roam the seven seas, muster mercenaries to bolster your defences, and send missionaries to convert infidels to your State Religion. Interact with true historical events and persons to determine which path your nation will take in the game. The new game includes an elaborate and expanded system for diplomacy, trade, military might and development. It also includes new graphics, music, sound, manual and a new tutorial system to lower the learning curve.

• Europa Universalis II features more than 180 countries; all of them are playable and annexable. The map has been expanded to include 120 new provinces for enjoyable playing. It also includes many non-European countries such as China, Great Zimbabwe and the Cherokees. The player can also easily design new countries and scenarios. The jewel of Europa Universalis II is the Grand Campaign starting in 1419 and ending in 1820.
• Europa Universalis II gives the player more control. Will you centralize or decentralize the government? Will you force Mercantilism on your nation or allow Free Trade? Are your policies going to be conservative or radical? Are you going to Free your subjects or turn them into Serfs? By influencing the ten different policy areas you decide what road your country is taking. Do you want Scotland to become a great colonial power or Prussia to become a powerful naval power? The decision is yours, but be aware of the effects on the stability of your country when you change the social fabric in your country.
• Europa Universalis II extends your bargaining power in war and peace. You can now strike trade agreements, crave military access or persuade your neighbour to commit to neutrality. Will you guarantee the territory of Savoy? And why not send France a warning giving you a Casus Belli if she turns aggressive? If things get hot you can always claim the throne of France. Will you claim the title 'Sole Defender of the Faith' and become first among equals?
• Europa Universalis II adds the possibility to demand or offer any combination of provinces, gold and diplomatic agreements as a result of peace. As Turkey demand 1000 ducats, Sicily and the reinstitution of Granada as an independent country from Spain. As Napoleon why not vassalize Austria after your glorious victory at Austerlitz?
• Europa Universalis II now expands history's greatest cause of war "Religion", introducing Hinduism, Confucianism and Buddhism. Cultural groups based on linguistic differences between peoples have also been introduced to portrait the difficulty with which one controls the subjects of another culture during different time periods.
• Europa Universalis II features a brand new event engine that produces historical, random and special events. The event engine is designed to let the player create his own events making it very fun to build scenarios. Many of the events have multiple choices. Will you support the Lancaster or the York family during the War of the Roses? Will you build Versailles and be showered in Glory, increasing the power of Aristocracy? Or will you save France from the trembles of revolution? These are the decisions that you shall be challenged with in order to bring your country and people to prosperity.
• Europa Universalis II can be played in a multitude of resolutions (from 800 x 600 to 1280 x 1024) and has a number of new units for the new playable countries and time-periods such as the Napoleonic era. A new musical score, which is a selection of the classical works from the period, has also been added.
• Europa Universalis II has a completely new tutorial system which will lower the learning curve plus a totally rewritten manual with charts and tables to simplify the gaming experience for novice and advanced players alike.