14 DAY TRIAL // 
The Dutch Republic, which is one of the main focuses of the Res Publica expansion for Europa Universalis IV, is an interesting faction to choose to play as because, at different moments during its Middle Age history, the emphasis is on different elements of the grand strategy experience.
Initially players need to work hard in order to make sure that they win a tough war against Spain and keep their independence in the long term, which requires some solid maneuvering, but most important of all, some good alliances.
Then the country can choose how it wants to shape its future, which can be linked to a number of colonies that are opening up all over the world or to an attempt to create a power center in Europe that can act as a counterweight to France and to the forming Germanic nations.
Skip ahead a few decades and the Netherlands are entirely focused on their colonial pursuits, with footholds in North America, South East Asia, and Africa, and a healthy income focused on trade.
Of course, the wealth of opportunities also means that the nation needs to deal with some tough potential challenges in the short and long term, ranging from the jealousy of more powerful nations, including France and Great Britain, to colonial revolts that can have a big impact on trade and wealth.
But playing as the Dutch would probably not be one of the top choices for fans of Europa Universalis IV if it weren’t for the main new mechanic introduced with Res Publica: the balance between the Statists and the Orangists.
The first faction focuses on navy power and on trade and increases republican tradition, while the second one creates a form of monarchy which makes it easier to maintain land forces and to increase stability.
The interplay between the two is central to a Res Publica game, but it’s hard to make sure that the right one is in power when its bonuses can really contribute to a gamer’s long-term strategy.
Res Publica also introduces some welcomed new concepts to the game, including an ability for the rather weak Merchants Republics to create a trading post in each trade node as a way of gaining some more trade power when compared to other government options.
Fans of Europa Universalis IV will also enjoy some diplomatic actions linked to Elective Monarchies and a range of new events for the newest forms of government, including republics and their devolved dictatorship form.
Playing the Dutch can be frustrating initially, and I often quit my campaigns soon after suffering a major loss in Europe or in the colonies, but once I became more familiar with the situation I understood that the country needed to focus on just one goal in order to prosper.
I chose to drop my presence in Asia and decided to focus on expanding into the still unclaimed areas of southern Africa in order to develop my South American presence as much as possible while deriving plenty of wealth from trade.
Watching how the world of Europa Universalis IV evolves and choosing which of the two government factions to favor at any point adds an extra layer of strategy that can give the Dutch the edge at crucial moments in the game.
Overall, the experience is interesting in the long term, but it requires an initial investment of time and it can potentially involve frustration.
Res Publica does not introduce any sort of major changes to the graphics side of Europa Universalis IV, but the game continues to do a great job when it comes to collecting information for the player to see the same places where it could also act on it.
The soundtrack is similarly unchanged, although Paradox does offer a number of music packs for those who are passionate to buy and play while realizing their dreams of conquest.
The multiplayer component of Europa Universalis IV remains a very strong area of the experience for those who have the time and the friends to create a long-lasting game of combat, betrayal and shifting alliances.
The Dutch were never the most powerful of nations in the early game, which probably means that the new content will have a limited impact here.
Europa Universalis IV – Res Publica is almost certainly not the last piece of downloadable content or expansion that the team at Paradox Development Studios plans to launch for its flagship grand strategy title.
For this DLC, the associated patch, labeled 1.7, certainly introduces more tweaks, changes and fixes than the paid element, which represents an interesting long-term strategy.
Basically, the company is delivering content that might not appeal to the entire player community, but has some cool mechanics, like the balance between the Statists and the Orangists in Res Publica, while at the same time it's offering free big patches that the entire player base benefits from in significant ways.
Europa Universalis IV continues to be one of the most complex and immersing titles on the market, especially for strategy lovers, and long-term fans will certainly find the new concepts interesting, while those who have not played the game yet are better served by getting the core package before trying the expansions and the DLC.
