Europa Universalis II (Paradox/UbiSoft), For PC CD-Rom, Price: £29.99, Out now

If you have more than a passing interest in the Ashikaga Shogunate of feudal Japan or the turbulent politics of Napoleonic Europe, this is the game for you.

That might sound like a small niche for a videogame to fill, but it's only a fraction of the real history that Europa Universalis II attempts to recreate.

It's a real time strategy game set between 1419 and 1820, a period that saw Europe dragged from the dark ages into a new civilisation, the founding of the US and numerous other events that went on to shape the world.

EUII gives you the chance to see if you could have produced a better result.

Unlike most RTS games, frantically producing military assets and sending them off into battle rarely brings victory.

EUII is more sophisticated than that, instead calling on you to use diplomacy, forge trading links, go exploring, advance your civilisation with research and manage your nation's finances.

Send your troops to war without good reason and you damage your country's stability, which can have knock-on effects for your economy.

You can even tamper with the State religion, Henry VIII-style. All of which makes the game's numerous tutorials all the more welcome.

Controlling the game is relatively easy, with 90% of all actions carried out with the mouse.

The main screen is taken up with a map, while a context-driven multi-purpose display keeps you informed of everything, from your military's morale to the amount of money you made last year selling fish to Cornwall.

EUII won't appeal to the majority of gamers. It is deeply involving and practically impossible to play without a good nose through the 65-page manual.

But it is ideal for anyone who fancies a mental challenge, combined with a stealthy injection of history lessons.

Rating: 76% (RA)