Europa Universalis 5’s Across the Pillars DLC adds nice Iberian flavors but lacks a little spice
Europa Universalis 5’s Across the Pillars DLC adds new content for Castille, Granada and Morocco, making Iberia more engaging to play. Its central “Battle for the Strait” scenario has a promising premise, but the reviewer found it too limited in meaningful choices and ultimately lacking in depth.
Playing as Castille, the reviewer conquered Granada after a turbulent independence war, but found Granada’s repeated rebellions and Morocco’s and Tlemcen’s frequent wars disrupted the campaign. The DLC’s strongest addition is its colonial expeditions, which offer distinctive events and discoveries that can speed expansion into the New World. Overall, the expansion improves Iberia and offers content across many in-game eras, though its main scenario feels dry.
In short
- The DLC adds flavor to Iberian campaigns.
- The Battle for the Strait offers limited choices.
- Colonial expeditions are its standout feature.
Explained simply
Europa Universalis 5 is a grand strategy game in which players guide a country through centuries of political, military and economic change. Iberia, the region that includes modern Spain and Portugal, was historically divided among several kingdoms and Muslim-ruled territories, making it a contested area in the game.
Castille, Granada and Morocco are among the countries featured in the downloadable expansion. The Strait of Gibraltar, between Iberia and North Africa, has long been an important route for trade and military movement. The game also lets players send expeditions across the Atlantic, reflecting the historical European expansion into the Americas.
These settings matter because a country’s neighbours, wars and overseas ambitions can shape its choices over many generations. The expansion adds ways to explore those pressures across different periods of play.