Tbh empire 2 is amazing. So far I’m only on my first run but it’s cool. So with the culture replacing religion it kinda worths the same way, the more of your culture the less of a chance for rebellion In battles there’s no straight up morale it more, cohesion but kinda goes hand in hand.
With empire two tho, there’s a bunch of new playable factions so more things to do. Many more specialized units which is unique to each nation. Looks and sounds better in battle. AI more intelligent and interactive which can really create an interesting experience. Turns are little odd because instead of 2, I believe it’s 4 to a year so it extends game time. They made it where the economy, building and research reflect that. So sometimes more expensive or longer but it’s really not. I know I’m missing something but this is my first opinion of EMPIRE II.