How does it stack up?
As most of you are well aware, my very first post on this blog was about Hearts of Iron IV. Now that the game is finally here, it is time to ask ourselves if the game lives up to the stunning expectations that we have come to expect from a Paradox title. Luckily for you and me, this game is not getting out of here without a recommendation. However, it does have a few glaring flaws that I need to address in this post.
Hopefully, Paradox can fix these in future patches. They do have a great reputation for supporting their games.
The Gameplay.
Its important to secure your flanks and deny all knowledge that you are doing so.
After looking at the tutorial, I’m happy to say that my (sort of) historical run as the United States was an easy way to jump in. From the 1936 start, you will be building, researching, and reacting to an AI that may differ from history. Somehow, the guys and gals over at Paradox have streamlined the game from its’ predecessor while adding more depth.
In the pre-war years, industry and politics are the stars of the show, but players can also pull off some moves straight out of a Turtledove novel. For instance, there are certain pieces of the national focus tree for the U.S. that are only open if you go fascist or communist. Everyone else has this option as well, which can create some interesting alternate scenarios.
I’m also happy to say that the production lines are quite realistic. It was an irritation of mine in the previous installment that you had to sacrifice army development for the navy and vice versa. Luckily, Hearts of Iron IV gets around this by splitting the function into factories and dockyards, which makes perfect sense. Instead of the confusion of having IC produce divisions, you have industry produce equipment while you train up what you need. It’s a nice addition, just be aware that you need to worry about when to switch over to new additions to your arsenal. You could lose men if you do not manage this correctly.
But what about research? Well, I’m happy to say that there are improvements there as well. The tech tree is less confusing than in Hearts of Iron III, and you can easily see where you might want to go. In my U.S. run, I focused on a motorized infantry/armor strategy for the build-up to war, so I chose a set of research bonuses to match. Interestingly enough, they added historical companies like GE and the Springfield Armory, which is always nice to see.
Finally, the war years. I am pleased that battle plans are a functional part of the game now. This system allows you to select a General and plot a course through the various theaters of war. In my case, I stuck with Dwight Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur, but I added other units based on my needs. The Pacific War went a lot better than the European one, but that was because the U.S. Navy shielded my advance. In Europe, I fought the Soviets, Germany, and Italy at the same time.
Needless to say, Ike and FDR were not pleased. The multiple fronts forced them to use nuclear weapons.
It’s a beautiful effect on screen, but it sucks that it isn’t horrific.
The Atmosphere.
I knocked out nearly a quarter of the Wehrmacht by trapping them here at Anzio.
Paradox has more production resources now, so they put them to good use here. The map comes alive with weather, planes buzzing this way and that, and many other things that make you feel like you’re really at war. It only adds to the cool factor when you can see your air force shoot down enemy fighters, especially with an ahistorical surprise like the one in my game.
One of my squadrons was led by Amelia Earhart.
This pioneer of aviation survived her trip across the world, so I let her join up when war broke out over a Fascist Venezuela. We steamrolled the Axis in Operation Torch, but an enemy fighter killed her over Italy in the struggle for air supremacy. It made me angry at Mussolini, but I’d like to imagine that the squadron fought for revenge in her name.
The soundtrack is also a stroke of genius. It includes many of heroic and militaristic themes, but I also got a radio music pack with my pre-order. It was nice to hear tunes that sound like they could have come right out of the era. I just wish there were more of them, but maybe they can get some DLC packages together for that!
The Flaws.
Remember that time when a Democratic Japan was allowed to keep all of China? No? Me neither.
Unfortunately, Hearts of Iron IV comes with one glaring flaw at launch. Even with historical focuses enabled, there is a tendency for a three way world war. Now, you may be saying that it is fine and plausible, but it comes with a catch. If the Soviets and Axis are at war with you and not each other, they grant automatic military access to one another. This design decision was intentional, laughable, and would have never happened in real life. Luckily, Paradox is patching it up in the 1.1. build, so it should be fine.
Paradox also skipped out on adding flavor to the two Chinas of the game at launch. It is odd because the Republic of China (at least) was considered to be one of the great powers at the end of the war, but they and their communist cousins were treated just like any other minor country. It might have been cut for time, but the lack of distinct advantages for China may be a reason why they can’t seem to hold out against Japan.
Nuclear weapons in Hearts of Iron IV are also an afterthought instead of a terrifying new weapon in the grand scheme of things. While it may be due to balancing, it was patently silly to invade Japan in my game. I had it completely blockaded and the ability to unleash a nuke every 25 days. However, I still had to invade with several divisions of Marines and tanks, extending the war into 1947.
Peace deals are also kind of a joke. Near the end of my U.S. run, Nationalist Spain declared war on the Allies just as we were about to finish off the USSR. Strangely enough, my faction forced a transition to democracy, but also required the Spanish to cede land to communists. In addition, Poland took most of Siberia as a colony state for no reason whatsoever. Territorial gains should be barred from Democratic factions. For the fascists and communists, why not require any land gains be connected by land itself or a seaport?
Conclusion.
Did we give them too much hell, Harry?
You’ll have a blast playing Hearts of Iron IV, but it has a few flaws and minor annoyances that detract from the experience. Still, it is the ultimate World War II sandbox for grand strategy fans and newcomers alike. I am looking forward to what Paradox has in store for us in the future. To sum things up, you should buy this game. If you can avoid the flaws in it, then it can deliver a gaming experience like no other.
My only problem is that I haven’t tried co-op or multiplayer yet. I ought to go do that now. AARs will be incoming as soon as I can gather all the material!
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