Hearts of Iron IV Reviews
Hearts of Iron 4 wields complexity like a swift armor division during the blitzkrieg, allowing it to serve the idea of layered, cerebral, strategic warfare instead of letting it needlessly bog down the experience.
An accessible and arresting strategy game that captures the size and scale of World War 2.
The king of World War II-era grand strategy has returned with more engaging choices and a streamlined interface.
Hearts of Iron IV is an incredibly rewarding strategy experience, letting you roll your sleeves up and re-fight the Second World War in a way that few other series have ever even attempted, let alone pulled off. Just know that to reap those rewards, you’re going to need to put in some work, and put up with a few quirks while you’re at it.
Hearts of Iron IV is an easy recommendation for grand strategy fans of all ages and encourages them to take the time to figure everything out.
On the other hand, if you want a massive, extremely fulfilling and rewarding simulation of World War II, then this game is a giant cornucopia of conflicts, engaging politics, management gameplay and pure fun. And when you’re tired of World War II, you’ll have endless alternate history scenarios to explore. Just make sure to go to work or school in the morning, because if Hearts of Iron IV really clicks with you, it won’t let go easily.
A great game with a couple of fatal flaws, mainly in the AI department. Patches to the rescue!
Review in Italian | Read full review
In my opinion, Hearts of Iron 4 is the best grand strategy game out there. The setting is added an excellent level of authenticity with the battle-plan feature, excellent Ai and a world map that is absolutely splendid to look at and watch the war unfold. Combined with a well developed political and infrastructure system, there is so much that can be done in the game, one that will absorb your time and leave you with lost time.
I mean why repeat history when you can write it? It was my first Hearts of Iron game and I'm disgusted it took me so long to settle into the franchise. The learning curve is very reasonable, just expect to spend the first hour of a campaign reading everything. If you're into history that shouldn't be a problem. The game does a fantastic job at delivering accurate content and historical events. It does all this while allowing the player to go in any direction during a campaign
I bloody love Hearts of Iron IV. Even when I’m not doing anything, I really am, because my brain is still racing through all the things I need to do, all the focuses I’m contemplating, all the countries that might soon face my wrath.
It demands dedication (unless you’re a series vet) and neither AI nor UI are exactly flawless, but once you’re entrenched Hearts of Iron IV reveals itself as a capable and absorbing alt-history WW2 generator.
Dramatically improving accessibility while retaining the precision and complexity of a classic stopwatch, Hearts of Iron IV is a must-buy for any grand-strategy aficionado.
Hearts of Iron 4 is incredibly daunting for your average strategy player but for those who want war on its grandest scale yet - from the preliminary stages to the finale - it's worth playing.
What makes Heart of Iron IV work is the fact that although it’s moulded around just ten years of history, it offers so much historical background and variable outcomes, and as such packs a mightier punch than might be at first expected. It’s complicated - overly so at times - and may not offer the same amount of replayability as other genre similars, but one thing is certain: there is rarely a dull moment.
Hearts of Iron IV is an absolutely ideal grand strategy game. I fully expected it would be, and I’m not disappointed. I certainly wouldn’t recommend it as anyone’s first wargame, but I also wouldn’t talk you away from it if it were. With its hallmark multiple choice ways to conquer the world, along with being easier to initially grasp compared to the previous versions, Hearts of Iron IV is both admirably imposing and a well worthy title in the Hearts of Iron series.
The things that upset me about the game stem from the exact reason I love it - I disagree with Paradox's description of the Centurion-class Battleships, for instance, but only because I'm a huge nerd, and therefore perfect for this game. It's definitely a "your mileage may vary", but I feel comfortable in saying, entrance to the grand strategy rabbit hole has never been easier. But be warned - it's still a deep rabbit hole.
Sandbox possibilities and endless ‘what-if’ questions bump up what is already an impressive level of replayability. Paradox Interactive have created a game that strategy gamers and history buffs should get on their shelves as soon as possible.
The premise and the varied paths one can play through in alternate World War IIs are by far the shining points of Hearts of Iron IV and encourage multiple replays; the problem comes from the very complicated and particularly number heavy aspect of everything. The complexity and slow speed of how things evolve take the fun down notches lower than it otherwise would deserve. Endless clicking through menus, and a glacial speed, ruin what could have been a pretty slick overall experience.
Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung is one of Paradox's better ones, giving you access to a wide variety of content and expanding the grand strategy brand. It wouldn't be a paradox DLC if it didn't have its hiccups, but regardless, it's a fine addition to Hearts of Iron IV.
By far the most accessible game of an intricately complex franchise. Hearts of Iron IV streamlines unit management and instead focus on creating alternative outcomes to WWII. Be sure to have a lot of free time to learn this one.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review