It's been almost 2 years since I started playing Hearts of Iron IV, I've reached 800 hours of playtime and I think it's time to write a review.

It’s a big strategy game that has bloated, evolved and turned into something much bigger and more ambitious than it was in 2021. If you watch the gameplay videos of 2016, the year it was released, you will see that there is a big difference. This is a dense game, and is definitely not for everyone, especially if you’re after things like nuanced diplomacy or more granular control over your armies in your strategy games.

Hearts of Iron IV places you in control of a nation during the build-up to the greatest conflict mankind has ever seen. At release there are two scenarios available - 1936 and 1939. The latter drops you right into the thick of it at the outbreak of war while the former allows you to prepare your chosen nation for a number of years in advance. There are seven major factions: USA, Japan, Great Britain, France, Italy, Soviet Union and Germany, each with their own special traits, bonuses and penalties. Players who like to root for the underdog will be pleased to know that Paradox have lifted the restriction on what minor nation you can play as. From Liberia and Albania to British Raj and Portugal - every nation on Earth is playable. There’s just so much to it. So much to get lost in, to come back to over and over again.

Hearts of Iron IV drowns you in buttons and systems, intimidating new players but eventually granting experienced ones the ability to fine-tune almost every aspect of their war effort. All that depth and length isn’t there for the sake of it, though, as everything you adjust and slide and click serves a purpose and will be reflected on the battlefield. Sometimes in minor ways, sometimes in ways that can shape the entire war.

And what a war it can be. At the flick of a very big switch at the start of every game you’re able to turn off HOI IV’s “historical AI,” creating one of video gaming’s great alternate history sandboxes, giving players seemingly endless ways to start a war and then even more ways to fight one.

The running of your nation is done by your representative political party, which can be moderated by governmental decrees. Your choice of political representative is by no means static - put the right policies into place and you can overthrow it with a stance of your choice.

To further your nation’s goals a number of initiatives can be undertaken through research and development, as well as a new feature named ‘National Focus’. Similar to a skill tree, National Focus lines are a way to quickly develop your nation and take on policies. You can’t choose them all, though, and some parts of the tree are mutually exclusive.

There is no real currency in play in HOI IV. Instead there are a number of resources that are needed to produce units, supply your forces and ensure that trade is maintained. These come in the shape of civilian factories, military factories, naval dockyards and manpower. The first three can be built upon as you go, the latter is affected by population figures, national unity and your type of government. Without manpower your front-line units will dwindle and be poorly reinforced, too, so it’s a figure that always needs watching. Your industry and production can all be bumped up by research and government policy, meaning that a careful balance can even redress some factions deficiencies at the start of play.

The game really breaks down into two main stages: the build up from 1936 to 1939 and the crescendo when war is finally declared on (or by) your nation. The former is fast-paced and lively as you go through organising and renaming fleets and armies, building infrastructure and waiting for research and National Focus timers to drop. It’s a flurry of activity that is blistering compared to when you’re deep into the war. Once it’s in full swing it becomes a matter of days, not years. Tactics are tweaked, units maneuvered and enemy movement watched with a hawkish eye.

It is not only the national tree and army management that is important, but also trade and diplomacy have a great impact.

Its beating heart is its intricate simulation of the industry and logistics that allow warfare to take place at all. Even the most gifted commander with the best technology and most elite soldiers would do best to knock out larger, more populous opponents quickly, as wise resource management and industrial development will almost certainly prevail in the long run. That factories, production efficiency, and developing your civilian sector can win you the war is an engaging realization that made me operate outside my comfort zone and think about global conflict in new ways. In addition to considering which ships to build and how many marines I needed to take Iwo Jima, I had to contemplate how to weigh arms production versus expanding my infrastructure in Michigan. I had to strike a balance with my manpower reserves between the factory floors and the front lines. A prominent industrialist in my government cabinet ended up making a larger contribution to victory across the length of the war than any hot-shot fighter ace or brilliant general. This all lends a sense of nuance and so many new, interesting strategic layers to the whole campaign.

Finally, I would like to talk about mods, which are another part of the game, which will double your game time.

Some players think that the mod version of the game is more enjoyable than the original version, I am one of those players, HOI 4 gives us the main materials and mechanics, and you can find yourself on very different battle fronts.

The total conversion mods are arguably the best of the bunch. These types of mods add and/or change so much of the vanilla content that it often feels like playing a completely different game. Some make the experience more realistic while others are purely fantastical in their settings. The common denominator among them is that all deserve some serious attention from fans.

Once you think you understand the main mechanics of the game, I definitely recommend you to play mods and try those separate ideas.

I will list the mods that change the game, offer alternatives and make the game more fun that I definitely recommend you to try: The Road to 56, Millennium Dawn, Kaiserreich, The Great War, The New Order: Last Days of Europe, Cold War Iron Curtain: A World Divided, Old World Blues, Rise Of Nations, The Lord Of The Rings, New Ways, World Ablaze, Europe in Flames: AGORA and more on the Steam Workshop.

I haven't commented on the DLCs but I think they should all be bought. All of them add mechanics that should already be in the game, but Paradox has seen this fit and this is the strategy to make money. In short, I think all DLCs should be bought.

You may find it boring or confusing at the beginning of the game, but as you learn and explore, you will start to enjoy it and you will enjoy that deep gameplay.

If you've read this far, you should give it a try. (This article contains sentences from some editors' reviews)

9/10

It's been almost 2 years since I started playing Hearts of Iron IV, I've reached 800 hours of playtime and I think it's time to write a review. It’s a big strategy game that has bloated, evolved and turned into something much bigger and more ambitious than it was in 2021. If you watch the gameplay videos of 2016, the year it was released, you will see that there is a big difference. This is a dense game, and is definitely not for everyone, especially if you’re after things like nuanced diplomacy or more granular control over your armies in your strategy games. Hearts of Iron IV places you in control of a nation during the build-up to the greatest conflict mankind has ever seen. At release there are two scenarios available - 1936 and 1939. The latter drops you right into the thick of it at the outbreak of war while the former allows you to prepare your chosen nation for a number of years in advance. There are seven major factions: USA, Japan, Great Britain, France, Italy, Soviet Union and Germany, each with their own special traits, bonuses and penalties. Players who like to root for the underdog will be pleased to know that Paradox have lifted the restriction on what minor nation you can play as. From Liberia and Albania to British Raj and Portugal - every nation on Earth is playable. There’s just so much to it. So much to get lost in, to come back to over and over again. Hearts of Iron IV drowns you in buttons and systems, intimidating new players but eventually granting experienced ones the ability to fine-tune almost every aspect of their war effort. All that depth and length isn’t there for the sake of it, though, as everything you adjust and slide and click serves a purpose and will be reflected on the battlefield. Sometimes in minor ways, sometimes in ways that can shape the entire war. And what a war it can be. At the flick of a very big switch at the start of every game you’re able to turn off HOI IV’s “historical AI,” creating one of video gaming’s great alternate history sandboxes, giving players seemingly endless ways to start a war and then even more ways to fight one. The running of your nation is done by your representative political party, which can be moderated by governmental decrees. Your choice of political representative is by no means static - put the right policies into place and you can overthrow it with a stance of your choice. To further your nation’s goals a number of initiatives can be undertaken through research and development, as well as a new feature named ‘National Focus’. Similar to a skill tree, National Focus lines are a way to quickly develop your nation and take on policies. You can’t choose them all, though, and some parts of the tree are mutually exclusive. There is no real currency in play in HOI IV. Instead there are a number of resources that are needed to produce units, supply your forces and ensure that trade is maintained. These come in the shape of civilian factories, military factories, naval dockyards and manpower. The first three can be built upon as you go, the latter is affected by population figures, national unity and your type of government. Without manpower your front-line units will dwindle and be poorly reinforced, too, so it’s a figure that always needs watching. Your industry and production can all be bumped up by research and government policy, meaning that a careful balance can even redress some factions deficiencies at the start of play. [u]The game really breaks down into two main stages[/u]: the build up from 1936 to 1939 and the crescendo when war is finally declared on (or by) your nation. The former is fast-paced and lively as you go through organising and renaming fleets and armies, building infrastructure and waiting for research and National Focus timers to drop. It’s a flurry of activity that is blistering compared to when you’re deep into the war. Once it’s in full swing it becomes a matter of days, not years. Tactics are tweaked, units maneuvered and enemy movement watched with a hawkish eye. It is not only the national tree and army management that is important, but also trade and diplomacy have a great impact. Its beating heart is its intricate simulation of the industry and logistics that allow warfare to take place at all. Even the most gifted commander with the best technology and most elite soldiers would do best to knock out larger, more populous opponents quickly, as wise resource management and industrial development will almost certainly prevail in the long run. That factories, production efficiency, and developing your civilian sector can win you the war is an engaging realization that made me operate outside my comfort zone and think about global conflict in new ways. In addition to considering which ships to build and how many marines I needed to take Iwo Jima, I had to contemplate how to weigh arms production versus expanding my infrastructure in Michigan. I had to strike a balance with my manpower reserves between the factory floors and the front lines. A prominent industrialist in my government cabinet ended up making a larger contribution to victory across the length of the war than any hot-shot fighter ace or brilliant general. This all lends a sense of nuance and so many new, interesting strategic layers to the whole campaign. Finally, I would like to talk about mods, which are another part of the game, which will double your game time. [u]Some players think that the mod version of the game is more enjoyable than the original version[/u], I am one of those players, HOI 4 gives us the main materials and mechanics, and you can find yourself on very different battle fronts. The total conversion mods are arguably the best of the bunch. These types of mods add and/or change so much of the vanilla content that it often feels like playing a completely different game. Some make the experience more realistic while others are purely fantastical in their settings. The common denominator among them is that all deserve some serious attention from fans. Once you think you understand the main mechanics of the game, I definitely recommend you to play mods and try those separate ideas. I will list the mods that change the game, offer alternatives and make the game more fun that I definitely recommend you to try: The Road to 56, Millennium Dawn, Kaiserreich, The Great War, The New Order: Last Days of Europe, Cold War Iron Curtain: A World Divided, Old World Blues, Rise Of Nations, The Lord Of The Rings, New Ways, World Ablaze, Europe in Flames: AGORA and more on the Steam Workshop. I haven't commented on the DLCs but I think they should all be bought. All of them add mechanics that should already be in the game, but Paradox has seen this fit and this is the strategy to make money. In short, [u]I think all DLCs should be bought.[/u] You may find it boring or confusing at the beginning of the game, but as you learn and explore, you will start to enjoy it and you will enjoy that deep gameplay. If you've read this far, you should give it a try. (This article contains sentences from some editors' reviews) 9/10