This lets you run through the whole 12-plus years of global insanity or pick your spot and replay history from such key moments as the German invasion of Poland or the aftermath of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. There are seven default starting dates that stretch from the nervous peace of 1936 to the beginning of the end in 1944. Matches can be played solo or multiplayer over a LAN or the Net if you've got a lot of patience for the time it can take to finish such an undertaking. So even though you get to look at a newfangled world map with 3D soldiers, tanks, ships, and planes moving about, the core of the game is still centered on taking control of a nation during the WWII era. The design blends the first two releases in the Hearts of Iron series with the 3D map and revamped interface of 2007's Europa Universalis III. The basic structure of the game is stock standard when it comes to Paradox's grand strategy lineup.

Like its cousins Europa Universalis and Crusader Kings, Hearts of Iron III isn't a game that you will figure out, let alone master, in a couple of hours. With all that said, Hearts of Iron III remains a serious real-time strategy game that is as intricate as the design of a Persian rug. Even with some technical glitches, this deeply engaging game is the most approachable and user-friendly that Paradox has ever released out of the box.įrom up here, the Eastern Front doesn't seem nearly as bad as Klink and Schultz made it out to be. So instead of getting bogged down by the minutiae of war economics, such as oil production in the Caucasus, you can head right for the much more satisfying aspects of WWII.

Although you still spend a great deal of time sifting through reams of data, it's now much easier to cut to the chase.

Paradox Entertainment's third grand strategy go-round with Winston, Franklin, Adolf, and Joseph is a thorough reenvisioning of its predecessors, maintaining all of the game's complexities while distilling the hardcore micromanagement through a mostly superb interface.

Flattening the learning curve is as much the focus of Hearts of Iron III as the Second World War, which the game depicts.

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